Chapter 62

Janice hadn’t said a word, but the sharp, cold look in her eyes reminded Ruth of the time when Janice had driven Andrew’s wife out of the Jean family all those years ago.

Ruth felt a brief pang of panic, but she quickly composed herself, reminding herself that she still held 15% of Jean Group’s shares.

Besides, she was sure Janice wouldn’t do anything to her, even if she wanted to. After all, Janice still felt guilty towards Ruth because Jameson had cheated on Ruth back then.

Thinking about the past, Ruth straightened up, seeming to gain a sense of confidence. “I’m not feeling well, so I’m going home now,” she said before walking off. She wasn’t interested in staying and watching Shermaine bask in the limelight.

Shermaine watched Ruth’s retreating figure, deep in thought. Every time she dreamed of the gentle Ruth, something inside her felt off. She just couldn’t reconcile the mother from her dreams with the cold, distant woman in front of her.

“What a shame. This wouldn’t have happened,” Janice sighed, shaking her head.

“Grandma, why do you say that?” Shermaine asked.

Janice hadn’t planned on bringing up old memories, but it didn’t seem fair to keep Shermaine in the dark, so she decided to share some of the past with her.

The two had left the gym. Before long, they arrived at the lake and sat on a bench by the lakeside.

Then Janice said, “Before you went missing, your mother loved you and your brother dearly. But when you were five, your dad had an affair, and your mother found out. That was when she started losing it.

“Then, you were kidnapped by human traffickers. Your mother’s mental health deteriorated. She often went out to look for you. But one day, she came back with Wendelyn, and after that, she began to ignore your brother and never mentioned you again.

“Your dad’s betrayal hit her hard. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have neglected you and Ross. After all, you are her children.

“But it’s been so many years. She should’ve let go. Besides, your dad’s the one who messed up. How could she take it out on you two?” Janice grew more upset as she spoke.

Shermaine felt that things might not be as simple as they seemed. She thought, ‘The first time I met my mother, there wasn’t a trace of love in her eyes—she looked at me like I was a complete stranger.

‘She didn’t seem happy to have me back. If she had truly loved me in the past, she wouldn’t have been so indifferent, so cold.‘

A bold theory began to form in Shermaine’s mind. Whether it was true or not, she’d have to dig deeper and see if she could find any clues.

At noon, Shermaine had lunch with Janice outside the school and then took a stroll before heading back. Since classes no longer really benefited her, she decided to visit Mason.

Mason greeted her with a warm smile. “Shermaine, what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Moe, I feel like I’ve learned everything I can from high school, and I’d like to request the same flexibility as students in early admission programs,” Shermaine explained.

In other words, she wanted the freedom to attend classes when it suited her and skip them when it didn’t, though she would still notify the teacher if she decided to skip.

Mason hesitated for a moment. “That… might not be appropriate.”

“In return, I’ll make sure I get the top SAT score next year and bring honor to our school,” Shermaine said, calm and confident. “It’s been three years since we had a top scorer, right?”

Her words hit a nerve with Mason. “Alright, I’ll approve it,” he said. He figured the principal wouldn’t object either.

“And can I have access to the school’s lab?” Shermaine added.

“Of course. I’ll have the physics teacher grant you permission right away,” replied Mason. Shermaine had already planned everything out. Since she needed to make money by doing tasks at night, she’d work on developing skincare products during the day.

Before starting the experiments, Shermaine contacted Lily and asked Lily to buy the materials she needed. By around 2 PM, Lily delivered everything to the school.

Over the past few days, Lily had successfully registered their company, with both her and Shermaine listed as legal representatives, and they had received the official documents.

To save costs, they hadn’t officially launched operations yet, as the products weren’t ready. But Lily was confident it was only a matter of time before their business took off, especially with Shermaine handling the research.

Shermaine spent the entire afternoon absorbed in developing product formulas in the lab, completely losing track of time. By the time she felt hungry, it was already dark. She slowly packed up, preparing to head back to the Jean residence.

Inside the brightly lit Jean residence, a man, elegant and refined, sat on the couch. Janice beamed with joy as she said, “Ross, you must be exhausted from your business trip. You look like you’ve lost weight.”

“I haven’t lost any weight, Grandma,” Ross replied.

Nearby, Ruth and Wendelyn sat stiffly, their unease evident. Ever since Ross took over the family business, he had become more commanding.

Wendelyn tried to win his favor. “Brother, have some fruit.”

Ross gave her a faint, distant smile but didn’t take the fruit from her. Instead, he asked, “Where’s Sheary?”

Not long after he brought Shermaine back to the Jean family, he had to leave for a business trip for a major project. He’d been missing her deeply, and now, finally back, he couldn’t wait to see her.