Ch. 971..980
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 971
Stupid Donovan
Instead of getting riled up, Arielle simply arched an eyebrow in amusement and said with a smile, “Oh? What about you, then? How is a lecturer who would drug his own student and commit such disgusting acts any more worthy of teaching in Jadeborough University? I bet you’d lose your job as a lecturer if word got out!”
“You…” Donovan was livid with rage, but he couldn’t say anything in retaliation.
Even though Queenie had tempted him into doing that, he did actually go through with the plan, albeit with no success.
“Looks like I got you there, Mr. Baxter.” Arielle casually leaned against the door frame as she continued, “I do have something to tell you, though. I heard you didn’t get the graduation certificate from Maxwell University, and that the education department didn’t provide you with a teaching certificate for Maxwell University, either. Should you fail to get at least three students into Maxwell University this year, they would have your name removed.”
Donovan broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing that.
“How did you…”
“How did I know that? All I can say is, don’t do something if you don’t want to get caught. I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Baxter.” Arielle narrowed her eyes and glared coldly at him as she continued, “My patience is limited, so you’d better stop messing with me, or you’ll be expelled from Maxwell University for sure. I can guarantee you that!”
Donovan felt an inexplicable sense of unease but forced himself to appear calm as he snapped back at her, “Who do you think you are? You’re in no position to threaten me! Instead of concerning yourself with my personal issues, you should worry about the questions you’re about to get later! Prepare yourself to go from being a genius student to a filthy cheater!”
For some unknown reason, staring into Arielle’s eyes filled Donovan’s heart with intense fear.
Not wanting to look at her for a second longer, he stormed into the auditorium after saying that.
Arielle held her chin up high as she watched Donovan leave.
Those who graduate from Maxwell University are important assets of Chanaea, so I wasn’t planning on stopping you at first. However, you keep testing my patience time after time… I’ve given you a final warning, so it’s up to you whether you heed it or not. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance!
With that in mind, Arielle waltzed into the auditorium and found Trisha’s seat based on the information in the text message received.
Trisha breathed a sigh of relief when Arielle sat down beside her. “You’re finally here, Sannie! The principal was talking about your case earlier. I was afraid that the others would accuse you of having a guilty conscience if you don’t show up!”
Arielle gently patted her on the head and said, “Relax! I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Trisha was about to say something when Terry exchanged seats with the student next to Arielle and whispered, “Yo, Boss! Were you doing your revision earlier? Are you prepared?”
Terry’s eyes were filled with concern as everyone in the preparatory class except Wendy knew for sure that Arielle didn’t cheat in the exams.
They also knew how much Donovan disliked Arielle and feared he would give her difficult questions to accuse her of cheating.
“Don’t worry. Donovan couldn’t possibly think of anything difficult with that pea brain of his!” Arielle replied calmly.
He wouldn’t have failed to get the graduation certificate from Maxwell University if he were smart, after all!
Terry flashed Arielle an awkward look in response, as she was the only student who dared talk about Donovan like that.
Wendy, who was seated in the row in front of Arielle, overheard her words and subconsciously gritted her teeth in response.
Such insolence! How dare she call Mr. Baxter stupid! I hope he’ll hit her with a tough one later! That ought to teach her a lesson on humility!
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 972
Justice May Come Late
Soon, the other students, apart from those who sat for the exam, were all seated, and their parents began entering the auditorium.
Cecilia dragged Susanne to the seats in the center.
Having spent the entire afternoon shopping with Cecilia, Susanne let out a sigh when she finally had a chance to sit down.
Man, my legs are killing me! I’m not as young as I used to be!
Susanne thought to herself before the lights in the auditorium came on all of a sudden.
The principal then went on the stage with a microphone in hand and said, “Before we begin tonight’s charity gala, we will have a little activity featuring one of our students. Arielle Moore from the preparatory class has aced the examination with full scores on all subjects, but Mr. Baxter has disputed those results. After conducting a discussion with the lecturers, we’ve arrived at a unanimous decision to have Mr. Baxter publicly test Arielle to determine if she is truly capable of obtaining those perfect scores.”
