Ch. 461..470
Chapter 461
Edward’s jaw dropped as he thought, ‘I might know what she specializes in! That would explain why someone as prestigious as Bonnie would study computer science at Pyralis University.
‘I finally see why Sigmund disregarded everyone’s objection and insisted on setting his grandson up with a countryside girl.‘
Bonnie said, “I meant it when I said you have what it takes to be the university’s vice president. Of course, the decision is yours to make. I won’t push you if you’re uninterested.”
‘Honestly, I’d be disappointed if he rejects the position.‘
“Why, of course, I am!” Edward grinned. “Ahem! Um, Bonnie, what do you think about my talent in scientific research?”
The clueless Aimee began to feel uneasy. After all, her grandfather was outstanding and knowledgeable, yet he humbly asked for Bonnie’s opinion of him.
Bonnie replied straightaway, “You have the potential to be an experienced professor at Pyralis University. Naturally, you possess extraordinary talent and skills.
Edward asked, “Do you think I’ll ever have the honor of visiting Bonita Research Institute as
a way way
to broaden my horizons?”
‘Since he asked that question, he must’ve guessed who I really am. Since that’s the case, there’s no point hiding it anymore.‘
Bonnie said, “Just inform me when you’re free.”
“Fantastic!” Edward was so overjoyed that he jumped and fist–pumped like a child.
He could not contain his excitement. After all, they talked about one of the most renowned research institutes. Any self–respective researcher would want to check out its labs.
“It’s settled, then. Ivor just texted me, so I’ll be leaving now.” Bonnie waved and left.
“Okay, I’ll see you soon, Bonnie!” Edward grew envious of Sigmund as the former watched
Bonnie leave.
‘I can’t believe that old coot has Avandor’s science prodigy as his daughter–in–law!‘
“G–Grandpa, am I seeing things? You are my grandpa, right?” Aimee struggled to digest what she had just seen and heard. Seeing her usually solemn grandfather acting like a child shocked her.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“N–No, I mean… You see, I… You just… Ah! Bonnie, yeah, that’s it. Did Bonnie just promote you to be Pyralis University’s vice president?”
“Didn’t you hear a word just now, Aimee?”
“W–Wait a minute and let me think. Bonnie promoted you, but how does she have the power to do that? Is it because she knows someone from Bonita Research Institute? Even so, how does that make you the vice president?
“Does Bonnie know Ms. Bonita?! They’re both Shepards, right? Are you telling me Bonnie is Ms. Bonita’s distant relative?”
Edward’s lips twitched as he thought, ‘I was going to tell Aimee to keep Bonnie’s identity a secret, but my granddaughter is such a fool that she can’t even see the truth. Aimee was listening the whole time, yet that’s what she assumes?‘
After some thought, Edward said, “I think Bonnie made the right call. Even if we allow wealthy people to buy their way into the university, we must ensure their children don’t flunk any subjects. Otherwise, it’ll hurt the university’s reputation.”
“What do you mean by that, Grandpa?”
“It means you can’t tell anyone about my conversation with Bonnie. Understand? It’s a massive deal! If you disobey me and tell anyone, I’ll disown you,” Edward said solemnly. mass
Aimee pouted and said, “Oh, okay. I promise not to tell anyone that Bonnie is Ms. Bonita’s
distant relative.”
‘So what if they’re distant relatives? She’s not Ms. Bonita, and Grandpa doesn’t need to
make such a fuss.‘
Edward sighed and looked at his granddaughter disdainfully. He thought, ‘Bonnie and Aimee are the same age, but the difference between them is as vast as the ocean! Anyone with a granddaughter like Bonnie would have difficulty not smiling in their sleep.‘
“The Shepards, huh?” he muttered.
‘They’ll regret disowning her one day.‘
Bonnie almost bumped into Ivor as she approached the party hall. She asked, “Where are you going in such a hurry?“
Chapter 462
“I was looking for you,” Ivor answered.
Although it was a brief response, Bonnie’s heart almost skipped a beat. She said, “I’m not a child, y’know. I was just gone for a little while. Were you worried I got lost?”
“I was so terrified that I wished to put you in my pocket. Then, I can check on you anytime I
want.‘
“I’m not an accessory.”
