Chapter 160
Heidi’s Kindergarten was one of The Capital’s most exclusive preschools, attended by the children of the city’s elite.
Dressed in the yellow sundress Shawn had given her, Rebekah applied a touch of light makeup. Standing at the school gates, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu. She knew this place so well; she used to drop off and pick up Shawn here every day. But she hadn’t been back since the day she went to prison.
This was her first time back, and it would also be her last.
The anniversary celebration was a grand affair. A fleet of luxury cars lined the entrance as elegantly dressed parents led their children through the gates. Rebekah was the only one who arrived alone.
A security guard stopped her. “Ma’am, do you have an invitation p>
“An invitation?” Rebekah was taken aback.
“Yes. The children were supposed to take them home to their parents. You need an invitation to enter today p>
Rebekah fell silent. This was the first time the school had held an event like this, and she hadn’t known an invitation was required. Shawn had never given her one.
“I’m Shawn’s mother. He didn’t give me an invitation. Could I just sign in p>
“I’m sorry, no,” the guard said firmly.
Rebekah called Shawn’s teacher, only to be told that “Shawn’s mother” had already arrived. It finally clicked. The teacher was talking about Candice. Shawn had set her up to be humiliated.
“I’m sorry, but without an invitation, you can’t go in,” the guard repeated.
A bitter smile touched Rebekah’s lips. It was just another painful reminder of her failure as a mother. But today was too important. She had to get inside.
“Mrs. Forrester? Why are you still out here p>
A familiar, friendly voice called out from behind her. Rebekah turned to see the mother of one of Shawn’s classmates, a woman she’d chatted with a few times about parenting.
“Oh, Mrs. Lynne. I don’t have an invitation, so I can’t get in,” Rebekah explained with a wry smile.
“Well, come in with me, then. I have mine p>
The school’s policy wasn’t strict about guests, so the guard let them pass.
“They’ve certainly gone all out for this, haven’t they?” Mrs. Lynne chatted as they walked, “I heard they even invited the celebrity Rory Powell. He rarely makes public appearances. I wonder if he’l perform p>
They made their way to Shawn’s classroom Standing in the doorway, Rebekah saw Benjamin and Candice helping Shawn with his costume. He was dressed in a tiny black tuxedo, clearly preparing for a performance Candice was dabbing glitter onto his eyelids from a makeup palette while Benjamin watched them both with a fond, gentle expression.
Mrs. Lynne, standing beside Rebekah, blurted out, “They look more like a family than She trailed off, instantly regretting her words.
She glanced nervously at Rebekah and tried to recover. “I mean, it’s so nice that you and your sister are so close p>
Rebekah just smiled at her. “You weren’t wrong the first time. They are a family p>
Mrs. Lynne, looking deeply uncomfortable, quickly excused herself to find her own
son.
Benjamin happened to look up and
saw Rebekah standing in the doorway. She was wearing a pale yellow dress, the light fabric floating around her. With her soft makeup and long hair pulled back, adorned with a small, diamond battery fly clip, she looked incredibly young. Despite being the mother of a six-year-old, she had a girlish, ethereal quality.