Right as Susanne was finally able to relax a little, she got nervous and tensed up after hearing that.
“Did you hear that, Susanne? This is a unanimous decision made by the lecturers! It seems the other lecturers, too, find Arielle’s scores a little too perfect to be true!” Cecilia said with a snicker.
Susanne simply pursed her lips and kept quiet.
Noticing no response from her, Cecilia broke into a grin and continued, “Honestly, Arielle sure is stupid! Most people would at most copy the answers for a few questions and do the rest themselves, but she went ahead and cheated her way to a full score! At this point, I’m not even sure if she’s too smart or too stupid for her own good! It sure is funny, though!”
“I don’t think it’s fair to call her a cheater until the results are out!” Susanne exclaimed with a frown.
Cecilia shrugged. “Since you insist on seeing it that way, then I guess we’ll just wait for the results.”
The other students in the auditorium, too, began discussing among themselves after hearing what the principal said.
“Did Arielle really cheat her way to full scores?”
“I don’t think so. No cheater would be dumb enough to go for full scores on all four subjects!”
“Still, it does indeed seem a little odd. I hear the preparatory class got some pretty tough papers for the exam, and she managed to get perfect scores on all four subjects… It is kind of hard to not find that a little suspicious…”
“I think so too. I also heard she skips class very often, so it doesn’t seem possible for her to get such perfect scores no matter how you look at it.”
The auditorium soon became incredibly noisy with all the chatter going on in the background.
The principal tapped on the microphone and said, “Quiet down, students! Now, without further ado, we’ll have Mr. Baxter write down the questions. Arielle, please get ready to answer the questions. We’ve prepared a blackboard for you here, so you can use it to do your calculations.”
“No need. I’ll just answer the questions from here,” Arielle replied without leaving her seat.
“You mean you plan on doing the calculations in your head? You’re not going to use the blackboard at all?” the principal asked in surprise.
Arielle nodded. “That’s right.”
As she was seated in the center, it would be troublesome for her to get to the aisle and walk to the blackboard in front.
To Arielle’s surprise, her response caused the entire auditorium to go into an uproar.
“What? She’s going to do all those calculations in her head?”
“My goodness, she must be a real genius!”
“I think we should keep our expectations low until she actually starts answering the questions.”
“Yeah, I agree. If she really was a cheater, she’d definitely be exposed soon. It would really damage the university’s reputation if word were to get out.”
Wendy couldn’t help but break into a grin when she heard what Arielle said.
Justice may come late, but it will never be absent!
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 973
Witness The Humiliation Of Arielle
The spotlight in the auditorium shone on Donovan as he quickly got on stage and stood in the center of it.
It almost seemed like he was the embodiment of justice.
Donovan tightened his grip on the paper that he had written the questions on as he looked down at it.
The first two questions were incredibly difficult ones about quantum mechanics, while the third question had been changed to the one in his thesis.
Arielle stood up when he glanced at the crowd and locked gazes with him.
The atmosphere was so tense that it felt as if there were invisible sparks in the air between them.
She actually couldn’t be bothered to even stand up, but she did so reluctantly when Trisha kept urging her to by saying, “I think you should stand up when answering the questions.”
Donovan stared deeply into Arielle’s eyes and said coldly, “I will read out the questions once before writing them down on the blackboard.”
Arielle simply nodded in response, much to Wendy’s amusement.
She’s still being so rude even though she’s in public, huh? Heh… Let’s see your conceited a*s get humiliated in front of everyone, Arielle! Once you get exposed for being a cheater, I’ll be the top student in the preparatory class!
Wendy snickered at the thought of that and fidgeted excitedly in her seat.
Donovan then began reading out the questions, “Question number one, when a particle moves in a one-dimensional potential field, find the energy level of the particle and the corresponding wave function…”
There was a brief moment of complete silence in the auditorium after hearing the question, which was then followed by an uproar.
