Chapter 46 Wendelyn and Ruth exchanged a shocked glance . They couldn't believe that Shermaine , who they had always seen as a struggling student , had costan straight A's . Wendelyn studied Shermaine's expression , but couldn't read anything from it . She tightened her grip on her fork and said , " Shermaine , you're actually amazing . " The use of the word " actually " showed her surprise , but it also carried an underlying doubt - she didn't want to make it too obvious . After all , Janice , who adored Shermaine , was present , and she would defend Shermaine no matter what . However , Ruth was not afraid to say what Wendelyn dared not say . " Straight A's ? Shermaine , you seriously think we'd believe you ? " Janice shot a sharp look at Ruth and scolded , " What's wrong with you ? Sheary is your biological daughter . She got good grades , and instead of praising her , you're questioning her abilities ? What kind of mother are you ? " Then , beaming with pride , she passed the drumstick to Shermaine and said , " Honey , have some chicken . You're the best . Just like your brother , you've been smart since you were little . Some kids can't even speak properly at three , but not only could you recite poems , you also knew so many words . Ever since that illness , your mom's been a bit out of it . Don't mind her . " Shermaine's lips curved into a faint smile . " Thanks , Grandma , " The warm and harmonious scene made some people uncomfortable . Janice's comment that Ruth was out of it made Ruth's smile disappear . She set down her fork and said , " Janice , just because she was smart as a kid doesn't mean she'll be the same now . You know as well as I do , Shermaine has been in that poor village for over a decade . What could she have learned there ? Even though she started studying again , there's no way she'd suddenly have straight A's . " She added , feigning righteousness , " I'm not expecting her grades to be amazing right now , but when we ask her about it , could she at least be a little more serious ? She shouldn't have joked . " Shermaine took a bite of the drumstick , her face serious . " I'm not joking . " Straight A's wasn't that big of a deal . People just assumed she couldn't do it , so they acted like it was some impossible feat . " Did you hear that ? Sheary says she's not joking . " Janice's face darkened as she shot back , " Why is it impossible for her to have straight A's ? She can do anything ! Do you even consider yourself part of this family ? If you look down on us so much , why are you still here ? " " Janice , where's this coming from ? I'm not looking down on Shermaine . She's my daughter . Why would I look down on her ? " Ruth said , her eyes darting around uneasily . She couldn't even convince herself , let alone Janice . Janice glared at Ruth . " Well , in your eyes , you only have one daughter anyway. I'm not wasting my time arguing with you . Let me make this clear - Sheary is the treasure of our family . If you dare say anything bad about her again , you'll regret it ! " Ruth's face turned sour as she thought , ' Just because I humbled myself doesn't mean I have to put up with this . Her lips twitched it seemed that she couldn't hold it in anymore . She said angrily , " What did I say about her ? I'm her mother . Is it not okay to say something now and then ? " " Oh , so you do know you're her mother . " Janice scoffed . " Sheary , bring me your papers . Let me have a look . " Shermaine smiled and replied , " Sure . " It felt great to have a grandmother . " Today , the math , economics , physics , and chemistry papers have been returned . The other papers haven't come out yet , but Grandma , you can look at these four ," Shermaine said , handing the papers to Janice . 1/3 12:46 Mon , 2 Jun G Chapter 46 As soon as Janice saw the scores , her face lit up with joy . She pointed at the bright red scores and declared loudly , " See this? Full marks in math , full marks in economics , full marks in physics , full marks in chemistry . Shermaine says she's got straight A's , and I trust her . So tell me , are you impressed . Ruth's expression froze . Wendelyn stayed silent , but her grip on her fork tightened , ' Full marks ? How is this even possible ? ' she thought . Janice's face flushed from the argument . She was old and had just recovered from a serious illness , so getting too worked up wasn't good for her . Shermaine knew that , so she spoke gently , " Grandma , please sit down and don't get so worked up . It's not good for your health . It's just straight A's , nothing worth showing off . " Janice obediently sat down and took the juice Shermaine offered . " Sheary's right . Having straight A's isn't that big of a deal . She can do even better . What she said was true . Shermaine glanced at Ruth and Wendelyn . " Although I never took the SAT , I've never said my grades were bad . Since my return , you two have just assumed I'm terrible because of my experience in the village . " Wendelyn's eyes were dark and inscrutable . When she was in high school , she never got straight A's , but Shermaine had achieved that effortlessly . It was hard for Wendelyn to admit that Shermaine was better than her . Ruth didn't feel pleased by Shermaine's good grades. " Then why didn't you say anything earlier ? " " Would you have believed me if I said it without proof ? " Shermaine responded calmly , smiling at her mother . " Even now , with the scores right in front of you , you still seem to think it's absurd . " ' It is absurd . You should have gotten such good grades , ' Ruth cursed inwardly . Caught out , feigning happiness , she forced a smile , looking awkward . " Of course not , I'm thrilled that you did so well . Why would I think it's absurd ? " Then , adopting the air of a strict mother , she added , " But good grades don't mean much . If you could write a book that becomes a hit overseas , like Wendy did , then you'd truly be impressive . " And don't forget , your sister's also a famous painter . So many people are scrambling to buy her paintings . Even a casual piece of hers can sell for millions . " Wendy excels in music , chess , writing , and painting . In Basterel , she's recognized as the most talented rich young lady , hands down . " As she spoke , Ruth's pride swelled . After all , she had personally nurtured Wendelyn . No matter how good Shermaine's grades were , they couldn't hold a candle to that . Janice sneered inwardly , ' Basterel is full of real talent , but Wendelyn isn't one of them . Her books are mediocre , and her painting skills aren't anything to write home about . Most talented young lady ? Just a hollow title meant to make her look impressive . How shameless to flaunt such empty achievements ." Wendelyn smiled . " Mom , if it weren't for your guidance , I wouldn't have achieved what I have . Thanks to you and our family , I've be so much at this age . " ' She's such a sweet talker , ' Janice thought , rolling her eyes . ' Excel? Ruth could be so over the top when praising her daughter . Shermaine was the kind of person who could hold a grudge . ble to accomplish She knew Ruth wasn't happy about her return to the Jean family and often gave her trouble , but she had decided not to take anything to heart . However , the different treatment Ruth gave her and Wendy was starting to bring out her mischievous and scheming side . ' I'll let Ruth see for herself how her perfect daughter gets completely outshone by me ,' Shermaine vowed inwardly . She smiled , her brows arching slightly , her eyes glinting with mischief . " Wendy and Mr. Owen York taught me how to play chess last time . I'm very grateful . Too bad Wendy and I didn't get to play a match . I'm free tonight . Wendy , how about a game ? " The smile Wendelyn had just put on her face disappeared . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!