SUPREME VISION SYSTEM

"No, you listen to me mother. You do not...you do not need to send these begging texts to him anymore. I will just drop out of that fancy school and start working with you in the diner. " Cole asserted.

It was his father who admitted him in that fancy, a high-class school in the first place when he could always have gone to the public school, ran by the government. 

His mother's waitesing salary could not afford to pay the fees there but it was only because of his father who insisted that he would pay his fees entirely and so his mother agreed. Which mother would not want their son to have the highest quality education? 

But being a bastard, his father was now even pulling out of that responsibility. And making his mother again a deer caught in the headlight.

"No...no you will not drop out." Ivory shouted.

She did not care if they were in the hospital anymore. That was her worst fear of her son dropping out and that was why she did not tell him in the first place.

"I will manage as I told you..."

"...oh how? By dancing in the strip club?"

Cole could not stop himself as the words flew out of his mouth without even him realizing about it. He shut his mouth off right away as he realized how much damage he had already done. 

Ivory was taken aback by what she just heard from her son. He...he knew about it? He had already found out about it when she thought he did not? Damnit! 

She never wanted him to know about this because...because he knew how embarrassing it would get. His friends in his school, all belonged from reputed families and they were aware of her son's condition. 

She did not want him to be ashamed of her anymore. She had tried to find other jobs but it was as if her fortune was broken like her, she did not...she could not land herself a decent job other than to take the offer of the owner of the strip club, Jeffrey even when his presence made herself always uncomfortable.

"Mom..I...I did not...did not mean to..."

Cole stuttered as he tried to explain to his mother that he did not mean it in any offering way although it sounded like that. 

He wanted her to know that he was not mad at her for taking up that job or even ashamed of her or anything. He was just mad at her for hiding from him the reason behind this drastic step. 

Maybe...maybe if she had let him know that his father was a goat who pulled off from supporting them anymore, he was ready to drop out. He could always start working and earn money making it easy for her a little.

Ivory did not say anything and instead walked off and closed the door of their nursing room before anyone else could hear about their family shenanigans.

"How and when did you get to know?" She questioned, keeping a straight face.

"That is not necessary, mom. .." 

Cole tried to skip it because he knew if she came to know that he found it out from his school bullies who always made fun of his background and his waitress mother. 

They made fun that his mother now took up the job of a stripper as how much poor they were. He did not believe it at first but then one day, he decided to follow her in her night shift only to come face to face with the horrifying truth.

That was when he decided to take part in the stream match and win that dollar five hundred and make it easy for his mother for a while and give her a reason to drop out of that job. Vin agreed to help right away.

"Just tell me, Cole. There is nothing left to hide anymore. Let's just come out clear to each other. " Ivory said.

"From my classmates." Cole looked down on the white bedsheets.

Ivory took a deep breath. Her fears had come true. It had turned into reality. She was fearful that he might...he might come to know from his school friends for a few of them roaming around the club. Rich kids, they had the money to be there.

She was deeply bashful for being the reason for her son's embarrassment in front of his entire classmates. She was the worst mother of the year. And maybe that was why Gerald left her? She was never good at anything.

"I m...I m so....so sorry, Cole. I had to pay your fee and there was no money. I...I only did it for the quick cash, son...." 

Ivory broke down before her son, not being able to take it anymore. She was deeply hurt to know that she was behind the cause of her son not getting well with the school mates. 

But she wanted him to know that she was not doing it because she fancied it...she was compelled, the situation got the worst of her to even get desperate to the point of accepting a job like that. 

"I...I understand it, mother. You do not need to explain it to me. " Cole interrupted her, holding her small hands in his.

"I..m so so sorry for it, honey. I never meant for you to find it out this way. I just did not know what to do...I tried to find jobs..decent one but they do not land you one with just a high school degree these days...and I needed that money so I gave in to Jeffrey's offer." Ivory elaborated, squeezing her son's hand. 

"I get it...I get it, mother. You do not have to explain it to me. " Cole nodded.

"I know how hard it must be for you to cope up in school with those rich kids with their reputed parents and the fact that your mother works in a strip club must have caused a lot of things to happen to you..."

"No...no mom....nothing happened. I m alright. It was just a one-time thing. " Cole stopped her from speaking.

He did not want to make her feel so low of herself. She was already feeling so low about herself from the start and now he did not want to add up reasons for her to feel worst about her.

"I know if you...if you would not like to stay with me anymore and wish to move in with your father..." 

Ivory looked down as sadness engulfed her. Before Cole was a little boy when they separated and even when they shared his custody, she got to raise him unlike Gerald who tried to take their son away from her though but the job that needed him on stage made the judge give her the green signal to raise her son.

Now that she had totally failed in being a good mother, a good parent that attended to all his needs but all she let him see was shortages, poverty, and not the high classic life he deserved. He perhaps would want to now go away and stay with his father.

"No...mother. Why would you even think that way? Where did you even get that idea? " 

Cole shrieked in shock for his mother having or possessing such dreadful ideas or notions about him. He would die but never chose to get to a person who wanted nothing to do with him and his mother.

"I m sorry son. I failed you in all the ways." Ivory could not stop her tears anymore.

Finally, she was letting out how she felt inside...how much she felt like a loser every day when she always tried to be perfect and give a hundred percent but would always end up doing it all worst, ruining it all and causing misery to herself and her son too.

"You did not fail me, mother. You are the best parent out there. Never giving up, doing everything for her son. " Cole held her jaw to look at him.

"I m sorry that I do not say this much. I do not praise you enough for your hard work. I m sorry that I do not speak much these days..." Cole tried to explain.

"I know it happens when you turn teenager.." His mother cut him short.

"Oh! Then you know everything mother?" Cole chuckled, trying to ease the mood.

His mother just giggled, with her block nose after lots of crying. She engulfed her son in a big hug, mouthing how much she loved him and Cole did the same.

Perhaps...communication was surely the key to a good relationship...He needed to remind his mother that how grateful he was to have her as his mother and he had no complaints about it. He needed to tell her that he was ok with their living style. He did not mind anything at all. 

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