“What? Is he even speaking Chanaean? How come I’ve never heard of those words?”
“Isn’t this supposed to be a question on quantum mechanics? Why is he talking about potentials and fields?”
“It’s ‘potential field’! Still, isn’t this question a little too difficult?”
Wendy’s expression became stiff, as most of those terms were new to her, so answering the question was definitely an impossible task.
Even so, she quickly broke into a smirk as she realized what was going on.
Mr. Baxter sure is merciless here! The exam questions about quantum mechanics only needed us to prove some equations, so anyone could solve them simply by memorizing the formulas beforehand. As smart as Arielle may be, I doubt she’d be able to solve this one!
To her surprise and amusement, Arielle simply responded by saying, “Go on.”
What? She’s asking him to continue with the second question? Did she get so confused by the first question that she’s trying to see if she can understand the second one?
Wendy let out another snicker at the thought of that.
The preparatory class students had the seats closest to the stage in front, so Arielle and Donovan were only about four meters apart.
As the students had quietened down at the time, Donovan was able to clearly hear what she said and frowned in response.
I really don’t like her condescending attitude, but I have to continue reading out the rest of my questions.
With that in mind, Donovan held his paper up and proceeded with the second question. “Find two possible states of microscopic particles. A and B are complex constants, and the microscopic particles are represented by…”
The entire auditorium fell into a deathly silence once again as everyone wondered what on earth was going on.
Donovan then continued to read out his third question without pausing. “The third question will be on further mathematics. Please find the…”
Most of the students whipped out their phones and began doing their calculations after hearing the question.
Despite sounding rather simple, the calculations required to solve it were incredibly complicated.
While the students were starting to write down the formulas, Arthur, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t stand it anymore and went on stage to confront Donovan.
“Mr. Baxter, with the exception of the final one, the other questions are beyond the scope of the syllabus! This method of evaluation is unfair for Arielle!”
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 974
Mental Calculations
Most of the students chimed in and expressed their dissatisfaction as well, especially those from the preparatory class.
Terry stood up from his seat and shouted out loud, “Our exam papers may have been difficult, but they’re nowhere near this level of difficulty! I don’t think these questions are able to determine if Arielle cheated in the exams!”
Trisha clenched her fists tightly in anger as well.
It’s obvious that Mr. Baxter is deliberately picking on Arielle here!
Unable to hold herself back any longer, Wendy stood up and snapped back at them, “You guys might find these questions difficult, but have you forgotten that Arielle got full scores on those papers? It’s only natural that we raise the bar a little for someone that smart!”
Terry glared at her and asked, “Oh? Seeing as you came in second, you should be able to answer those three questions too, right?”
Wendy burned bright red as she stammered anxiously, “I… I didn’t get full marks in the exams!”
“Then why would you say—”
“That’s enough!” Arielle cut Terry off and turned toward Donovan as she continued, “Mr. Baxter, could you please repeat the question?”
Donovan pouted as he didn’t know why Arielle was still putting up an act, but he did as told and repeated the three questions anyway.
After that, he was about to say something when Arielle spoke up all of a sudden. “For the first question, y, xt is equal to the power of π to the power of 2a.”
Donovan’s eyes went wide with shock after he heard that.
“For the second question, 4f1 equals…”
After that, she proceeded with the third question. “As for the third question, lim is equal to 3/4π.”
Hearing her answers, Donovan shuddered and broke out in a cold sweat.
That’s correct… Arielle answered them correctly!
The other students were silent as they weren’t sure if their answers were correct, but they figured Arielle nailed all three questions when they saw Donovan’s expression.
We don’t even understand those questions, and Arielle answered all three of them correctly in less than a minute?
Wendy’s expression grew stiff at the thought of that. “Y-You’ve got to be kidding me…”
Even Arthur was in complete disbelief.
Apart from the further mathematics question, the other two are so difficult that I can’t even do the calculations mentally, let alone solve them in such a short period of time! I can’t believe Arielle was able to do so and even got them all correct!