“That you are. You’re my accessory.”
Bonnie was as tough as nails and was getting more used to him. However, she could not stop herself from blushing and her heart pounding. She said, “I’m hungry. I’ll go get some food from over there.”
“I’ll come with you.” Ivor served her well and would take whatever food she wanted without delay. Fortunately, she had adamantly protested, or he would have fed her.
Ivor looked at his phone in puzzlement and frowned. “Hmm?”
“What’s wrong?”
He put down his phone and looked at her, saying, “I received insider information. It seems Pyralis University will loosen its enrollment rules for wealthy families.”
“Oh?” Bonnie was so good at pretending that she almost bought into her own act.
“Isn’t the Scientific Research Competition in two days?” He asked.
“Are you going?”
“Exactly. The Knight Group is one of the event’s investors, so I must attend.”
Bonnie guessed, “Are you going to have a discussion with one of the top management personnel and enroll one of the Knights in the university?”
“That’s not what matters. I want to see if I can meet with the new president.”
Bonnie was shocked when she heard that. She asked, “Why are you so determined to meet with the new president?”
“I suspect she’s close to Ms. Bonita.” He analyzed the situation slowly. “It’s not just me, either. Many people share the same suspicion and will do anything to get into the university.”
M
Bonnie remained silent, knowing she could let something slip at such a moment. As she tried to mask her inner feelings by stuffing herself with food, Ivor looked at her and said, You also seem to have a connection with someone at Bonita Research Institute.‘
Bonnie knew he was probing. “You’re right. I’m well connected to one of the people there.”
“Oh, and what connection would that be?” He squinted at her.
She stared at him and said, “I won’t get into the specifics. After all, it’s about the research institute. You’ll understand why I don’t want to give anything away.”
“All right, I won’t pry if you’re unwilling to tell me. Will you be participating in the Scientific Research Competition?“.
Bonnie chuckled and said, “I’m a computer science student. Why would I participate?”
“Your capabilities in scientific research impressed even Neville, my family’s scientific genius. Don’t you think you would’ve won the competition effortlessly? That way, you can secure an internship at Bonita Research Institute and become an official staff member
there.‘
2
Chapter 463
Bonnie said, “Your opinion of me is too high. Still, I don’t intend to participate in the competition.”
‘Ivor is still suspicious of me, and I can’t let it continue. I must neutralize his suspicions completely.’
“Why not? Don’t you want to work at Bonita Research Institute?”
“Everyone has preferences. Also, Pyralis University has recruited exceptionally talented students from around the globe. The campus is full of extraordinary people. Why are you so confident I’ll win the competition if I participate?”
“I just know you will,” Ivor said confidently, “All right, let’s drop it. Is there anything else you want to eat? I’ll get it for you.”
He showed the perfect example of quitting while he was ahead. After all, Bonnie would probably stop talking to him if he kept prying.
Bonnie sighed in relief as she watched him leave to get her more food. She knew he was so smart that he would realize she was Ms. Bonita if she slipped up even once.
…
Two days had passed, and the Scientific Research Competition was about to begin. All newspapers and media focused on Pyralis University. Still in the hospital, Russell grinned from ear to ear as he watched the television.
“Hahaha! I was right to insist on Bonnie taking over my position! She’s the perfect successor. Now that our competition has become a hot topic throughout Arvandor, the president of Drungend University is probably crying. Our enrolment rate next year will set a new record! I’m excited just thinking about it!”
Suddenly, the door opened, and Elliana, the president of the Pyralian Pianists Association, entered. “You’re an old man, Russell. Stop getting so excited. The doctor said you can’t afford to get worked up. You can drop dead at any second if you keep it up.”
“You’re just jealous of me, honey. Bonnie’s willing to take over my position instead of yours,” he boasted triumphantly.
She grunted in response. “Why would I be jealous? You shouldn’t be so proud of yourself when you deceived her. You have no idea how ashamed of you I am.”
“Drop the act. If you could pretend to be sick, you would’ve done the same thing and tricked Bonnie into taking over your association.”
“That’s a load of crap!” She stomped. “I came because I cared about you and wanted to see how you were doing, but you seem perfectly fine. It seems you’ll live long and plague the world!”
