Chapter 762
Meanwhile, Lucas had just returned to the hotel he’d booked near the school. Thinking back on his brief time with Jonathan and Michael today, he couldn’t help but feel something special. Just by chance, he’d met such a warm father and son on the road. It was really nice.
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard a knock at the door. He went to open it, thinking it was just hotel staff, but standing there was the person he knew best, and also the one he least wanted to see.
Lucas went cold all over, his eyes going wide. “What are you doing here?”
The woman in front of him was none other than his mother, Peggy.
Peggy had poured all her money into her face, getting plastic surgery and touch-ups every single year. Just the fillers alone, she’d had them done six times. The signs of surgery were so obvious that one could barely tell what she used to look like.
Peggy strutted in arrogantly, her eyes sweeping the room before she shot Lucas a cold smirk. “You’re my son. If I want to see you, I will. Did you really think hiding out in a hotel would stop me from finding you?”
Lucas’s eyes widened as he realized what was going on. He whipped out his phone and demanded, “Did you put a tracker on my phone again?”
Peggy didn’t even bother to deny it. She just said coldly, “You never listen to me. You just had to chase after that celebrity dream. I gave up everything in Cerein and came back just for you. Do you even realize that?”
Lucas’s face went ghostly pale as all those bad memories came rushing back, making him anxious. His fingers shook, and he asked Peggy in a desperate voice, “What will it take for you to let me go? Please, I’m begging you. Just set me free.”
Peggy’s face turned cold as she jabbed a finger at him. “You’re my only son. Who else am I supposed to count on? If you cut me off, everything I’ve poured into you all these years is wasted. You’re nothing but an ungrateful brat.”
The label of “ungrateful son” pressed down on Lucas’s chest like a heavy burden. He’d carried it for as long as he could remember, ever since he was a kid.
Every time he tried to have a mind of his own, if Peggy didn’t like it, she’d shoot him down. And if he dared to push back, she’d slap that “ungrateful” label on him all over again.
Lucas’s anxiety flared up again, and he struggled to steady his breathing. “Mom… I’m begging you. Just let me try one more time. Please, I know I can make it this time.”
“You’ll never succeed. If you insist on doing this, you’ll never debut in your whole life,” Peggy said coldly.
“Why?” Lucas shot back. “I’ve been a trainee at a talent agency for ten years. Every single time, someone else snatches the debut spot from me. And now you want me to give up? This is all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I won’t let you come out onto the scene for everyone to see,” Peggy snapped, her expression turning sharp.
If Lucas really made it big, he’d be seen by everyone, and that meant Evelyn would see him, too.
Peggy had invested so much in Lucas over the years. She couldn’t stand the thought of all that going to waste. There were things she had to swallow and keep buried deep.
“You can pick another career,” Peggy said coldly. “Just make sure it doesn’t put you in the public eye.”
Lucas stared at her with determination. “No matter what you say this time, I’m going to try again.”
“You–” Peggy pointed at him, her hand shaking with rage as she raised it.
“What? You want to hit me again?” Lucas said, his voice steady. “I’m not that little kid anymore—the one you used to kick, hit, and scream at whenever you were in a bad mood.”