He then turned toward Donovan and asked, “Mr. Baxter, Arielle has given you her answers. Did she get them right?”
Donovan was so stunned that he only snapped out of it when Arthur gave him a light nudge.
“She… She…”
Unable to say that Arielle had answered them correctly, he just kept mumbling the same word over and over.
Arthur lost his patience and took the paper over from Donovan before saying, “Arielle, please repeat your answers again.”
Arielle nodded and calmly repeated her answers while Arthur checked them by referring to the ones on the paper.
After confirming that they were all correct, Arthur raised his hands and shouted excitedly, “You answered them all correctly!”
Arielle simply flashed him a faint smile in response, as she wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
Wendy, on the other hand, was so taken aback that she slumped weakly against her seat as her mind went blank.
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 975
She Does Not Deserve This Treatment
Ignoring Wendy’s expression, Arthur exclaimed happily, “Arielle, it looks like your perfect scores on the exams are justified!”
“Hold up! She has yet to finish answering the last question!” Donovan shouted when he came to a sudden realization.
Arthur frowned and got so annoyed that he even forgot to address Donovan formally as he protested, “What on earth are you going on about, Donovan? I’ve already confirmed her answer to the last question!”
“I haven’t finished reading the rule for solving the last question. She needs to solve it using three different methods, or it doesn’t count as a complete answer!” Donovan replied with his fists clenched.
Arthur snapped back at him coldly, “Now you’re just being unreasonable! Why do you have to be like this in front of everyone?”
Donovan sneered. “What do you mean unreasonable? It’s clearly stated there on the paper that she has to solve the question with three different methods. What? Did you not read it properly?”
Arthur paused for a moment and quickly checked the question on the paper, only to see the instruction that read: This question must be solved using three different methods.
His frowned deepened as he asked, “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”
Donovan was at a loss for words, as he didn’t even expect for Arielle to solve the first question so quickly, let alone all three of them.
He decided to ignore Arthur and looked straight at Arielle as he said, “As you’ve heard, you need to solve the last question with three different methods! Only then will I be able to confirm that you didn’t cheat during the exams!”
Everyone had thought the first two questions were difficult, but the last one was actually the most difficult one of all. Donovan had spent over a month trying to come up with a third method to solve the question, but to no avail. As such, he believed it would be impossible for Arielle to solve it.
A cold glint appeared in Arielle’s eyes as she pursed her lips in response.
Right as Donovan thought she would lose her cool and start hurling abuse at him, Arielle stood up and told Terry who was seated next to her, “Move aside. I’m coming through.”
Terry immediately lifted both of his feet onto the seat, prompting the other students in that row to follow suit.
Just like that, they cleared a path for Arielle to make her way toward the aisle on the side.
Envy filled Wendy’s eyes when she saw Arielle casually walking through the narrow space between the two rows.
Those preparatory class students are being way too nice to her! Even when she’s suspected of cheating, they’re still treating her like she’s some kind of god! What has she done to deserve such treatment?
Wendy bit down hard on her lip at the thought of that and kept praying that Arielle would be unable to solve the question.
That was when she heard some of the students whispering among each other. “Three different methods? Does such a solution even exist? I can only think of one method, and I’m not even done with it yet!”
“I’m done with my first method, but I can’t think of a second method.”
Wendy then recalled the question and began doing the calculations on her phone, only to realize halfway through the solution that she, too, could only solve it with one method.
There’s no way Arielle can solve it with three different methods, right?
Having made it onto the stage, Arielle ignored Donovan completely as she took the chalk from Arthur and walked toward the blackboard behind her.
A camera was pointed at the blackboard to show all the students how Arielle solved the question.
She then began scribbling down the steps on the blackboard effortlessly as if she didn’t even need to think about it.
In less than a minute, she had finished writing down her solution using the first method.
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 976
Arthur Freaks Out
That was the exact same solution that Wendy came up with.
Wendy narrowed her eyes and exhaled sharply as she thought to herself.
