She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46
Athena gently patted Josie’s head, smiling warmly as she said, “Yes, these are photos of our home. Our home is the warmest, most loving place in the world.”
“Yes!” Josie nodded eagerly, her face lit up with joy. “Our home is the happiest, and I’m the happiest too!”
Hearing this and seeing Josie’s bright, innocent smile, Wesley and the others suddenly felt a sense of relief.
They thought that there was no point in caring if others mocked their small, rundown home.
A house was valuable because of the people who lived in it, not because of its size or price.
With this realization, they smiled and calmly continued watching the screen,
After several photos, a video began to play.
The footage showed a small, unassuming restaurant with a simple but eye-catching sign that read “Local Fried Chicken.”
In the video, Claire was wearing a mask and gloves as she stood by the fryer, cooking rows of chickens. One hand flipped the chickens while the other brushed them with sauce.
Wesley was busy serving customers, delivering dishes, and handling the cash register.
Arthur was rushing back and forth, greeting customers, taking orders, clearing tables, and grabbing beers.
The restaurant had a dozen or so tables, all packed with diners, clearly indicating that business was booming.
As the camera panned, a sign reading “Food Court” came into view.
Josie excitedly pointed at the screen again. “That’s our restaurant The food is really yummy.”
The crowd began murmuring, their expressions filled with disdain, mockery, and pity as they looked at the Donovan family.
“So, they run a fried chicken shop. No wonder they always smell like grease.”
“Doing that kind of lowly work and still daring to show up here if it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to even leave the house…
“From a billionaire heiress to the daughter of a fried chicken shop owner-what a fall from grace
Lucas pretended to be sympathetic as he chimed in, “Athena, your family’s restaurant looks pretty good. Maybe one day I’ll book the whole place and treat our household staff. You’ll have to join them for a drink or two, won’t you?”
Wesley clenched his fists, gritting his teeth to keep his anger in check.
Claire lowered her head, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Arthur pressed his lips into a tight line, instinctively covering Josie’s ears to shield her from the cruel comments,
They weren’t ashamed of their work-they took pride in it. But they felt heartbroken for Athena, who was being ridiculed in front of so many people.
It felt like they were helpless prey trapped in a forest, surrounded by predators ready to mock, humiliate, and toy with them. Their hearts were filled with anger but also a deep sense of helplessness.
They kept asking themselves, “What have we done to deserve such treatment?
Chapter 46
Athena, however, remained unfazed, thinking, “So this is Zoe’s big plan? How childish
She picked up a bottle of wine and poured drinks for her family Dad, Mom, Arthur, don’t let any of this get to you.
“We live our lives with integrity and judge people by their character. They judge people by appearances and think that’s something to be proud of.
“We were never meant to walk the same path. You don’t need to care about their opinions.”
Athena’s composure was nothing short of remarkable. Her beauty and poise were so striking that she exuded the air of a queen in disguise. Her every gesture carried an undeniable aura of confidence and authority.
Suddenly, the crowd began to feel like they were the ones being put on display, mocking her as if she were some sideshow. when in reality, it was as though they were the ones performing like circus monkeys under her gaze.
Wesley and the others felt their spirits lift; the sense of humiliation that had weighed them down started to dissipate.
Athena raised her glass with a gentle smile. “Dad, Mom, Arthur, you’re all good people. Here’s to you.”
The three of them exchanged glances and lifted their glasses in return.
After a few sips of red wine, they felt the tension ease, allowing them to stand tall and meet the eyes of those around them with renewed confidence.
Seeing the Donovan family remain unfazed, the crowd lost interest in their ridicule and quietly shifted their focus, murmuring among themselves.
On stage, Zoe had been lingering in the corner, pretending to sip water and check her phone.
It was only then that she finally looked up with a gasp of feigned surprise. She quickly turned off the screen and rushed to the microphone, bowing repeatedly toward Athena. “Athena, I’m so sorry! I was just reviewing some notes and didn’t realize the staff accidentally played footage of your family instead of mine. I truly apologize.”
Athena smiled coolly and replied, “It’s fine. Your brain has always been a bit slow-that’s why you’ve never been able to match up to me.
Tonight is a big deal for you, so of course, you’re excited and nervous. Making mistakes is understandable.
“But for me, this kind of event is no big deal. Even if I tried to mess up, I wouldn’t get the chance.
The crowd was speechless, thinking. Is there anyone more cutting than Athena? They were almost starting to feel sorry for
Zoe’s face turned pale, struggling to keep her composure. After a few seconds, she forced a stiff smile and said, “I’m glad you can forgive me.”
Then she smoothly changed the subject, “Athena, I’m sure you scored better than me on the exams this time. Would you be willing to come up and show everyone your results?”
All eyes were on Athena.
They thought, The teachers and students from Kitmore City High School have claimed she always ranks first. Can she really maintain that record? After all, Zoe’s scores are already incredibly high, likely the best in the school. Can Athena outperform
her?
“Of course I scored higher than you.” Athena slowly stood up, smiling at Zoe. “I’ve already told you, your brain isn’t good enough to even be my rival. Trying to compete with me is just setting yourself up for embarrassment.”
The room fell into dead silence. Everyone, except the Donovan family, was left stunned by Athena’s boldness and
Chapter 46
confidence.
They thought, ‘Where does she get the nerve to publicly mock someone as accomplished as Zoe? Is she fearless because she has nothing to lose, or is she truly that sure of herself?
Zoe’s eyes widened in shock, unable to process what was happening. She thought, ‘Even now, Athena can still smile and look
down on me?
Gradually, Zoe’s expression softened into a sweet smile as she clapped her hands. “Athena, I believe in your abilities. So how high did you score?”
Athena confidently strode up to the stage. “I’ll show you right now just how big the gap between us really is.”
She approached the computer at the side of the stage, opened the browser, and began logging into the score-checking system, ready to input her information.
But just as she was about to enter her details, a group of reporters suddenly burst in through the doors, cameras flashing and rolling as they swarmed her and Zoe, capturing every moment with relentless enthusiasm.
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