Chapter 51
Shermaine hadn’t expected Joshua to actually prepare a gift for her and even have it sent to the Jean residence. She felt she should send him a gift in return. Then she agreed, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Joshua, ever tactful, said, “You go ahead and handle your business.”
“Okay,” Shermaine replied.
The call had barely lasted thirty seconds.
Soon after, Shermaine saw that Trevor had tagged her in Wendelyn’s live stream chat. Trevor had posted more than once because his message kept getting pushed up by the flood of comments. So, he simply copied and pasted it, refreshing every few seconds.
Even his fans who had followed him into the stream copied and pasted his message, sending it repeatedly to make sure it was seen.
As a result, the chat was filled with Trevor’s challenge to Shermaine.
The viewers were buzzing with excitement and eager to watch the two of them compete. They were curious about how impressive Shermaine, who had been recognized by Trevor, really was.
This was supposed to be Wendelyn’s live stream, her stage, but the spotlight had shifted. Wendelyn considered closing the stream, but the situation wouldn’t allow it. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms. The pain was sharp, but she didn’t care.
She was still seething over the fact that she’d lost to Shermaine in front of millions of viewers. She couldn’t help but think, ‘I used the high–tech tool, but Shermaine still managed to beat me. How did she do it?’
‘Is she a genius? No, that’s impossible. There’s no way Shermaine could be a genius.’
Shermaine saw the messages, just like everyone hoped, and responded: [Hello, Trevor. I accept your challenge.] She paused for a moment before adding, [But give me a second, I need to step out to pick up a gift.]
Trevor replied instantly: [I’m waiting for you in my live stream.]
Shermaine replied: [Alright.] With that, she stood up and walked out.
Soon after, Trevor left Wendelyn’s live stream and reopened his own, patiently waiting for Shermaine to join.
Once he left, his fans followed, and some viewers who were just there to watch the drama also left. In just three minutes, the viewership dropped from nearly ten million to seven million.
But when Shermaine left, she accidentally let part of her side profile show in the camera. Though it was only for a few seconds, the viewers who were glued to their screens couldn’t help but notice.
[Holy crap, what did I just see? Is that Shermaine? Her features are so pretty. She looks amazing.]
“Wait, Wendelyn turned off the filters, right? And Shermaine still looks that good? She must be a goddess in real life!” [If I’m not mistaken, Wendelyn turned off her beauty filter, but Shermaine still looked stunning. She must be incredibly gorgeous in person!
[She’s beautiful and great at chess. I’m in love!]
[I want to see her full face.]
[Hey, streamer, can you show us your sister’s full face later?]
Seeing the flood of compliments about Shermaine’s looks, Wendelyn felt an intense urge to end the stream. But with seven million viewers still hanging around, it was the perfect chance to gain followers.
So she ignored those comments and said, “Since I turned off the beauty filter and removed my makeup, how about giving me a follow?
“I usually stream every other day. Let me know what you want to see next time. I can do anything.”
But saying that didn’t make much of a difference. The viewers were too busy obsessing over Shermaine, with comment after comment begging for another glimpse of her face.
Wendelyn’s expression became more tense, and she bit her lip, much to her displeasure.
To her fans, she was quietly enduring the grievances, and they began to voice their support.
[Are you serious? This is Wendelyn’s live stream. Why do you guys keep mentioning Shermaine?]
[If you want to see her full face, just check out the post on the Basterel University forum. It’s got her photos. But trust me, after seeing them, you will no longer feel this way about her.]
[Wendy is so unfairly treated tonight! She lost the game, and now you’re mocking her. Shermaine is awful–she’s just trying to embarrass Wendy on purpose.]
[What kind of sister does that? My heart breaks for Wendy.]
[Hold on, does this mean you think Wendelyn looks bad without makeup?]
[This is so funny. Laughing my head off.]
[Here’s the link to the Basterel University forum. Just click and check it out. I’m just your hardworking gossip courier. No need to thank me–let’s all enjoy the drama!]
Once the link was shared, the viewers clicked right away, and their opinions of Shermaine changed.