There’s no way Arielle could possibly come up with any more methods, right?
The next thing she knew, Arielle bent over slightly and began scribbling on the blackboard once again.
Wendy’s jaw dropped when she saw Arielle finish writing her solution with the second method in less than a minute.
Instead of using formulas from further mathematics, she used spatial geometry to solve it.
Her solution was so ingenious that most of the students who aced their further mathematics papers applauded and cheered in response.
Even Terry was close to tears when he saw her solution. “Boss sure is amazing… Why didn’t I think of that?”
The student next to him said with a chuckle, “That’s why she’s called ‘Boss’ and you’re just ‘Terry’. We’d call you ‘Boss’ too if you figured that out yourself!”
Terry nodded profusely and made no attempts to deny the fact that he was inferior compared to Arielle.
Wendy bit down on her lip as she tried to comfort herself.
Are you kidding me right now? I can’t believe Arielle actually did it! Calm down, Wendy… There’s still a third method! There’s no way she’d be able to figure that out!
Even Donovan felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that and began questioning if he had really been misjudging Arielle.
Is it really possible for a student who got into Jadeborough University through personal connections to truly be smarter than Wendy? Even so, she can’t possibly be smarter than me! Like my mentor said, only that senior named San can solve it with a third method! It’s a shame I haven’t been able to find her, or I would’ve finished writing my thesis long ago!
Donovan was snapped out of his train of thoughts by the tapping noises made by the chalk on the blackboard.
He tensed up and quickly turned to look at the blackboard, only to see Arielle rapidly scribbling down some formulas used in elementary mathematics.
According to my mentor, San has a habit of using formulas from elementary mathematics to solve further mathematics questions. Why would Arielle know this? Is it just a mere coincidence, or is she actually…
The thought was so terrifying that even Donovan was a little frightened by it.
He was quick to disregard that possibility and snickered in response.
Nah, that’s not possible! Arielle can’t possibly be San! First of all, their ages don’t even match! Also, if Arielle had graduated from Maxwell University, why would she even bother getting into Jadeborough University? She even had to resort to using personal connections just to get in!
No matter how much Donovan was in denial, there was nothing he could do to change the fact that Arielle had solved the question using three different methods.
Meanwhile, Arthur was so shocked by what he saw that he even rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing it right. After taking some time to carefully analyze Arielle’s solutions, he lost his composure and was shaken to the core.
Not only does Arielle excel in Ustranasion, but she’s also this good at further mathematics? What kind of genius is she? I must’ve done a lot of good deeds in my past life to be blessed with such a great student!
The camera in the auditorium shifted its focus back to the blackboard once again.
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 977
Beyond Calculation
The camera swiveled toward the blackboard, and the audience fell into stunned silence.
Arielle’s announcement of the correct answer was no less shocking, yet the audience found themselves floored after learning how she had solved the question.
“Damn! How the heck did she think of solving the question like this in such a short time?”
Terry was near tears as he cried, “Arielle’s not just a top student; she’s a freaking genius! Ah, I am humbled to witness her prowess! I should be bowing to Boss in gratitude for blessing our class with her presence!”
Smirking, Trisha teased, “Aren’t you overreacting?”
Terry shook his head vigorously and exclaimed, “Of course not! In fact, I’m not going to call Arielle Boss anymore. She’s Master Arielle to me from now on. Oh, Master Arielle, please accept my humble devotion!”
With that, he turned to face the stage and bowed deeply.
Everyone around Terry was tickled pink by his antics, except Wendy.
Her face twisted with anger and jealousy. Eventually, Wendy could no longer pretend to be calm about the turn of events. Hence, she ran out of the auditorium doors.
I’m going to go mad if I don’t vent my anger!
Cecilia, who was sitting amongst the other parents, wore an equally sour expression on her face.
Arielle’s little math show was an unwelcome revelation to Cecelia, who realized how grossly she had underestimated Arielle’s talents.
Still, Cecelia struggled to wrap her head around the idea that a country bumpkin like Arielle could mentally solve Donovan’s question under immense scrutiny and pressure.