“Care about me? Save it for someone who buys your crap. The way I see it, you’re just here to make fun of me.”
“You’re becoming more unreasonable as the days pass! I just can’t talk to you anymore!” Elliana left the ward, supporting herself with the cane. Then, she dwelled on what her husband said.
‘Perhaps I can also pretend to be sick to get Bonnie to take over my mantle. The old coot had just used this trick. I don’t think it’ll work if I use it again. It looks like I’ll have to ask Coleman to seduce Bonnie.’
…
Back in Pyralis University, Bonnie was treading the cobblestone path when she overheard some conversations.
“I can’t believe you managed to return here, Trina.”
‘Trina?’ Bonnie did not bother turning around when she heard that name.
“Yeah, neither could I.”
Chapter 464
“Trina, I heard you got expelled twice because of Bonnie. I don’t understand how she pulled that off.”
Trina wanted to badmouth Bonnie but decided against it after considering her promises to Gresham and Vera.
“The truth isn’t what you guys think it is. Bonnie and my family are strangers. None of us have anything to do with her.”
One of Trina’s friends saw Bonnie and purposely said, “We know that. Your dad published a video, and your mom swore an oath, too. I guess it works out for you guys. That way, you’ll finally rid yourselves of that pathetic good-for-nothing.”
Trina covered her friend’s mouth and warned, “Lower your voice, or she’ll hear you.”
“I don’t give a damn if she can hear me.”
“Stop it—” Trina turned and realized Bonnie was looking at her. The former trembled and bowed at Bonnie apologetically. “I’m sorry, Bonnie! I swear we weren’t badmouthing you!”
Bonnie glanced at her coldly and accidentally bumped into a fellow college student. She said, “Oops, sorry! I didn’t watch where I was going.”
She then realized she had just bumped into one of the two most handsome students at the university. His name was Toby Davis, among the brightest minds there.
He held a peculiar-looking robot with both hands and was so focused on tweaking it that he did not even glance at Bonnie. Instead, he simply brushed past her.
“Pfft!” Trina’s friends cackled, and one said, “I’m sure she bumped into him on purpose. She must’ve thought she could seduce him with her looks, but he didn’t even look at her.”
“Bonnie must feel humiliated now, even though she’s pretty. Coleman is also the other most handsome student at our university. Even he treats Bonnie nicely. With that said, Toby isn’t as approachable as Coleman.”
“You got that right. Toby is as cold and distant as they come. He rarely talks to anyone. I hear not even his roommate has heard him speak. Toby doesn’t have a friend on campus, either. He only cares about his studies.
“Who does Bonnie think she is? Why would she assume every guy has to stop and stare at her?”
“Since I’m from the Newspaper Club, I’ll publish this video I recorded on the college website later. Let’s show everyone just how much of a dunce Bonnie is!”
“Seconded!”
“I’m behind you on that.”
Bonnie ignored their nasty remarks and stared at Toby’s robot. Avril asked softly, “What are you staring at? Do you seriously have a crush on Toby?”
Bonnie looked at her friend, raising her brow and asking, “What makes you think that?”
“For starters, I saw you staring at him.”
“Are you kidding me? No, I won’t even argue with you. I wasn’t looking at him, but at the robot he was holding.”
“Are you serious?” Avril did not quite believe her. After all, Toby was dashing. Even she could not help but linger when she saw him earlier.
Bonnie mimicked Avril’s tone and joked, “Well, if you don’t believe me, look into my eyes and see if I’m lying.”
“Fine, I believe you now. What a relief. If you fall in love with another man, Ivor would raze the university to the ground.” Avril patted her chest dramatically.
Suddenly, she heard a deep and charming voice, “Why would I do that for no good reason?”
Avril gasped. She was so shocked that she flinched like a spooked cat, thinking, ‘Did he hear what Bonnie and I were talking about earlier?!’
Chapter 465
“Why are you looking at me like that? Were you badmouthing me to Bonnie?” Ivor squinted at Avril, trying to figure her out.
A chill ran down her spine, and she stammered, “N-Not at all! Why would I do that? I-I was just telling Bonnie how wonderful you are and that she should cherish what she has. After all, she’ll never find anyone as perfect as you. Yeah, that’s what we were talking about earlier.”
