CHAPTER 212

Cedric paused when he heard Angie cry out. However, it was only for a brief moment before he left the room without even looking back at her.

Angie had played him for a fool once more. This was not the Angie he knew.

Despite her pleas and cries, he felt no distress.

He did not wish to see her again. All he wanted was some peace and quiet.

After leaving the hospital, he headed into a random bar and ordered some drinks.

Even so, the more he tried to drink his sorrows away, the greater his sorrows.

As he grew more morose after some drinks, he gave into the urge to call his friend.

He called his very best friend, the friend he shared every secret with. With a little liquid courage in him, he told his friend everything, never once holding back for fear of being laughed at. After he was done with his rambling, he took a swig of his drink and asked in confusion, "Say, why is Angie like this now? She was so nice back then; beautiful, mature, and loved by everyone. Why is she now... a completely different person?"

On the other side of the phone call, Jeremy Dobias, the best friend who was playing therapist at the moment, patiently listened to every word Cedric said before letting out a chuckle. "Do you want the truth?"

"Obviously!" Cedric barked out. "Why would I call you if I don't want the truth?"

"The truth may not be pretty," said Jeremy. "Frankly speaking, we don't really like Angie. You are the only one with rose-tinted glasses, thinking that she was the most perfect being on earth."

"Why?" asked Cedric. "Why don't you guys like her? Why did none of you mention anything?"

"Everyone knows your whole world revolves around your sister," Jeremy said with a scoff. "It would cause unnecessary trouble if we criticized her since we all knew you adored her. On top of that, we like you. Even if we do not like her, we would tolerate her for your sake. She is your sister, after all. We can just stay away from her just because we dislike her. Hence, we did not need to bad-mouth her to you."

There was a long moment of silence.

Cedric was at a loss for words.

"Cedric, listen to me. Since Angie is not your real sister, stay away from her. Was it not bad enough that she infuriated your mother so much that she had to be rushed into an operating theater? Why are you still in contact with her?" Jeremy solemnly advised. "Angie is an adult now. She has her own life to live. No one is responsible for her future. Since your parents do not want you to be in contact with her, just cut off all ties. Your parents gave you life and raised you. What has Angie ever done for you? Why must you go against your beloved parents just for her?" Cedric paused when he heard Angie cry out. However, it was only for a brief moment before he left the room without even looking back at her.

Cedric could not argue against that logic.

"I understand," Cedric eventually said in a glum tone. "This will be the last time..."

Jeremy sighed. "Hopefully."

He knew just how sentimental Cedric could be. As a friend, that was something he admired about Cedric.

After all, no one wanted a cold-hearted friend.

While it was not wrong to be soft-hearted, he did not agree with hurting one's own parents over an adopted sibling who only cared about herself.

Hence, it was not wrong for Cedric to be attached to Angie. However, he was an idiot to do so!

Hopefully, Cedric would learn a lesson from this incident and stop acting like a fool.

After hanging up on Jeremy, Cedric was no longer in the mood to drink.

His mind wandered to his parents, particularly his mother.

Crystal forbade him to contact Angie ever again, but he snuck out behind her back to visit Angie in Dusktown. Now, he was stuck in a dilemma; should he sneak back home, or should he confess his sins so that his parents could prepare for what would happen?

It was not easy to take the first step and admit fault. His parents might be angry, or they might look at him with intense disappointment shimmering in their eyes. The possibility was so upsetting that he wished he could be a coward and sneak back to Wendel City as if nothing had happened.

After some thought, he did not dare to do so.

If he did not confess to his parents, and they found out from other people, he would be in greater trouble then.

If that led to his mother falling sick from anger, his father and brothers would beat him up. However, what he was most afraid of was their disappointment.

He could not bear to live with the disappointment.

After spending a lot of time thinking it over, he finally decided to tell his parents the truth.

After all, he now realized his wrongdoings. If he spun his story carefully while confessing his sins, his mother might not fall sick from anger.

With his mind made up, he left the bar and drove to his parent's home.

Throughout the journey, his mind kept playing out the outcomes of his possible actions. He eventually settled for the method that would least likely anger them.

Crystal and Michael were surprised to see him.

"Why are you here, Cedric?" asked Michael.

"Oh, nothing. I just missed you guys, so I came to visit." Cedric frowned when he saw Crystal. "Mom, why do you look so pale?" holds © this.

"She has a slight fever," Michael answered as he raised a hand to her forehead. "She was burning up yesterday, but she has recovered a little now."

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" Cedric sat down by her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Where does it hurt? Have you gone for a check-up?"

"I'm fine." Crystal tilted her head and scanned his face. "Why did you come here so abruptly? Is everything alright?"

The look in her eyes made him feel so guilty. "Something minor happened," he replied, rubbing his nose with a finger.

"Well?" Her eyes bore into him. "What happened?"

"You have to promise me first that you won't be angry!" Cedric cried in a pleading voice. "I accidentally made a small mistake, but I've realized how wrong I was. I promise I will never do it again. I am here to confess my sins to you guys. I am sorry and I will accept any punishment. However, you cannot get angry, Mom!"

"Fine. I will not get angry," she immediately said in agreement as she stroked his head. "Don't be afraid of mistakes. As long as you repent and actively apologize for it, we will always help you in dealing with any mistakes you make."

"You're the best, Mom!" Cedric wrapped his arms tightly around Crystal.

"You are an adult now. Why are you still so childish?" she said with a laugh as she pushed him away.

"No matter how old I am, I will always be your son." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "As such, I will forever be a kid when I'm around you."

She laughed. "You're so sweet today. You must have done something really bad. Tell us, what did you do?"

"I..." Cedric gritted his teeth and told her everything about what happened with Angie. Before Michael or Crystal could respond, he hugged her tightly and pleaded, "I'm sorry, Mom. I know I should have listened to you and Dad. I know I made a mistake by getting fooled by Angie once more. I will accept any punishment you have for me, but you cannot get angry. If you fall sick because of anger, I would be considered a bad son. People will insult me until the day I die. You love me, right? Surely, you would not want your son to be called a bad son."