Chapter 58
Janice almost rolled her eyes at Ruth’s fake concern but held herself back. After all, Ruth was still Shermaine’s mother. She picked up her spoon, ready to take a sip of soup, but a sharp pain suddenly shot through her head, making her feel dizzy.
Her hand trembled, and the spoon slipped from her grip, clattering against the bowl. It was just a mild episode, but she worried that the headache might keep her up later that night.
“Grandma, are you okay?” Shermaine furrowed her brow.
“Don’t worry, Sheary. I’m fine,” Janice comforted her.
Ruth’s heart leapt with glee as she realized Janice’s headache was acting up again. “Janice, you don’t look well. Should we call a doctor to check on you?” she asked.
“No need,” Janice replied. This condition had been bothering her for years. She had consulted renowned doctors, but none of them found anything wrong. She had even sought out several famous traditional medicine practitioners, but none had been able to help.
She was now considering seeing Darius, the renowned traditional medicine doctor Joshua had recommended, known for his exceptional skills.
“Alright then,” Ruth replied. She didn’t mind that her mother-in-law was suffering. In fact, she believed Janice deserved it for never treating Wendelyn fairly.
After dinner, Ruth went to her room to pick out a dress for the parent-teacher meeting next Monday. Even though she knew it would be embarrassing, she still wanted to look her best.
Janice’s headache was so bad that she didn’t want to go for a walk. After dinner, she went back to her room, hoping some rest would ease the pain. Just as she was about to lie down, Shermaine walked in.
Janice forced a smile and asked, “What’s wrong, Sheary?”
Shermaine had been meaning to feel Janice’s pulse for a while, but the past few days had been hectic. Every time she had a free moment, Janice was already resting in bed.
“I’m here to check your pulse,” Shermaine said.
Janice chuckled warmly. “Sheary, you know how to treat someone?” She thought of her granddaughter as a little treasure–full of surprises.
Shermaine didn’t hide the truth. “Yeah, I gave Mr. Owen York a checkup recently. His condition should be better now.” She sat down by the bed and gently placed her fingers on her grandmother’s wrist.
After a moment, she withdrew her hand. “Grandma, if you trust me, I can perform acupuncture for you right now. With a week of treatment, your headaches will be gone. You won’t have to endure sleepless nights from the pain or take any medicine anymore.”
Janice would never doubt Shermaine. She held Shermaine’s hand and said, “Of course I trust you, dear. I’m just curious–who taught you all this?”
Pleased by the trust her grandmother had in her, Shermaine smiled faintly and replied, “Grandma, I know a bit of both traditional medicine and modern medicine. I took some electives in modern medicine at Sterling University. And as for traditional medicine, I picked it up by reading lots of medical books. It’s something I enjoy studying.”
Janice was stunned. “S–Sterling University?”
Shermaine explained, “Yes, I left Maple Leaf Ville to study abroad when I was very young.” She attended middle school in the town for only a short time before skipping ahead to high school.
While in high school, she anonymously published a paper in a mathematics journal solving a world-class number theory problem. That paper earned her several admission offers. So focused on math, she packed her bags and headed to Pouton University, known for its outstanding math program.
“You went by yourself?”
“Yes.”
Janice’s eyes welled up with tears. She felt a deep sympathy for her granddaughter, imagining how hard it must have been for her to go to an unfamiliar place all alone.
She then said, “Thank goodness your brother brought you back. But you’ve suffered so much, with a clueless mother and a negligent father. I’m sorry, Sheary. You shouldn’t have had to go through all that.”
She sighed, thinking back to how Ruth used to be normal and loving, and how Jameson once cared more about the family.
Shermaine didn’t feel like she had suffered. The people in Maple Village had treated her well, and now, both her brother and grandmother were good to her.
After chatting for a while with Janice, she called Danielle, asking her to have someone send over a set of acupuncture needles.
About half an hour later, a young man, probably an intern from Yaleview Hospital, arrived with the needles. “Dr. Shue, here are the needles,” he said.
“Thank you,” replied Shermaine.
That night, after Shermaine performed acupuncture on Janice, Janice’s headache gradually eased, and she quickly fell asleep. It was the first time she had slept so soundly since being plagued by this persistent condition.
The next morning, Ruth came downstairs after getting ready and saw Janice already dressed to the nines, ready to go out.
‘She looks vibrant and a bit healthier. This doesn’t add up,’ Ruth thought. ‘Normally, she’d still be in bed at this hour. How could she be up already today?‘
By this time, Shermaine was already at school. The parent-teacher meeting was being held in the gymnasium, which could hold over a thousand people. Around nine o’clock, the parents of the senior students began arriving one after another.