Bonnie glanced at Avril but did not expose her lies.
“I appreciate that,” Ivor nodded and said, “I’ll give you something real nice in return when Bonnie and I get married.”
“Sure! I’m looking forward to it. Make sure it’s a super nice gift, okay? I won’t accept anything less than that!”
“You got it!”
“I’ll hold you to that promise!”
Bonnie was speechless about their interaction. She thought, ‘I’m supposed to be the future bride, yet none of them asked for my opinion. They just went ahead and decided on their own.’
Floyd approached and said, “Mr. Ivor, all the other investors are here. They need you to be there, too.”
Ivor looked at Bonnie and asked, “Do you want to come with me? You can sit beside me.”
“You can forget about that. I don’t want to draw attention to myself,” Bonnie shoved him and said, “Hurry along now.”
If she sat with Ivor, the entire university would focus on her instead of the competition. If that happened, she could no longer enjoy a peaceful university life.
Trina watched as Ivor approached the venue. Her brows furrowed as she said, “It’s him.”
“Who’s that? Do you know that handsome man?” her friend asked.
“Even though I’ve seen him several times, I don’t know who he is.”
‘What’s he doing here? I think I saw him with Bonnie a minute ago. That reminds me—Mom received a call during the summer solstice.
‘She told me the village talked about how Bonnie brought back the wealthiest man in Pyralis. Of course, we didn’t buy that crap since we’re not that gullible.’
Trina grew curious and followed Ivor. However, she kept her distance and stayed out of sight.
Meanwhile, Bonnie told Avril, “Let’s go inside, too.”
“I’ve wanted to go in since earlier. I’m sure the Scientific Research Competition will be a spectacle!” Avril had just taken a step when she saw Terry from Bonita Research Institute.
She approached the older man and greeted him, “Hello, Professor Terry!”
Then, she realized Reece was also there. “Hi, Professor Reece.”
He looked at Avril and then glanced at Terry, asking, “Do you guys know each other?”
“Uh, well…” She instinctively looked at Bonnie. After all, she did not know Terry until Bonnie took her to the research institute.
At that moment, he followed Avril’s gaze and noticed Bonnie, causing his heart to skip a beat. He thought, ‘It looks like I’m getting closer to the truth.’
Terry said, “Miss—”
Bonnie nodded and interjected, “Hi, Professor Terry.”
He was stunned and swiftly caught himself, saying, “Greetings, Bonnie.”
Meanwhile, Reece continued to observe the duo’s exchange, thinking, ‘I swear I’m getting closer to the truth!’
Terry asked, “Are you going inside, too? Should we go together?”
“Sure thing,” Bonnie replied and approached the competition venue.
Terry did not move until after Bonnie was a distance away.
Chapter 466
When Reece followed Terry, the former noticed Jim, who disguised himself as a security guard, also following Bonnie.
Reece gulped as he looked at Terry and the security guard, who just happened to have a similar build to Jim. At that moment, Reece realized he had indeed grasped the truth.
Meanwhile, Trina tailed Ivor to the venue and saw him taking the seat specifically for Knight Group members. That was because the family was one of the investors. Trina was shocked when she saw that. 'Are the rumors true?! Is Bonnie in a relationship with the wealthiest man in Pyralis?' Suddenly, Trina recalled the news about the engagement the wealthiest man in Pyralis had hosted long ago. She remembered talking about it with her friends and classmates. They were jealous of the girl who had gotten engaged to the man.
'If this man is the wealthiest man in Pyralis, I would be insanely jealous of Bonnie!' "N-No, it can't be. I can't accept it," Trina muttered.
'Taking that seat doesn't necessarily mean he's the CEO of the Knight Group, right? His company could have sent him as a representative instead. I'll get to the bottom of this!' Trina gritted her teeth and approached Ivor. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Avril entered the venue and saw what Trina was doing. Avril said, "Bonnie, do you think she'll try to seduce Ivor?" "It doesn't look like it," Bonnie replied.
"Really, though? That is what she's doing." "No, she's not. I think she's headed for trouble instead." Avril noticed Bonnie's seriousness and could not help but cover her mouth and giggle. "Yeah, you're right. She's about to regret it." Trina appeared before Ivor and acted awkwardly, trying to look innocent.
