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 gue 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 Sheary 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 , ' 1 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 1/3 Chapter 47 someone over tomorrow to handle it . " Ruth smirked . " Even if she's my daughter , cheating like that can't be tolerated . Since the dared to do it , she'd better be ready us got arrayed 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 . Butt hus finds out , het 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 2/3 12:46 Mon , 2 Jun G Chapter 47 " Is that true ? " " According to Clyde , some students have reported her to the school district office . " Wendelyn's gaze darkened , her thoughts unreadable . 74 % 16 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 . " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!