Chapter 47
Wendelyn had been to Joshua’s house with Shermaine before. When she came back, Ruth had asked her how it went and if she’d managed to impress Owen. But someone as proud as Wendelyn would never admit that not only did she fail to earn Owen’s favor, but that Shermaine had subtly humiliated her as well. So, she didn’t go into detail about what happened that day, instead brushing it off with a vague answer.
At that moment, Wendelyn thought, ‘Shermaine’s trying to humiliate me by suggesting a game of chess. She’s so confident that she can beat me? But she held her own in a fierce match against Mr. Owen York. Can I even stand a chance against her?’
As she hesitated in silence, Ruth responded for her, “Alright, your sister’s been awarded in chess before. It’s not a bad idea for you two to have a match after dinner.”
“Girls shouldn’t just bury their heads in books all the time. It’s good to expose yourself more to refined, literary things–it cultivates your taste, elevates your character, and helps you enrich your inner self.”
Shermaine’s smile grew even brighter. “Then it’s settled.” Seeing Wendelyn frozen in place, she teased, “What’s the matter, Wendy? You don’t want to play?”
Wendelyn replied through clenched teeth, “Of course not. Let’s do it.” She didn’t believe Shermaine was really that good and could actually win.
Janice watched the scene unfold with a smile, thinking, ‘Ruth’s getting too full of herself. She didn’t even realize that Shermaine was laying a trap for Wendelyn. Well, good. Let her see how her supposedly outstanding daughter would be outmatched by Shermaine.’
The night deepened, and the autumn wind blew gently.
Dinner was over, and Ruth went upstairs herself to bring down the chess set and get things ready.
But Wendelyn’s expression grew darker with anxiety.
Meanwhile, Shermaine went out for a walk with Janice. Not long after they left, Clyde showed up.
He looked around and asked, “Aunt Ruth, didn’t you say Shermaine would be back today? Where is she?”
“She went out for a walk,” Ruth replied.
‘She’s in the mood to go for a walk at a time like this?’ thought Clyde.
Ruth gave him a look. “What do you want with her?”
‘To laugh at her, of course,’ Clyde thought. ‘She cheated on the midterms–what a disgrace to our family.'
Then he said, “Aunt Ruth, Shermaine had her midterms this week, and the results came out today. Word is, she got straight A’s by cheating. I thought I’d come over and ask if it’s true.”
Ruth’s eyes lit up. “She cheated on the midterms?”
Clyde sneered, “Yeah, that’s what I heard from people at her school. I mean, come on, how could she possibly beat Leslie? I asked Leslie about it, but he wouldn’t tell me anything. Luckily, I got the scoop from some other students.
“What’s wrong with that school? How could they just let her keep the grades without taking any action? But I guess it’s tricky for them to act. First, they don’t have any evidence. Plus, it’s the top school in the city–if word gets out, the school’s reputation will be tarnished.”
‘Shermaine, how dare you show off at dinner? You got straight A’s by cheating!’ Ruth thought, still fuming from being scolded by Janice during dinner, ‘I knew it! There’s no way she can get such good grades or be better than Wendy.’
Clyde couldn’t help but gloat. “But I heard that someone at the school had already reported her to the school district office. They’ll probably send someone over tomorrow to handle it.”
Ruth smirked. “Even if she’s my daughter, cheating like that can’t be tolerated. Since she dared to do it, she’d better be ready..."
She thought for a moment and then told Clyde, “When she comes back, don’t tell her you already..."
“Why not?” asked Clyde.
“Your grandmother dotes on Shermaine and might scold you for speaking ill of her.”
“Grandma’s totally biased,” Clyde pouted.
He thought, ‘Once the person from the school district office verifies the truth tomorrow, Shermaine will likely be expelled. But if Aunt finds out, she'd probably send someone to handle it. So what? The stain will stick with her for life–it can’t just be wiped away!’