"Can I help you?" Ivor's tone lacked warmth as he glanced at her casually.
Trina found his demeanor imposing. No one could forge such an overbearing sense of authority. Instead, one could only attain it after spending most of one's life in the upper echelon of society. Ivor's overwhelming authority confirmed Trina's suspicions. Still, she asked, "Um, are you one of the Knight Group's staff members?" "Why does that concern you?" "I-I was just curious. One of Bonnie's fellow country folks says you're the CEO of the Knight Group. Is that true?"
Ivor squinted at her but did not respond. He only had to sit there silently to rouse fear in Trina's heart. She was so scared that she dared not move, let alone speak to him again. Soon after, he said, "You may leave now."
Trina was about to say something but realized her feet had gone numb. Hence, she could not help but feel e amazed at how intimidating he was. She was about to leave the menacing-looking man alone but noticed a shift in his eyes. His cold eyes brimmed with affection, making Trina wonder what brought on such a drastic change. She turned and followed his gaze to see Bonnie. Then, an intense jealousy and displeasure rose within Trina's chest.
She even wished to slash Bonnie's face with a knife.
'How dare she hoard all the nice things in life to herself! I'll win this competition, get a permanent job at Bonita Research Institute, and prove to everyone that I'm better than Bonnie! I'll excel at scientific research and shine once I get into the research institute!'
Chapter 467
Avril tugged at Bonnie's sleeves and said, "Look at how miserable Trina looks. She's nothing but a homewrecker. I can't believe she thought someone as prominent as Ivor would like her. Not everyone is as unobservant as Hadwin." Bonnie responded, "That's enough. Whatever Trina does doesn't concern us. Let's check out the contestants' inventions." She checked them out, but none were good enough to pique her curiosity. Then, she kept walking and cupon a familiar robot.
Avril observed it from top to bottom and said, "Huh, this one seems familiar. I wonder where I've seen it before." Then, she noticed Toby coming over. Instead of greeting him, she just stood there. It was evident he had built the robot. Avril muttered, "That explains why I find it so familiar. It's Toby's work." Bonnie was pretty fascinated by his robot and went to touch it when his cold voice sounded, "You can look at it, but you can't touch it." Although he acted coldly, she did not find him distasteful. On the contrary, she saw the makings of an excellent scientific researcher within him.
"What's with the attitude?" Avril questioned, "Fine, we'll leave you alone. Con, Bonnie." She tried to pull Bonnie, but the latter remained motionless. Avril looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?" Bonnie stayed quiet for a few seconds and then swiftly touched the robot, causing Toby to spring into action. Although he was calm and collected before, he grew upset as he reached out to stop her.
However, Jim, who was never too far away from Bonnie, held Toby back and said, "We don't tolerate violence here, pal." Toby said frustratingly, "Letgo! She touched my robot! For the record, I wasn't going to hit her or anything. I was just trying to stop her." At that moment, Bonnie gave her feedback, "I'm going to guess your robot specializes in scanning and transporting books. I also noticed it can extend its arms to the highest shelves in the library to reach for books." Toby was stunned, asking, "How'd you know that?" "I can tell just by looking at it," Bonnie responded matter-of-factly, "Isn't it obvious enough?" 'It is?' Avril blinked and thought, 'I couldn't tell that was what it was for.'
"With that said," Bonnie continued, "The assembly is imperfect and clumsy. Hmm, it doesn't react quickly enough either. It should concern the parts. They're too soft and flexible. Also, you'll have to optimize its pathing with the AS-R mobile dynamic obstacle avoidance."
Toby was astounded that she was familiar with this jargon. Still, that did not mean he agreed with her he said coldly, "I'm sorry, but could you please leave? The competition is about to start." Meanwhile, Trina and her friends watched the whole thing unfold.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Look at Bonnie. First, she bumped into Toby on purpose, O but it didn't work out for her. Now she's trying to approach him when he wants nothing to do with her. She's so shameless." "She's always been like that. Toby's perceptive. One glance is enough for him to conclude how rotten Bonnie is. That's why he ignored her." "You shouldn't tell anyone you knew her, Trina. She's just embarrassing." However, Trina still tried to process Ivor's mysterious and shocking identity.