What if Susanne kicks Wendy aside in favor of that bumpkin? It’s not impossible anymore.
Cecilia was about to gauge Susanne’s feelings on the matter when she spied Wendy running out of the auditorium.
“Wendy?” Shocked, Cecilia ran after her daughter.
Susanne watched the two and shook her head, an indecipherable expression on her face.
One can only surrender in the face of a stronger opponent. Thankfully, Arielle didn’t disappoint me. Otherwise, I might be the one stomping out of this place in fury. That lucky coin I gave her earlier came in handy after all.
Just then, she overheard a conversation between two students seated in front of her. “Next time, we need to ask for Arielle’s blessings before our exams. She’s not some Goddess of Study anymore. Anything short of genius would be an insult to her intelligence!”
Susanne immediately tapped the shoulder of the student who had spoken and asked, “Pardon me, but I heard the two of you talking about how the two earlier questions on quantum mechanics were the most difficult questions today. Why do you seem more stunned than before by Arielle’s solution to the third question?”
The student answered excitedly, “You see, Ma’am, while the third question isn’t as difficult as the first two, even a math major like me couldn’t have thought of solving it using the second method Arielle had proposed. She even gave three solutions, for God’s sake! I could never do that in a million years! That’s why we’re awestruck.”
Having left her knowledge of further mathematics far behind her, Susanne asked in confusion, “Is it difficult to solve this question with three different methods?”
“Of course! I swear, even our further mathematics teacher wouldn’t have thought of the third method. Arielle used elementary mathematics functions to solve a further mathematics question. She’s practically a mathematician at this point.”
A mathematician?
Susanne swallowed hard as an unexplainable sense of excitement filled her heart.
Her phone rang suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts.
When she saw the caller ID, Susanne grew puzzled.
Why is Vin calling me?
Despite her confusion, she accepted the call. “Hello?”
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 978
A Rude Awakening
Vinson’s voice drifted through the phone. “Mom, where are you?”
“I’m at Jadeborough University,” Susanne replied as she walked to the doors of the auditorium. Unable to help herself, she began recounting Arielle’s impressive math-solving spectacle to Vinson.
After she finished her story, Vinson paused, seemingly in thought. Sometime later, he asked, “Mom, does this mean you’ve accepted Arielle?”
Susanne coughed in surprise, her face blushing inexplicably.
“That’s nonsense! I was only telling you what I saw today. I haven’t accepted her; for your sake, I’m giving her three months to prove herself.”
Vinson chuckled before saying, “So, did she prove herself tonight?”
“She…” The words seemed to have caught in Susanne’s throat as she trailed off. Coughing several times, she continued, “Acing her studies isn’t the only requirement. The Moores are nothing like their former selves. She won’t be able to help you in your business ventures.”
“Got it! I’ll pass on your words and motivate her to try harder.”
“Pfft, what motivation?” Susanne mumbled awkwardly.
Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, she asked, “Why did you call me?”
Her question reminded Vinson of his reasons for contacting Susanne.
“I know you’ve been tolerating the Greenes for two days because of my business in Horington,” he explained. “Well, you can look forward to seven o’clock. The Greenes are going down.”
Upon hearing that, Susanne’s eyes lit up as she stammered, “What do you mean? The Greenes-”
“Mom, please don’t breathe a word of this,” Vinson interrupted her. “I just wanted to let you know earlier that you wouldn’t have to put up with the Greenes any longer. They won’t be a threat to me anymore.”
“All right, I understand. I won’t say a thing.”
“Well, I’m heading to the university now to pick you and Sannie up.”
“Okay.”
Susanne found herself taking a deep breath after the call ended. All the tension seemed to leave her body in an instant.
She never thought that the family she had once considered as her prospective in-laws would one day disgust her so.
In contrast, her many grievances about Arielle in the past were beginning to fall apart.
Clearing her throat, Susanne recalled Arielle’s three-month ultimatum. I will not accept her into the family if she can’t show me her value by then.
