She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45
Someone quickly passed the microphone to Athena.
She took it but remained seated, responding in a calm, detachedtone, “I won’t accept your gratitude because your achievements are the result of your own effort and have nothing to do with me.”
The crowd was taken aback, thinking. Zoe is genuinely expressing her thanks-why is Athena being so cold? Is she secretly jealous of Zoe?
“How could it have nothing to do with you?” Zor asked sincerely. “For the past seven years, we’ve been the best rivals, always pushing each other to improve…
“You think you’re qualified to be my rival?” Athena cut her off abruptly, a mocking smile on her lips. “Who gave you the audacity to even think you could compare yourself to me?”
The lively atmosphere froze instantly,
Everyone was stunned, hardly believing their cars, thinking. Did Athena really just humiliate Zoe like that, tearing her dow in front of everyone?
Zoe’s flawless smile stiffened completely, like a dried leaf barely hanging on.
“Zoe, if you want to be my rival, thaybe try again in your next life.” Athena’s face remained indifferent as she handed the microphone back to the server. “Don’t embarrass yourself like this again.”
The crowd finally snapped out of their shock, murmuring in disbelief.
“Such arrogance at such a young age! She’s setting herself up for a fall.”
“No wonder the Kennedy family kicked her out when they found out she wasn’t their real daughter. That kind of arrogance is unbelievable!
“What a horrible attitude! No manners, no class. If it weren’t for Zoe’s kindness, she wouldn’t have even been invited to this party…”
Andrew’s glare could have burned a hole through Athena. “Athena, what kind of nonserise is that? Zoe treated you with nothing but sincerity, and you repay her with this kind of cold-heartedness?”
He thought, “My beloved Zoe is humble, hardworking, and kind-so much better than you in every way! And yet, you dare to treat her like this? I won’t forget this; one day, you will pay!
Athena gave a faint smile. “I’m just stating the truth. If Zoe can’t handle reality, she’s free to keep living in her fantasy- No one’s stopping her.”
The Murray family’s sharp glares were like daggers, but Athena remained completely unfazed, casually sipping her drink Meanwhile, the Donovan family looked at her with near-worshipful admiration, practically ready to give their respect. -Jarred spoke coldly, “Miss Donovan, if you think so little of us…
The crowd held their breath, eager to see if the Murray family would kick Athena and her family out.
But before it could escalate, Zoe regained her sweet smile and raised her voice, “Everyone, please quiet down and let me say a few words.
Chapter 45
The murmurs died down as everyone turned to see how she would handle this.
With sincerity in her voice, Zoe said, “Athena is indeed incredibile, and she has every right to look down on me. I’ll work twice as hard from now on to hopefully become someone she night one day consider a worthy rival”
The crowd thought, How gracious, humble, and kind-hearted she is! They couldn’t help but look at Zoe with admiration and sympathy.
At that moment, Zoe’s mother, Barbara, stood up as well, her voice full of sympathy as she said. “Everyone, my daughter speaks modestly, but the truth is, the effort she put in during high school far exceeds what most people can imagine.
“To use a popular phrase: given her comfortable background, why would she need to work so hard?
“In middle school, her schedule was packed. Besides extra tutoring, she took lessons in dance, musical instruments, painting. tennis, swimming, and more-over a dozen different skills. She barely had any time for fun, even during holidays.
“Especially in the final stretch of high school, she studied late into the night, often until midnight. Weekends and holidays. were spent catching up with private tutors instead of enjoying herself.
“We’ve prepared some photos and videos of her dedication and hard work so everyone can see for themselves. We hope they inspire more students to keep striving and achieve even better results.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the large screen behind the stage dimmed and then lit up, displaying a series of photos.
The crowd gasped in shock as they took in the images
What are these pictures? Oh my, is that cramped living room even livable!”
“That tiny space is packed with so many cabinets, and the walls are covered with shelves. It looks like there’s barely room to move around…”
“Wait, isn’t that Athena in the photos? Is this where she’s been living since the Kennedy family kicked her out? This is awful. “Oh my gosh, that’s supposed to be a bedroom? It’s more crowded than the shelves in a corner store. You’d have to climb up and down just to sleep, and there’s no room to change clothes except on the bed. How depressing.”
“Does Kitmore City really have slums like this? If I had to live in a place like that, I’d rather be dead…
Athena and her family hadn’t been paying much attention to Zoe’s speech, but when they heard the crowd’s comments, they all looked up-and their expressions immediately darkened.
The screen wasn’t showing photos of Zoe’s diligent study sessions at all. It was displaying images of the Donovan family’s daily life.
There were photos of Athena and her parents entering Block 6, Viento Court, pictures of the family eating together in their cramped, narrow living room, and even shots of their living room, balcony, and bedrooms.
Some of the photos had clearly been taken from outside, through the balcony or windows, while others were captured directly inside the living room.
These photos had obviously been taken recently, but because the Donovan family’s house and furniture were so old, the images had a dingy, yellowish tone that made everything look bleak and shabby.
The Donovan family members’ faces were filled with anger as they realized they had been secretly photographed, deceived,
and humiliated.
Only josie, unaware of the cruelty and malice in the world, cheerfully pointed at the screen and exclaimed, “Athena, Athena, that’s our homet
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08:53 Fri, Oct 11
Chapter 45
To her, the place where she lived with her parents, siblings, and grandparents was the home she loved most.
She had never imagined that their small, rundown home could be a source of ridicule and scorn from others.
Seeing the pictures now only filled her with warmth and familiarity.
Her innocent, childlike voice caught everyone’s attention.
The crowd turned to look at her, smirking with a mix of emotions-sympathy, mockery, contempt, and disgust.
Wesley and the others were at a loss for how to explain the situation to Josie. They deeply regretted bringing her to this
event