Five minutes later, the competition officially began. Bonnie sat in the auditorium and glanced at each contestant on stage. All she could do was shake her head.
Chapter 468
Trina's invention was not half bad, but her character was questionable. Bonnie would not let someone like her even enter her research institute.
Trina took the stage and confidently introduced her invention. She fiddled with her robot as she said, "The robot I invented can sing and dance. It can also rearrange a song into different genres, such as rock and roll and hip- hop." One of the judges said, "That's neat. It's certainly better than the other robots we've seen." "You're right. That's the best invention up to this point." Trina was on cloud nine as she accepted the ceaseless compliments.
'I knew it! I have this competition in the bag with skills and talent. Now, all that's left is Professor Terry. He represents Bonita Research Institute. If he givesa nod, my victory is all but secured.' She looked at him confidently. However, to her surprise, he lowered his head and fiddled with something. He showed no interest in her robot.
'Wh-what's happening?' Trina grew worried. 'It doesn't make sense. My robot is an excellent invention. Quite a few investors and judges have complimentedon it.
'If I remember correctly, Professor Terry sought my parents during the press conference for the latest nanomaterial. We thought he lowered himself to our level because he noticed my talents. I don't think that's no longer the case.
'If that's the case, why did he talk to my parents? He even looked atback then. Wait a minute!' Suddenly, something occurred to Trina. She thought that maybe he was not looking at her. After all, Bonnie was standing beside her back then.
Terry said impatiently, "All right, next, please!" Trian was flustered as she left the stage. She even looked at Bonnie, sitting in the auditorium, the former's eyes full of resentment and bewilderment.
Toby was the next contestant. He took his robot to the stage to briefly explain it before demonstrating its capabilities. Terry complimented his work, "Nicely done. It's the best work I've seen today." Trina grew nervous when she heard that.
'No, he can't be the winner! I must get into Bonita Research Institute, no matter what! I hope to build myself up again and get revenge on Bonnie.'
Meanwhile, Toby wallowed in joy. He cfrom a low-incfamily, and his parents were unealthy, too. Succeeding wenkealthy, in his career as soon as possible was the only way out for his family. "With that said," Terry added, his words making Toby uncertain, "there seems to be sassembly error. I believe it concerns the parts you chose."
His words reminded Toby of what Bonnie said. However, Terry continued, "You can optimize t pathing pathing a little better. Consider using the AS-R mobile robot's dynamic obstacle avoidance. That should help with the optimization wonderfully."
'Huh?!' Toby whipped around and looked at Bonnie. 'She got everything right earlier! Wait a minute. Why ve didn't she participate in the competition if she was this good? She would've wiped the floor with everyone else!' The competition lasted for another couple of hours before it ended.
Chapter 469
Terry took the stage as the contestants looked at him, each sitting on the edge of their seats. He said, "I shall announce the winner of the Scientific Research Competition!" Trina was so nervous that her nails dug into her palms. Even Toby balled his fists and stared at the professor unblinkingly.
"Congratulations, Toby Davis!" Toby was on cloud nine while the others were disappointed. The former did his best to contain his excitement as he ascended the stage and accepted his certificate. On the other hand, Trina turned ashen as she fell into deep thought.
'It's over. My grand plot for revenge has ended before it could even start. I won't get another shot as easy as this one to make something of myself.' The host passed a microphone to Toby, who asked, "If I may, Professor Terry, when can I start my internship in the research institute?" "We must still prioritize your studies here, young man. So, you'll have to cin every weekend." "All right, that's great!" Toby thought deeply, 'Today's Wednesday so I can enter the place of my dreams three days from now. I'll finally meet Ms. Bonita, the pillar of the world of scientific research! I have to call my parents and tell them the good news.' Trina left the venue, looking like a lost soul as she returned home.
"What are you doing hso soon, sweety? Did the competition end? Did you win?" Vera bombarded her daughter with questions.
