Chapter 32

Chapter 32:
Candice left the banquet hall to get some fresh air and clear her head on the balcony.
Upon returning, she searched for Greyson but found he was nowhere to be seen.
Candice speculated that he had gone to console Madilyn after the humiliating incident earlier.
She sneered at the thought that Greyson had said she could leave anytime.
However, she thought it would be impolite to leave without saying goodbye, so she searched the banquet hall for him.
Slowly, the music softened as the hall’s lighting faded. The blending of light and shadows made it harder to make out individual faces.
She walked on, and a stage appeared in front of her.
Suddenly, someone forcefully pushed her from behind. Candice stumbled onto the stage!
She staggered a few steps before steadying herself. The host, holding a microphone, prepared to announce the next act.
“I’m sorry. I’m leaving now,” Candice said softly.
When the host spotted her, he grabbed her firmly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there will be an extemporaneous performance tonight. This lady and her partner will sing a love song for you,” the host announced into the microphone.
In a dark corner off the stage, Madilyn stood grinning victoriously.
Moments ago, she had secretly paid the host and pushed Candice from behind.
Since she had made a fool of herself in front of Dr. Wilson and his wife earlier, she was determined to see Candice humiliated as well.
She knew that Dr. Wilson and his wife had already left. Moreover, Greyson was on a phone call outside and would not return soon.
Thus, no one would partner with Candice to sing the love song.
What was more, as far as Madilyn knew, Candice couldn’t sing; she had never heard of it.
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In school, there had been a rumor that Candice had embarrassed herself at a school meeting because her singing voice sounded terrible.
Today, Madilyn planned to humiliate Candice in public to vent her anger.
“I can’t sing. There must be some mistake,” Candice said, attempting to leave, but the host pushed her toward the microphone.
“Come on, I’ll choose a random song for you.”
Candice stood on the stage, perplexed by the host’s request.
“The partner who came with this lady, please come on stage as soon as possible,” the host announced.
Candice frowned and scanned the crowd for Greyson, but he was nowhere to be found. Even if he was there, how could they sing a love song together?
She stood there, inconsolably befuddled, unable to decide what to do.
A mellow, vague, lingering prelude gradually began to play.
She felt as if she had gone back in time to when she was fourteen.
The boy had sung her the heartwarming song, The First Time, inside the cold storage.
But she never heard him sing again after that.
Ten years had passed.
Would he show up for her again?
Could he possibly remember the past?
Did he still recall the girl who sobbed inside the cold storage?
Suddenly, she found herself anticipating something.
She caught a glimpse of Madilyn standing smugly and provocatively in a corner of the hall.
In an instant, she realized Madilyn was behind the whole scheme. Maybe Madilyn thought her voice wasn’t very good.
She knew nobody would sing with Candice and expected Candice to struggle performing alone in front of the audience.
Madilyn intended to make her feel as miserable as possible!
If Candice ran away, it would only make a bigger spectacle of herself.
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