In the past, parent-teacher meetings were held in classrooms. This was the first time that all the senior students and their parents gathered together.
Once all the senior students and their parents had arrived, the principal stepped onto the stage and began his speech.
In the audience, Alice was fidgeting, clearly nervous. She kept sipping water, but no matter how much she drank, her throat still felt dry.
The words Shermaine had said in the cafeteria the other day haunted her all night like a nightmare. No matter how much she tried to comfort herself, she couldn’t shake the unease–it was unbearable.
Sitting among the parents of Class 9, Ruth felt quite restless. She just wanted the principal to get to the point and stop wasting time. In stark contrast, Janice was chatting and laughing with the other parents in a soft voice.
About half an hour later, the principal finally said, “In the coming months, I hope all senior students will put in their best effort and excel in the SAT, getting into the universities of their choice.
“However, there’s one issue that’s been causing a lot of trouble for the school. It concerns Shermaine Shue, a transfer student from Class 9.
“She got straight A’s in the recent midterms, and there have been rumors that she might have cheated. The gossip spread throughout the senior class and even caught the attention of the district school office.”
Hearing this, the parents in the audience exchanged glances and began whispering among themselves.
Ruth immediately straightened her back. ‘Finally, he’s talking about what I’ve been waiting to hear. So, has it been confirmed that Shermaine cheated, and is she going to be expelled publicly?!‘ she thought.
The principal continued, “The student who made the report not only accused Shermaine of cheating but also claimed that Dean Mason Moe accepted bribes to cover for Shermaine.
“The rumor spread quickly and has inevitably tarnished the reputation of our school, Mr. Collins from the district office even came to our school to conduct an investigation. Today, we’ve invited him to announce the results of the investigation,”
Everyone was eager to hear the outcome. Most of them assumed that Shermaine would undoubtedly be expelled this time, including Leslie.
Christopher stepped onto the stage, adjusted the microphone, and said, “Last Friday, I completed the investigation into whether Shermaine had cheated. Now, I’ll announce the results: Shermaine did not cheat during last week’s midterms. She earned her scores through her own abilities.
There was an uproar in the audience. Those people had no reason to look down on Shermaine. She hadn’t cheated–she’d gotten straight A’s through sheer skill.
Alice’s mind went blank. She shot to her feet and screamed, “No way! There’s no way Shermaine could have gotten straight A’s!”
Meanwhile, Ruth, seated further back, was completely stunned. Her face twisted with disbelief. She didn’t even notice when her handbag slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor. ‘Shermaine didn’t cheat? How could that be possible?!‘ she thought, her face dark with rage.
Then, a large electronic screen was lowered behind the stage. It began playing a video of Shermaine completing some tests in the principal’s office.
Everyone watched as Shermaine calmly filled out the paper with ease, writing rapidly, as if she didn’t need to think at all. It was almost unbelievable she finished a math test in just 15 minutes and scored full marks.
Christopher continued, “This is the video I recorded while proctoring that day. The papers I gave were harder than your midterms, but for Shermaine, it was just another normal test, no challenge at all. So, for those who have been spreading rumors about Shermaine cheating and insulting her, it’s time to formally apologize.”
The principal then took the microphone and added, “Alice Joy from Class 3, your malicious report has seriously damaged the reputation of the school, its teachers, and Shermaine. The school has decided to take severe action. Alice, you are expelled.”
Alice’s face was filled with disbelief and terror. ‘I–I’m getting expelled? How did this happen?‘ she thought.
Shermaine’s classmates led the applause, and the sound echoed throughout the gymnasium.
‘There’s always a price to pay for doing bad things,‘ Shermaine thought, smiling faintly. She glanced at her watch–another public apology was likely about to take place at Basterel University.
Meanwhile, in Basterel University’s broadcasting studio, Erin spoke into the microphone, “Hello, everyone. I’m Erin Murray from Comparative Literature. I wasn’t thinking clearly when I let greed get the best of me and accepted money from my classmate Wendelyn to spread false rumors about Shermaine on the university forum.
“I sincerely apologize to Shermaine and ask for her forgiveness. And I’d like to take this opportunity to tell everyone the whole story…” Hearing her words, Wendelyn, who had been taking notes in the classroom, pressed too hard on her pen and poked a hole in the paper.
Immediately, surprised glances from her classmates turned toward her. They couldn’t believe that Wendelyn, who seemed so pretty and sweet, could actually be such a malicious person.