[Just finished reading it. Didn’t expect Shermaine to be like this.]
[Losing respect for her now.]
[Yeah, kind of disappointing.]
[I was ready to become a fan, but now I’m turning on her. How could she treat someone like that?]
But some people still stood by Shermaine.
[Come on, it’s just a few photos. That doesn’t prove anything. Maybe there’s some misunderstanding.]
[Looks are everything! Even if she’s a bad person, I’ll still love her.]
[Girls, bring out that energy we all have for hot villains!]
After a while, Wendelyn finally spoke up. “Mods, please delete that link. Guys, let’s not spread baseless rumors about my sister in the live stream. It’s not right.
“I was the one who suggested the bet. Since I lost, I had to follow through with my sister’s request. It’s not a big deal. Besides, turning off the beauty filter and going without makeup isn’t that bad. My sister was quite forgiving with me.”
Beside her, Janice’s face was dark with anger. She didn’t know what kind of nasty things the viewers were saying about Shermaine online, as she didn’t use the internet.
But listening to Wendelyn’s seemingly considerate words, she knew Wendelyn was positioning herself as the victim, making it seem like Shermaine had bullied her.
Chapter 51
Shermaine had already stepped outside, where Bradley stood tall and straight, waiting respectfully for her.
Seeing Shermaine, Bradley greeted her politely. “I’m here to deliver the gift, ma’am.”
Shermaine was very uncomfortable with the title. She’d asked the housekeeper to stop calling her that, but the housekeeper still did. And now Bradley was calling her the same way.
Nearby, a car was parked, its body hidden under a black cloth.
Shermaine said, “Uncover it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” replied Bradley. He immediately pulled off the cloth, revealing the car beneath.
The car’s design immediately caught Shermaine’s eye. Even though she didn’t know much about car brands, she could tell this one was luxurious. Under the night sky, its body sparkled like a field of stars–grand and magnificent.
Bradley explained, “Ma’am, this is the Phantom Star Signature, a gift from Mr. York. There are only ten in the world. I hope you like it.”
Shermaine nodded and replied, “I do.” But deep down, she couldn’t help feeling the gift was a bit too extravagant. A car limited to just ten units worldwide must be astronomically expensive.
She pulled out her phone and called Joshua back. The phone rang once before Joshua answered.
Shermaine spoke, “I’ve received the gift, but don’t you think it’s a little too expensive?” She couldn’t help but think maybe that was just how Joshua was - always so lavish and generous with his gifts.
Joshua put down the document he was reading and replied, “Not at all. It suits you perfectly.”
Shermaine’s ears warmed slightly, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
She realized that Joshua had a natural knack for being charming. When he was silent, he seemed cold and distant, but when he spoke, his words were always pleasing.
Shermaine teased, “Do you spoil everyone like this?”
Joshua replied without hesitation, “Not everyone. Just a few. And you’re one of them.” He genuinely admired Shermaine’s personality. Despite her young age, it was clear she possessed remarkable wisdom.
She was the only woman he admired.
Shermaine thought for a moment before asking, “Is it just because I’m your recognized fiancée?”
‘Admiration is a form of recognition, right?’ thought Joshua. Then he answered, “Yes.”
Shermaine shrugged and responded, “I’ll accept the gift, and I’ll return the favor.” But it had to wait–she was a bit broke at the moment.
Joshua didn’t refuse. He simply answered with a calm “Okay,” as if it didn’t matter much to him.
Shermaine was a bit pleased about receiving the gift, but also slightly unhappy. She’d always been clear-headed. Perhaps because of her upbringing, she preferred it when people were kind to her simply because of who she was, not because of any other identity.
Joshua had unknowingly hit a nerve, but it was unavoidable. If she weren’t a part of the Jean family and his fiancée, they never would’ve crossed paths in the first place.
After coming to terms with it, Shermaine stopped overthinking. She had accepted Trevor’s challenge and couldn’t keep him waiting too long. “I’ve got a chess game waiting. Catch you later.”
Chapter 51
Joshua raised an eyebrow and said righteously, “Shermaine, don’t you know making your opponent wait is a strategy, too?”