Please Take Me Home, Daddy - Chapter 362: Chapter 362

[Some of Laura's fans might have been crossing the line, claiming that even if she said she didn't care about rewards, she still escaped punishment, didn't she? It was Colonel who helped her shoulder the burden. Meanwhile, she savors the sweet taste of victory, pushing the perfect girl image who doesn't fight for the spotlight but ends up having it all.]
But the more Laura thought about Bert's words, the less she agreed with them. She didn't need anyone to coddle her, exempting her from punishment. So, if there was a punishment to be had, Laura was determined to be part of it.
Bert led them to the training grounds and gestured to the equipment that surrounded them, "The first three families to finish will be the winners. The other two families will face the punishment of crawling through the mud pit there and back."
Everyone stood shocked, their eyes widening.
Focus shifted to the looming mud pit nearby, filled with muck—a nasty mix of mud and water, seemingly two hundred meters in length. To crawl through that, back and forth, was unthinkable!
The fathers looked hesitant, their faces expressing clear dismay. The kids didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation and giggled, "Dad, are you going to crawl in the mud?"
Carter, the model, furrowed his brow determinedly as he surveyed the training field. "There's no way I'm crawling in that mud pit. I work out at home regularly, after all."
The other two dads, not as accustomed to regular physical activity, were close to tears. "Why didn't Robert come? If he did, maybe we'd stand a chance at not coming in last."
Derrick jibed, "You guys are underestimating Robert. The man is swift. Do you think his fans joke about his eight-pack abs for nothing?" He turned to Carter, "I think Carter will be fine. Models have to stay in shape, right? What about you, Evan?"
Evan stood stiff as a board, laughing nervously upon hearing Derrick's comment, "I don't know, man. I don't think I can do this."
He thought, 'It isn't a case of might not make it. I definitely wouldn't make it. I never work out.' But his gaze fell upon Laura, and a flash of resolve sparked in his eyes. No matter what it took, he was not going to let Laura look down on him.
Bert stood with others at the starting line, while a group of kids watched from the side. At the signal of a rifle shot, everyone burst into action.
Taking the lead was Bert himself. He shot off like an arrow released from a bow, swiftly running across the narrow bridge with his steps sure and steady. As he landed, he ducked and weaved through the wired obstacles.
The kids on the sidelines went wild with excitement, chanting, "Go Daddy! Go Daddy! Go Daddy!" In the midst of the crowd stood Laura, who couldn't help but get swept up in the enthusiasm, belting out, "Go trainee daddy!"
Bert glanced in her direction. There she was, basking in the sunlight, her hair tied back in a low ponytail, her chubby cheeks squeezed into a bundle of cuteness. For a moment, he thought he saw his own daughter.
He remembered her frail, pale face lying in the hospital bed, smiling weakly at him, whispering, "Daddy, always keep going strong."
Snapped back to reality, Bert pushed through even faster, climbing out from under the wire net and grappling his way up the wall with the rope.
On the other side, Evan was trailing behind, slow and cautious under the net, as the other dads struggled and climbed ahead of him. It seemed as though he was holding back, never quite picking up the pace.
Bella nudged Laura and pointed, saying sarcastically, "Look, Laura, that's the Daddy you returned. What a loser."
Laura followed Bella's gaze. Evan was still awkwardly inching his way under the net, clearly lagging behind the other dads.
Shawn couldn't hold back his laughter, cackling, "He's so slow! Hahaha!"
Bella was gleeful as well, "You did right by returning him, Laura. This guy is absolutely not impressive; otherwise, you'd be stuck doing punishments with him right now."
Laura nodded in agreement, utterly disinterested in Evan.
Finally freeing himself from the wires, Evan looked towards Laura. She, however, was fixated on Bert, who had completed the course, cheering, "Trainee Daddy is amazing! So awesome!"
Evan suddenly felt a surge of anger. He thought, 'She must've done it on purpose. She must've deemed me to be a weakling, betraying me in advance to pair up with the Colonel.'
Before long, the results of the competition were announced.
At the bottom were Evan and the veteran singer, Matt. Following the rules, Bert, Evan, and Matt, along with their kids, had to face the punishment: crawling through a mud pit. The kids only needed to make it to the finish line, but the dads had to go there and back.
Matt's son, Phil, burst into tears. "I don't want to be punished!" Evan stood silently beside him, deflated like a popped balloon. It turned out Phil was the only kid who had to endure the punishment, and he was dead set against it. "I don't want to lie in the mud; it's so dirty!" No matter how Matt tried to comfort him, it just wasn't working.
Suddenly, Evan had a brainwave. He crouched down in front of Phil, "Hey boy, don't cry, it's all good." Then he turned to Bert to plead, "Isn't this a bit too cruel? Can't we let the kids off the hook?" Of course, he secretly wished he could avoid the punishment too.
Bert was unyielding. "A mistake is a mistake. It's just rolling around in the mud, that's all. If they can't endure this punishment, how will they handle the next two days?"
Evan was frustrated. "But why doesn't Laura have to be punished?"
Laura looked shocked at that. Bert knew that Evan would bring Laura into this and was annoyed. "The reason Laura isn't being punished is that I won. According to the rules, if I win, I face the punishment and she just gets to relish the victory."
But Evan challenged him. "Mr. Yale. That's not fair. You and Laura are a team. If you lose, Laura loses. She should face the punishment too. You can't just bully the Judds."
The social media comments blew up with confusion and sentiment: "What's Evan thinking? Laura is on the winning side! Bert's punishment is to make up for the gap between the competitors. What has Laura got to do with it?"
"Is it news to anyone that Evan's logic is flawed? I still remember his diva behavior with the seniors. If things don't go his way, he gets all grouchy, like a petulant toad."
"If Evan and Laura were on the same team, she'd have to embrace the punishment too. But since she's not, not only did she avoid punishment, but she's also enjoying the winner's perks. So Evan's just trying to drag Laura down with his own nonsense."
"Haters gonna hate! Our Evan is just standing up for what's right! If Laura is so capable, let her stop leaning on Althea's shoulders. You're complaining about how pitiful Phil is crying, but if it were Laura, she'd probably be acting like she's all alone in the world."
But just as this live comment sailed across the screen, Phil felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and met Laura's determined gaze.
"Phil! Crawling through the mud is nothing scary! Watch me go first," she proclaimed. Then, she dove into the mud pit, and with the speed of a sprinter—yet quite slowly—she dashed forward, yelling, "Laura never gives up!"
Everyone was stunned.