She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44
“Lucas?” Athena pretended to only notice him just then, acting sliprised. “When did you get here? I didn’t see you earlier
Everyone else was speechless, thinking. Could they be any more obvious with their fake acting?
Lucas smiled but sidestepped her question. “I was too focused on my fiancée and didn’t see you. My apologies
“No worries,” Athena replied with a smile. “I was busy watching mosquitoes fight, so I didn’t notice you either. My apologies”
The crowd couldn’t help but chuckle
Lucas clenched his teeth slightly. “Let me introduce you-this is my fiancée, Gia.“
Gia waved at Athena with a warm, friendly smile, showing no hint of hostility. “Hi, Athena. It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for taking care of my fiance for so long
“You’re welcome,” Athena responded sincerely. “I should be thanking you for recycling… oh. I mean, taking back my ex- fiance. Otherwise, Td be stuck with the reputation of being heartless and fickle.”
“You-Lucas’s face turned dark with anger, clearly on the verge of losing his cool.
“Everyone, dinner is served,” Jarred quickly cut in, eager to stop the childish back-and-forth. He wasn’t here for petty squabbles-he wanted to see Athena put in her place.
Lucas forced a laugh, his tone dripping with hidden meaning. “Athena, the real show is about to start. Make sure you stick around-you won’t want to miss it.”
“I love suspenseful dramas with plot twists.” Athena smiled back, her words just as pointed. “Let’s hope you can handle the twists without needing to duck out early.”
“I’m not going anywhere… Lucas began, but before he could continue, Zoe took the stage. She cleared her throat into the microphone, preparing to give her speech.
Lucas clicked his tongue in frustration, begrudgingly turning his attention away from Athena.
Zoe’s voice was sweet and polished, exuding a warmth that instantly put everyone at ease. “Honored guests, dear teachers, classmates, and friends, good evening.
Tink you all for taking the time to join me for my graduation celebration tonight.
“Though my academic achievements may not be extraordinary, I’m hosting this party primarily to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the support you’ve given me over the years.
“I want to thank my wonderful parents for providing me with the best conditions for learning and for always encouraging me to strive for improvement.
“Thank you to my esteemed teachers for imparting both knowledge and life lessons, guiding me along the right path.
“Thank you to my dear classinates who have stood by me through high school-encouraging me when I failed, reminding me to stay humble when I succeeded, and pushing me to keep growing. I hope you’ll continue to support me in the future.”
With that, she paused slightly and bowed respectfully to the audience.
The room erupted in warm applause, with many people voicing their praise.
“Zoe is truly impressive-beautiful, smart, and so humble and well-mannered. She’s got a bright future ahead.”
Chapter 44
“Whoever marries hier will be incredibly fortunate
Hearing this, Andrew’s lips curled into a smug smile as he threw triumphant look at Athena, his expression clearly saying, “See how much better Zoe is than you? Jealous yet?”
But Athena, busy scrolling on her phone, didn’t even glance his way, completely ignoring his attempt to provoke her
After 7
Zoe thanked her parents, teachers, and classmates, everyone thought Zoe had finished her speech.
But just as the applause began to die down, she suddenly turned to Athena and, with heartfelt sincerity, said, “From elementary school all the way through high school, the person In most grateful for is my best classmate and greatest rival
-Athena.”
The crowd was stunned, all eyes turning to Athena, thinking, “Why is Zoe thanking her? Are they really that close?”
The teachers and students from Kitmore City High School exchanged confused glances, their expressions filled with
curiosity.
Athena put down her phone and met Zoe’s gaze with a smile that seemed to say, “You’re welcome!
“Many of you might not know this,” Zoe continued, scanning the room with confidence, “but Athena and I first met in elementary school. Later, we were in the same class throughout middle school and high school. We’ve had a long and deep
connection.
The crowd murmured in low voiles, unsure of where she was going with this.
Zoe went on, “Before graduating from elementary school-and even during kindergarten-I was always number one. whether it was exams, sports competitions, or artistic contests. No one could beat me.
“At that time, I was young and full of myself, convinced I was a genius and the best at everything.
The crowd chuckled, finding her self-reflection more endearing than boastful.
But Wesley and his family couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
Athena, still smiling, calmly reassured them, “She’s just telling a story. Let’s just listen.”
“Then, Zoe continued, looking at Athena with genuine fondness, “Athena showed up, and from that moment on, I never came in first again.”
She paused and sighed softly. “Unless she didn’t participate, no matter how hard I worked, I could only manage second place.
The crowd was genuinely surprised. “Is she exaggerating? I can’t believe she never beat Athena even once from elementary to high school.”
But the students from Kitmore City High School quickly chimed in, “We were in their class. It’s true-throughout high school, whether it was exams or competitions, Athena was always first, and Zoe was always second?
“Even on Valentine’s Day, Athena received the most flowers and chocolates, with Zoe coming in second.”
“Athena is known as our school’s genius. She barely seemed to study, often skipped class, but still aced every test. Even in sports like running, swimming, and shot put, she always came out on top. The teachers often joked that there was nothing more they could teach her.”
“I wasn’t in their class in high school, but I was in middle school with them, and it’s true-Athena was always first. I don’t remember Zoe ever beating her.”
The others were amazed. “Athena is really that incredible?”
曲 Chapter 44
“But you
have to respect Zor. She’s openly admitting that she was never as good as Athena-that takes real grace. In that sense, ‘she’s even better than Athena.”
Meanwhile, the uncase in Wesley’s family only deepened. They thought, ‘What exactly is Zoe up to?
Zoc continued, “Because of Athena, I realized that there’s always someone better out there and a higher mountain to climb. From that point on, I stopped being arrogant and pushed myself even harder.
*For all these years, my biggest goal has been to surpass Athena, which is why I’ve always studied so diligently. Even though I never reached number one again, my overall performance improved significantly.
I’m certain that without Athena, my best friend and strongest rival, I wouldn’t have achieved such high scores on the SAT
dup
“So. I’m truly grateful to Athena. Athena, would you stand up and accept my thanks?”
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