Chapter 20: How Dare You Show Your Face Again
All eyes turned toward Madelyn. She mentally lamented being caught red-handed again! Quickly composing herself, she turned her attention to the problem on the blackboard.
Janessa watched from the side, reveling in Madelyn's misfortune. She scoffed, thinking, If Madelyn can solve such a difficult problem, that'll be a sight to see.
Unexpectedly, Madelyn began breaking down the problem based on the given topic. She analyzed it thoroughly and provided a very structured and organized answer. Everything she said was crucial to solving the problem, without a hint of redundancy.
In an instant, the entire class was taken aback, staring at Madelyn with mouths agape in sheer surprise. Heavens, was this really the same prominent young lady known for her lack of skills and knowledge?
The problem on the blackboard was so challenging that even a student with slightly better grades might not necessarily be able to solve it. After all, it was a complex financial integration problem incorporating high-level functions! Yet, Madelyn had actually managed to answer it so effortlessly? Had they heard it wrong?
Meanwhile, Madelyn felt a sense of relief. The key points Jillian had highlighted yesterday were all about financial integration problems. Plus, the knowledge Sebastian had shared at the company yesterday came in handy. The question was closely related to what she had learned. Being able to answer it was nothing short of a stroke of luck.
Up on the podium, the professor was also quite taken aback. He had noticed Madelyn daydreaming and had intended to reprimand her, but to his surprise, her answer was so excellent that it left no room for criticism. In the end, he could only encourage her, “Not bad. You’ve been working hard recently. Keep it up.”
Madelyn sat down, patting her chest. That was a close call!
Janessa was filled with displeasure. What on earth was happening? She couldn't believe Madelyn had actually been able to answer the question!
After class, Janessa intentionally approached Madelyn. She leaned in and asked, “Madelyn, how did you know the answer to that problem earlier? You’re really impressive!”
It’s truly laughable that Janessa is so envious of me being able to answer one problem, Madelyn thought. Feigning a stroke of luck, she said, “Actually, it was sheer dumb luck. In the notes Jillian lent me yesterday was a detailed explanation of some key points. I simply copied it down. Who would have known?”
After finishing her sentence, she theatrically patted her chest, enhancing the authenticity of her performance. “Thank goodness Lady Luck decided to grace me with her presence just in time. Otherwise, my demise would’ve been quite gruesome! I’m nothing like you, Janessa. You’re beautiful and academically gifted. I’m truly envious.”
Madelyn looked at Janessa with clear admiration, which inevitably made Janessa feel proud. She let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that Madelyn had merely been fortunate this time around. With this in mind, she felt reassured.
At that moment, Jillian returned. The moment she stepped into the classroom, a collective hush fell over the entire class. Not only that, everyone seemed to deliberately distance themselves from Jillian. It was as though she carried some form of bad luck with her. Some even went so far as to point and gesture directly at Jillian as they spoke.
“How could she have the audacity to return!” “Exactly, having such a woman in our class really tarnishes our class’s reputation!” “Everyone should keep their distance from her. If we get too close, others might mistakenly think we’re the same kind as her.” “Come on, let’s find other seats…”
Jillian returned to her seat, a hint of embarrassment and hurt flashing across her face as she noticed the prevailing attitude amongst her classmates.
In the end, she lifted her gaze to meet Madelyn’s. However, she found that Madelyn was simply looking at her, her face devoid of any emotion. In an instant, a profound sense of loss descended upon her. With disappointment etched across her face, Jillian lowered her head, wondering if there was anyone who believed her left.
“But I’m truly innocent!”
No matter how much Jillian tried to explain, it couldn’t quell the doubts of others. If nobody was willing to believe her, then why should she bother to explain? Even if she had tried to explain, who would have listened? They would have simply thought she was making excuses.
Meanwhile, Madelyn, off to the side, took in everything that was happening. Her face remained expressionless, but deep down, she couldn’t help but feel a subtle sense of sympathy. However, she had no intentions of stepping in to help Jillian at that moment. Doing so would only fuel Janessa’s jealousy even more, causing her to intensify her efforts, thereby achieving the exact opposite of the intended effect.
Indeed, when Janessa saw that Madelyn had no intention of getting closer to Jillian again, she breathed a sigh of relief.
After class ended at noon, Janessa invited Madelyn to have lunch together. Madelyn didn’t want to spend a moment longer with Janessa, so she tactfully declined, saying, “Sorry, but I have lunch plans with Sebastian.”
She’s going out to eat with Sebastian? Upon hearing this, a jolt of surprise ran through Janessa, causing her brows to furrow involuntarily. Did yesterday’s incident not cause a misunderstanding between the two of them? No, I refuse to believe that.
Hence, she feigned a teasing smile and said, “Madelyn, you’re truly a case of someone who values romance over friendship. You used to be inseparable from me every day. Now that you have a partner, you abandon me every time. Aren’t you afraid I’ll get mad?”
Madelyn gave an embarrassed smile. “How could that be? It’s not like I have any other choice, do I?”
Upon hearing these words, Janessa playfully clung to Madelyn. “If that’s the case, why not take me with you? I’m hungry too, and I really want to eat something. If you won’t accompany me, then I’ll accompany you. That should be fine, right?”
Janessa assumed that with Madelyn’s personality, she would undoubtedly never refuse. Unexpectedly, Madelyn awkwardly declined, saying, “That… might not be very appropriate.”
At last, Janessa could no longer hold back her anger. “What’s the big deal about bringing a friend? How does that make things inappropriate? Moreover, Madelyn, I’ve noticed you’ve really changed! Didn’t you used to hate being with Sebastian? How come you seem like a completely different person now?”
Naturally, Madelyn was well aware that Janessa was no fool. Whenever she didn’t meet Janessa’s expectations, the latter would start becoming suspicious of her. This could be seen by how Janessa finally couldn’t hold back and exploded.
At that moment, Madelyn deliberately portrayed herself as the victim, feigning distress as she said, “Janessa, do you really think I want to do this? I have no other choice. You know my father has been pushing me, and his health hasn’t been the best recently. I just don’t want to upset him, that’s all.”
Upon hearing this, a sense of relief washed over Janessa. She then said, “So that’s how it is. Why didn’t you say so earlier? You almost had me misunderstanding you.” She paused, then continued, “But, considering the situation, wouldn’t it be better if I come with you? Firstly, we can have a full meal together, and secondly, I can keep an eye on Sebastian for you, just in case he tries anything, right?”
Madelyn gave a noncommittal nod, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. It seemed that Janessa was determined to come with her today, no matter what. Even though she felt a bit helpless inside, Madelyn had no choice but to agree. “All right, let’s go together then.”