However, Trina simply hung her head and gritted her teeth.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you pretending you lost to surprise us?" Vera thought, 'Trina's a child every parent wished they had. She's intelligent, cunning, and gifted, especially in scientific research. A former professor of Pyralis University even supported her generously and showered her with approvals. I know she won the competition.' However, the more she asked, the paler Trina became. Ultimately, Gresham sensed something was wrong and asked, "Did you lose?" That was all it took to shatter his daughter's last shred of confidence. Tears streamed down Trina's cheeks a moment later, and her mother's face fell. Then, the latter slumped into the couch and muttered, "Trina lost. How can this be? "I told all our relatives that you participated in the competition and would wipe the floor with everyone else. I can't believe you lost. What am I supposed to tell them now? How can I face them?!" The butler led a group of relatives to the living room as if on cue. They all congratulated Gresham and his family.
"Congratulations! You guys are so lucky to have a daughter as talented as Trina."
"I envy you guys! If only Fernanda were half as excellent as Trina M would've considered myself the luckiest mother in the world."
O Kaysen added, "Ysabel, Trina's about to work at Bonita Research Institute. You should stay here and steep in her room tonight. That way, you can learn everything from her as best you can."
Everyone praised Gresham and his family, so nobody noticed how bleak Trina looked. A moment later Harold and Yolanda approached compliment Gresham and Vera generously. "You guys have taught Trina well. We're very proud of you. I want you two to look after the family company from now on." Grant and Kaysen gnashed their teeth with anger.
'It looks like Gresham will continue to be the head of the family.'
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'We can't do anything about it. After all, Trina will soon work at Bonita Research Institute. Since Gresham has someone as excellent as his daughter to support him, we can't pull him down from the family head position.' Gresham and Vera exchanged glances, intending to tell the family the truth. However, the rest of the family kept complimenting them. The couple could not get a word in edge-wise.
That was when Fernanda shouted, "Ahh!" Harold barked, "Why are you yelling? That's rude of you!" "G-Grandpa, look at this!" she showed him her phone and said, "Trina didn't win the Scientific Research Competition. Toby did!" "What?! Trina lost?! How is that possible?!" "It's true! I'm not making it up. Check your phones, and you'll see." Everyone took their phones and looked at Trina and her parents mockingly.
"How shameless can you guys be? Why would you lie to us?" Kaysen said, "Damn straight! We kept complimenting Trina, and I told my daughter to learn from her. Should I let my daughter pick up on her shamelessness and lies?" Ysabel added, "I know I'm not as capable as Trina, but I live an honest life. I'm always truthful and would never claim to be more competent than I am." Trina blushed with humiliation.
"Hmph!" Harold scoffed. "Bonnie's destructive behavior must've rubbed off on you when she used to stay here. She loved making up stories and boasting about how great she was. Still, she's the miracle doctor.
"At least Bonnie has that going for her. What can you boast about, Trina? You're nothing but a slightly above- average student." "Your grandpa is right, Trina. Bonnie grew up in the countryside and picked up bad habits from the country folks. However, you carry a genes of a bumpkin even though we raised you. You're no better than her!" Yolanda's words were far harsher than her husband's.
Trina did her best to suppress her feelings. She glanced at her parents, only to see them standing far away. She knew they feared getting dragged into her mess, but even so, she was not exactly heartbroken. She long knew that her parents only ever wanted to bring glory to themselves. That was why they always defended her even if she was not their biological daughter. Instead, she was the daughter they could brag about.
Although Bonnie might be their biological daughter, she kept doing things to humiliate herself and the family. That was why Gresham and Vera hated her so much and even disowned her. Even the whole family was raised on such values.
They would put their family members on pedestals when they were valuable but treat them like worms when they ceased to be beneficial.
Meanwhile, Bonnie was oblivious to what happened with the Shepards. Even if she knew about it, she would not have cared.
Avril held Bonnie's hands and headed toward the campus gate, sayingm "Bonnie to you have to visit my place for dinner tonight. My mom misses you."
Before Bonnie could respond, she saw Toby standing in her way she asked, Is there something I can help you with?" He frowned and said, "You're good. I'll give you that. I'm here to apologize for my earlier attitude." "It didn't botherat all."
"I don't get it. You're so good with scientific research. So why didn't you Ve participate in the competition?" "I didn't have to. That's that." His expression turned grim when he heard that.