It was right then that Cecilia had finally placated Wendy, and the pair ran into Susanne as they were heading back to the auditorium.
Cecilia hurried toward Susanne and asked, “Susanne, what are you doing out here?”
Susanne waved her phone at them. “Oh, I took a call,” came her indifferent reply.
The uneasiness Wendy felt came rushing back when she took in Susanne’s expression.
Biting her lip, Wendy steeled herself as she took a step forward. “Mrs. Nightshire, I promise that I’ll get into Maxwell University!” she declared.
Amused, Susanne asked, “Why are you promising me such a thing? You should be saying this to your parents.”
Her nonchalance appeared to tick Cecilia off as the latter voiced, “Susanne, what on earth do you mean? Wendy is your future daughter-in-law. Getting into Maxwell University would be a proud moment for you as well.”
“Future daughter-in-law?” Susanne tilted her head in mock confusion. “When have I ever called Wendy my future daughter-in-law?” she questioned.
At that, Wendy’s expression fell instantly.
“Mrs. Nightshire?”
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 979
Shameless
Susanne wagged a disapproving finger as she cut Wendy off. “Wendy, it’s inappropriate for a respectable young lady like you to call yourself one’s daughter-in-law before the actual wedding takes place. It’s a shameless act. Don’t you think so?”
Upon hearing that, Wendy turned pale.
Susanne’s abrupt change in demeanor made Wendy feel as though all the blood in her body had curdled.
If I lose Susanne’s support, there goes my chance to marry Vinson.
At the prospect of that, a fear like nothing she had ever experienced gripped her around the neck.
“Mrs. Nightshire,” she choked as she grabbed the older woman’s elbow, all dignity forgotten. “Did I do something wrong? I apologize if I had inadvertently offended you. Please don’t shut me out like that!”
“Like what?” Susanne wrenched herself free of Wendy’s grip contemptuously. “I’m simply stating it as a matter of fact. You are not involved with Vin, are you? You’re not even engaged! How could you call yourself my daughter-in-law?”
Wendy’s eyes widened in shock, and she hardly dared to believe her ears.
“Mrs. Nightshire, what are you—”
“Susanne!” Cecilia interrupted as she lost her cool. “What are you talking about? You were the one who allowed Wendy to live with you, were you not? One would assume that that gesture was approval for her to be your daughter-in-law! Lest you forget, you have made me a promise to treat her well.”
“That I did,” Susanne concurred with a gracious nod. “I didn’t speak out against her for the nasty manner in which she had conducted herself in school. I reckon that’s a testament to my promise to you. Besides, the two of you had conspired to frame Arielle, the daughter of my old friend, as a cheater. You should consider yourselves lucky that I took no action against you! How dare you accuse me of such?”
“I…” Cecilia gasped, too fearful to remain coherent. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
“I meant exactly what I said. Listen carefully. I will never allow a girl like Wendy to marry my son. Kindly never go around acting as though you are my in-laws ever again. Have some self-respect.”
Without sparing the pair another glance, Susanne turned on her heels and strode off into the auditorium.
It’s going to happen at seven, isn’t it? Not long to go.
Wendy gazed at Susanne’s departing silhouette in despair.
“What happened, Mom?” she cried, grasping at her mother’s arm like a lifeline. “What on earth happened?”
Cecilia, too, was shocked by Susanne’s abrupt change.
Brought back to her senses by Wendy’s painful clutches, Cecilia forced herself to regain her composure for her daughter’s sake. “Don’t worry about it. She’s nothing but an opportunistic woman. In fact, it was said that she had become Mrs. Nightshire through unscrupulous means by breaking apart Mr. Nightshire and his childhood sweetheart. She saw the way Arielle solved the mathematical problems and thought it was prouder to have her as a daughter-in-law instead of you, hence her treatment toward us.”
“I can’t believe it.” Wendy’s eyes were as round as saucers. “What a shallow woman she is.”
