Chapter 61

Joshua’s call came at just the right moment, giving Shermaine a perfect excuse to avoid the students who insisted on apologizing to her. She walked to a quieter corner and answered the call.

They had spoken on the phone a few times before, so the conversation felt much less awkward.

On the other end of the phone, Joshua heard the noise from Shermaine’s side. “The parent–teacher meeting just ended?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Shermaine replied. Then she asked, “Is there something you need?”

“I’m at Basterel University.”

“What are you doing there?”

“A project I invested in has shown some results, so I came to check on it.”

When Shermaine first learned she might have a fiancé, she had done some digging into Joshua. The information she found was basic at best. Some aspects of his identity were kept private, and uncovering them required significant effort.

She hadn’t felt the need to look too deeply into him–knowing the basics was enough. She knew he had been heavily investing in AI and new energy.

She couldn’t help but think of the task she had completed–it was related to new energy and had been posted by Basterel University’s Engineering Lab on the International Tech Forum. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same project.

Shermaine raised an eyebrow. “A new energy project?”

Joshua thought for a moment before answering, “You seem to know a lot about it.”

‘So it is the same project. My fiancé is the one paying me. But he’s so rich; that amount of money means nothing to him. Besides, I’ve put in the effort,’ Shermaine thought with a faint smile.

Then she replied nonchalantly, “Just a little.”

For some reason, Joshua had a feeling that she was being modest and that she was hiding something. She had always been mysterious.

He was curious and thought about digging deeper, but he decided there was no rush–they had plenty of time. He had called to relay something he’d just heard. Changing the subject, he said, “Wendelyn’s found herself a scapegoat. Want me to take care of it?”

Shermaine had expected this. To land a fatal blow, she needed to hit Wendelyn where it hurt. “No, I prefer to handle things myself,” she replied. After a brief pause, she added, “But thanks for calling me to let me know.”

They had known each other for a while now. While their relationship was one of mutual assistance, there was no need to keep things so formal in private.

Joshua said leisurely, “We don’t have to be so formal with each other.”

What he didn’t realize was that this thought stemmed from his desire to be closer to Shermaine. It was buried so deep within him that even he wasn’t aware of it.

Shermaine smiled faintly but didn’t say anything. She licked her lips and thought, ‘It’s better to keep some distance. Otherwise things could get messy.’ Seeing Janice waving at her, she said, “Grandma’s calling me. I’ve got to go.” Before Joshua could respond, she hung up.

As Joshua listened to the disconnect tone, his Adam’s apple moved, and his gaze darkened slightly. He had never been hung up on before–not even by his father. He wasn’t annoyed, let alone mad.

Instead, that peculiar feeling rose again, like a soft breeze brushing past his heart, tickling him faintly. Then he realized that Shermaine seemed to have turned down his suggestion.

Erin knew there was no point in arguing with Yvonne any further, and that Wendelyn might even take revenge on her for it. So, she decided to stay silent.

Thanks to Yvonne taking the fall for her, Wendelyn was off the hook. After wiping away her tears, she was about to leave when a classmate asked, “Wendy, why did Yvonne go after Shermaine for you?”

Wendelyn bit her lip and said, “I don’t know. But I’ve always shared my worries with her. Maybe she misunderstood something, which is why she did this.”

She lowered her head and continued in a pitiful tone, “Guys, I’m sorry for this. I’ll go talk to Yvie. I don’t know why she did something so foolish–this won’t change anything.”

With just a few words, Wendelyn once again painted herself as the poor, helpless victim, while Shermaine remained the cold, heartless sister who bullied her younger sibling.

Shermaine ran over to Janice and smiled faintly at the parents of her classmates nearby. Then her gaze shifted meaningfully toward Ruth. A glint of coldness flashed in her eyes as she said with a fake smile, “Mom, you don’t look so good. Are you feeling unwell?”

Ruth felt terrible, with a sharp pain in her chest. It was as if millions of needles were piercing her heart, with blood flowing relentlessly.

She never imagined Shermaine would be so outstanding–even surpassing Wendelyn–earning the admiration of both students and parents.

Wendelyn had done well in high school, too, and Ruth had attended the parent–teacher meetings with pride. But Wendelyn had never gotten straight A’s, nor had she received such widespread praise from both teachers and parents.

Shermaine’s performance meant nothing to Ruth, who only cared about Wendelyn–the daughter she had raised herself. Besides, Shermaine wasn’t even her daughter. The fact made Ruth even more upset. She responded coldly, “I’m fine.”

At Ruth’s harsh tone, Janice’s smile faded. She finally realized that Ruth couldn’t stand Shermaine’s success, and that was why she looked so sulky.

Shermaine, unfazed, said casually, “If you’re not feeling well, you should head home. Grandma’s here, and that’s all I need. Anyway, you’re not exactly happy about me getting straight A’s. After all, I’m not Wendelyn.”

Ruth’s eyes widened, and soon a chill ran down her spine as Janice was glaring at her, eyes full of fury.

Ruth gritted her teeth and thought, ‘This little brat must be doing this on purpose.’