Clyde saw the chessboard on the table. “Is Wendy going to play against someone?”
“Yeah. Against Shermaine,” replied Ruth.
“What?” Clyde scoffed, laughing mockingly as he thought, ‘Sure enough, Shermaine doesn’t know her limits.’
He was about to say more when Shermaine and Janice walked in. The moment he saw Shermaine, he remembered the bet they’d made. He’d eaten so much leftover food that night, and when he got home, his stomach had been in knots.
He hadn’t slept a wink and had even ended up in the hospital for an IV drip in the middle of the night. Now, just seeing her made his blood boil, and he wasn’t about to play nice.
Shermaine completely ignored him. She helped Janice to the couch and handed her some water.
“Shermaine, chess isn’t as easy as playing video games. Wendy is really good at it. Are you sure you can handle it?” Clyde just couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
Shermaine replied casually, “Whether I can handle it or not is none of your business.”
“You…” Clyde stopped abruptly. He turned to Janice and complained, “Grandma, did you hear how she just spoke to me?”
Janice, who knew Clyde didn’t like Shermaine and was on Wendelyn’s side, said, “That’s just how she is. If you can’t stand it, don’t talk to her.”
Clyde was fuming.
Janice, being older and still recovering from an illness, wasn’t in the best health. Shermaine made a mental note to give her a check–up later and write a prescription to help her recover.
Then her mind wandered to Owen, who’d been on his medicine for a week now. She wondered how he was doing.
As Janice and Shermaine were back, Ruth said eagerly, “I’ll go upstairs and call Wendy down.”
At that moment, Wendelyn was wiping her black–framed glasses. After putting them on, she sat in front of the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror.
“Wendy, make sure you give it your all later. Show that old woman what you’re made of and help me regain some dignity,” Ruth said.
She thought to herself, ‘I know Janice doesn’t think much of Wendelyn, always considering her just average. Now’s my chance to prove her wrong–to show that the daughter I’ve raised is the most talented and refined young lady in Basterel.’
Wendelyn’s eyes flickered before she nodded with a determined expression. “Got it, Mom. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, and one more thing–just now, Clyde told me downstairs that Shermaine got straight A’s by cheating. It has spread throughout the school. Honestly, that girl will stop at nothing just to show off and change her reputation,” Ruth added. She was sure that Shermaine had a hidden agenda by doing all this…
“Is that true?”
“According to Clyde, some students have reported her to the school district office.”
Wendelyn’s gaze darkened, her thoughts unreadable.
A few minutes later, Wendelyn came downstairs. She had changed into casual clothes and was now wearing the black–framed glasses, which gave her a refined, scholarly look–almost convincing enough to pass as a true intellectual.
Earlier, she looked hesitant about the chess match, but now she seems much more confident.
Noticing that, Shermaine couldn’t help but think, ‘Her demeanor has shifted since she went upstairs. What has she done? Oh, right. Those glasses. She’s wearing a cheating device. No wonder she looks so confident. Fine by me. With her skills? She’s not even worth my time.’
Wendelyn sat down across from Shermaine. “Shermaine, let’s start.”
Shermaine propped her chin in her hand, giving Wendelyn a sideways glance before smiling slightly. “Alright.”
Wendelyn started fiddling with her phone. “Mind if I stream this? I’ve been streaming on YouTube lately and didn't have anything planned for today. This chess game is perfect.”
“Go ahead,” Shermaine replied, thinking, ‘Anyway, it’s not me who’ll end up embarrassed.’
Wendelyn had a decent following on YouTube. Although she’d only recently started streaming, with her reputation as a talented woman and her already considerable popularity, she has managed to accumulate three million followers in a short time.
As soon as the live stream began, fans flooded into the chat. The screen was filled with comments praising her.
Wendelyn greeted them with a smile. After adjusting the camera, she turned to Shermaine and said in a soft, polite tone, “Let’s begin, Shermaine. You go first.”