“Indeed. Not many are aware of this aside from folks of my generation. After she’d become Mrs. Nightshire, she took drastic means to censor information regarding her past on the internet and in the media. But oh, I still remember like it was yesterday how the news of it had shaken Jadeborough to its core.”
“You mustn’t give up at this point,” Cecilia added as she returned her daughter’s grasp reassuringly. “To stand a chance against Arielle, you need to show Susanne that you, too, are capable of providing her with future glory. Once she sees the potential in you, she will soon be sick of Arielle. After all, you are the legitimate daughter of the Greene family.”
A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 980
Coincidences
Wendy nodded vigorously.
Armed with the newly acquired knowledge of Susanne’s past, Wendy became secure in the fact that she was merely a victim of Susanne’s opportunistic proclivities.
As long as I earn a spot in Maxwell University, I will still stand a chance!
“I know, Mom.” Wendy gritted her teeth in determination. “I won’t take this to heart. In fact, I’ll begin working hard for a spot in Maxwell University as soon as we get back.”
Cecilia smiled and stroked the tip of Wendy’s nose. “That’s my girl. Let’s get back in. I’ll have a talk with Susanne and remind her that the expansion of her son’s business into Horington depends on currying our favor. I’m sure she will reconsider keeping up this hostile behavior when she realizes what’s at stake.”
Wendy nodded again as she strode back into the auditorium by her mother’s side. A great weight lifted off her shoulders.
Back at the very front of the auditorium, Donovan stared at the three solutions in disbelief. His fists shook with anger as he felt fear that he could not explain coursing through his heart.
Arielle actually solved it with a third method.
That fact alone rendered him thunderstruck. Most surprisingly of all, the method which Arielle had employed was, according to Noah, the usual way which San would use.
Solving a further mathematics question with formulas from elementary mathematics… That’s San’s style in solving mathematical problems. Why is Arielle using this method too?
Suddenly, Donovan recalled that she had in fact employed this method during one of the first tests of the semester.
Back then, it was due to Arielle’s problem-solving method that he decided to select that as the area of research for his thesis.
It might have been a coincidence the first time. What about now? Is this another coincidence? Was it possible for there to be so many coincidences in the world?
Donovan’s forehead was beaded with sweat as he stood quivering on the spot.
“Mr. Baxter.”
Marcus, who had suddenly ascended the stage, called out, interrupting Donovan’s reverie.
“Mr. Brown,” Donovan responded as he turned reluctantly away from the blackboard.
“I am sure that this demonstration would suffice to prove Arielle’s innocence, wouldn’t it?”
Donovan gritted his teeth and nodded resignedly. “Yes, I suppose it would.”
The monthly tests would not even serve as a challenge to Arielle if she is able to solve such a difficult problem with such finesse.
Marcus then announced, “With that being said, I think it’s time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain, Mr. Baxter. The matter has been dragged on long enough.”
Donovan clenched his jaw as he stared at Arielle, who received a napkin from Arthur to wipe the chalk off her hands with a mild and indifferent expression on her face as she did so.
It’s like she doesn’t even care if the situation glorifies her or humiliates her. Come to think of it, this is how she has reacted to everything. Like she doesn’t give a damn.
It was this seemingly haughty expression of hers that had most incurred the ire of Donovan. Whenever he found himself face-to-face with her, he felt deeply insecure about his own abilities or even his worth as a human being.
“Mr. Baxter?” Marcus repeated after Donovan’s prolonged silence. “You owe Arielle an apology.”
Donovan froze as he cast an anxious gaze toward the crowd who had erupted in a smattering of chatter.
Every student in the auditorium was praising Arielle for her mathematical prowess. As their excitement grew, he felt more of his dignity slipping away.
Arielle, on the other hand, did not seem interested in what was running through Donovan’s mind. After returning the napkin to Arthur with a word of thanks, she turned toward Marcus. “If there isn’t anything else, I’ll be heading back to my seat.”
“Hold on a minute.” Marcus stepped forward to block Arielle in her path. “We have an unresolved business to attend to.”