COMMENT
Chapter 12
As Lillian had expected, the scandal of the Wilson family became a hot topic among the upper–class social circles.
Bradley had gone through three wives; Yolanda, the so–called eldest daughter of the Wilson family, was adopted; Lillian was the true eldest daughter–these juicy details were just the kind of gossip that kept tea parties buzzing
Everyone was curious about Lillian, who suddenly appeared on the scene. Word had it that she wasn’t welcomed by the Wilson family and had to compete for attention with Yolanda,
As the drama unfolded, Yelanda’s social life took a hit, and Mindy wasn’t faring much better at school.
Every day, Sierra found new ways to mock the Wilson family’s troubles. Mindy was nearing her breaking point, wishing she could just get rid of Lillian, the root of all her troubles.
Michelle walked into the classroom holding up a math test and announced, “I’ve got a test for you all to tackle over the next two class periods.
“Let me give you the lowdown on this test. This paper is made just for our class, and there’s a bonus question added by Prof. Kevin Smith from Jerisburg University. I checked it out, and… well, it’s tough.”
Lillian, who was working on a physics test, felt speechless–the question had her name written all over it.
She felt favors could be tricky. She had only been at Fillcrest High for a few days, and here she was, already facing questions aimed directly at her.
“Prof. Smith may have high expectations for our class, but honestly, I can’t solve this problem myself. Everyone, take a look and get your gears turning.
“Mindy, see if you can crack it,” Michelle said, banking on Mindyas the only one who might tackle the problem.
Mindy, who had been down, straightened up and confidently replied, “Sure, immediately flipping to the last question on the
test
“If any of you can figure this out, it could really impress Prof. Smith, Michelle added.
Fray
The whole class quickly zeroed in on that tricky question.
Kevin wasn’t just any professor. He was part of the Smith family, which had more clout than both the Terrell and Wilson families. The Smiths were practically related to the president of Jerisburg University.
The Smith family was a well–respected academic lineage tied into major political and business circles, and they were well- connected with the Lewis family. Impressing Kevin and getting closer to the Smiths would be a big feather in anyone’s cap
Soon, the classroom was filled with a buzz of whispers.
“Is this a math problem‘ Seriously?”
This doesn’t look like any math I know.”
come my way.
“I knew chances like this wouldn’t come my
“Even if I copied this question, I probably wouldn’t get it right. This isn’t just outside the syllabus; it feels like it’s from another planet!”
Sierra finished reading the question, feeling completely deflated Seeing Mindy scribble away, she clenched her pen tightly.
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“Ugh! That show–off is going to steal the spotlight again!”
What Sierra didn’t realize was that Mindy was just as flustered, lir brow furrowed. After writing a formula, Mindy found herself stuck and unable to jot down the next step.
Lillian calmly wrapped up her physics paper before grabbing the math one and flipping straight to the last question. She mentally went through the steps, ready to write down the answer but ultimately decided to jot down the entire process instead.
She had turned down Kevin’s requests numerous times before, so it looked like he was really out of ideas. After all, he couldn’t come to her just because he had helped her get into the school
Mindy went through sheet after sheet of scratch paper, completely ignoring the other questions. Michelle had called her out in front of the class, and if Mindy couldn’t come up with anything, her reputation as a math whiz would take a hit.
But more importantly, Mindy wanted to impress Kevin. And it wasn’t just him–her thoughts drifted to a cool, handsome face–Zack, the real math genius
Feeling anxious and unsure where to begin, Mindy grew even more flustered with Michelle lingering nearby. Finally, after two classes, the papers were collected.
“Next up is Chemistry. The teacher wants you all to study on your own, so keep it quiet, Michelle said, picking up Mindy’s draft book before leaving the classroom.
Back in the office, Michelle turned her attention to Mindy’s test paper. For the last question, Mindy scribbled something down, and then erased it, leaving behind nothing useful. The draft didn’t clarify anything either.
With no other option, Michelle snapped pictures of Mindy’s test and draft and sent them to Kevin–she needed to give him a response.
She figured there was no point in checking anyone else’s papers–if Mindy, the math prodigy who skipped a grade, couldn’t crack it, then no one else likely could
“Here we go, Kevin muttered, glued to his phone, waiting for the update. After checking Michelle’s pictures, he squinted in confusion. “What?”
Zack leaned in. This isn’t Lillian’s handwriting.”
“I know. Did Michelle miss something? Or is Lillian just slacking off again?” Kevin felt confused
Before Michelle could clarify that it was actually Mindy’s paper, Kevin sent a voice message: “Ms. Thompson, could you snap a picture of Ms. Wilson’s paper for me?”
Michelle replied: “Prof. Smith, this is actually Ms. Wilson’s paper
Kevin and Zack exchanged looks and then realized there was more than one Wilson out there. Kevini said: “I mean Lillian wilson‘
Even though it felt a bit weird, Michelle started searching for Lillian’s test. “Even though Lillian has decent grades, she can’t possibly match Mindy. If Mindy couldn’t…
Suddenly, she paused in shock–Lillian had completely filled our the last question.
Soon, the Smith duo received what they wanted.
“Did you see that? A group of us old–timers, and you, the genius, couldn’t solve this problem in a week, but she did it without breaking a sweat,” Kevin laughed, holding up his phone.
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Zack analyzed the solution–step by step until it clicked for him. So that’s how it is.”
Michelle couldn’t believe it. Both she and Mindy had been stumped by the question, but here was Lillian with a solution.
She couldn’t resist asking Kevin if Lillian’s answer was correct. Lillian had skipped a few steps, so even with the answer right in front of her, Michelle wasn’t sure.
Kevin replied confidently: “Of course, it’s correct.”
Mindy was still reeling from the tough problem.Oh no, I just missed a great chance to show off my skills. Plus, Mr. Smith knows I’m in this class. If he finds out I can’t solve that problem, he’ll be really disappointed in me.
What if Zack finds out too? But that problem was really tough–‘s no surprise I struggled with it. Mr. Smith and Zack will understand, right?”
Just then, Michelle walked in holding the test paper. “Someone in our class figured out that question earlier, she announced.
