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Novel Catalog
Chapter 8
Bonnie’s solution to the Olympiad-level problem took mere minutes, yet she wrote with such speed and precision that the entire blackboard was filled before the bell rang. She didn’t even break a sweat.
The class, silent as they watched, was still processing what had just happened.
“That’s incredible! How does an underachiever like Bonnie know how to answer that?” one student whispered.
“I don’t even understand the question, but she did it without even having to think!” another murmured.
“Could Bonnie be some kind of genius?” someone speculated.
Mr. Rios flushed a deep red as he heard the students’ astonished comments. His intention had been to stump Bonnie with an impossible question, to show her the consequences of skipping classes. Now, instead of humiliating her, he was the one humiliated.
His eyes narrowed. There’s no way she’ll be able to solve this one, he thought. He picked up his chalk with a smirk and wrote down one of the most infamous math problems in history—the P versus NP problem, which had recently been solved by an anonymous genius.
Bonnie glanced at it, then threw Mr. Rios an odd look.
“What are you looking at me for? Do I have the answer on my face?” she asked casually, raising a brow.
The smug expression on Mr. Rios’ face faltered for just a second. No way she’s solving this one, he thought, watching her stand there with no apparent concern.
But then, to his shock, Bonnie went up to the blackboard and began writing the solution.
The chalk moved swiftly, and the board quickly filled with her writing. As she worked, the class fell into a hushed silence. The bell rang, signaling the end of the period, but Bonnie wasn’t finished yet. She walked to the back of the room and continued writing, her focus unwavering.
Finally, when she was done, she put down the chalk, wiped her hands, and simply said, “I’m done.”
The entire class was frozen, staring at the board in disbelief. Mr. Rios’ mouth hung open, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened. The P versus NP problem—solved in a matter of minutes by Bonnie Shepard.
The class was awestruck. Mr. Rios, defeated, could only stand there in stunned silence as Bonnie nonchalantly walked out of the classroom.
Later that afternoon, a thunderstorm hit. It had come out of nowhere—no rain had been forecasted, and yet the sky darkened, and the downpour quickly soaked everything.
Bonnie stood at the school entrance, waiting for her ride. She was surrounded by other students, some chatting excitedly, while others watched the storm with disinterest.
Sacha Hutchinson, a girl from her class, was speaking with a group of friends. Sacha was known for her sharp tongue and her jealousy of Bonnie. Sacha glanced at Bonnie with a taunting look.
“Is your boyfriend coming to pick you up, Sacha?” one of the girls asked.
“He says he’s on the way,” Sacha replied, shooting Bonnie a glance.
“I’m so jealous of you, Sacha. I heard your boyfriend’s dad owns the Caesar Hotel!” another girl gushed.
Sacha smiled smugly. “Oh yeah, that’s true. But I heard from Dwayne that his dad just applied for a five-star rating. It should go through soon.”
The other girls gasped in awe, but then Sacha’s gaze shifted to Bonnie. “Well, Bonnie’s fiancé’s family owns Sunrise Properties. I don’t think Dwayne can hold a candle to him,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The girls around her murmured, turning to Bonnie with curiosity.
Sacha wasn’t finished. “Sacha, haven’t you heard? Bonnie’s wedding has been called off.”
The mention of Bonnie’s canceled wedding caused a ripple of shock. Some of the girls gasped while others simply stared.
“Oh my God, for real?” one girl said, putting her hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Bonnie.”
Sacha feigned concern. “Sorry, Bonnie, I didn’t know he dumped you. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I’d known,” she added, though her expression suggested otherwise.
Bonnie eyed her coldly. “You’re just like my sister, you know. She’s a real bitch.”
Sacha froze. The atmosphere shifted as the other students began murmuring.
“Hey, she apologized, didn’t she?” one girl said, stepping in.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have said that!” another agreed.
The group was starting to turn on Bonnie, but she just laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” one girl snapped. “Is it funny that we’re asking you to apologize?”
Bonnie’s expression grew more relaxed, even amused. “I’m laughing at your low IQ,” she replied honestly.
The group was taken aback by her bluntness.
“Hey, are you calling us stupid?” one of the girls asked angrily.
Bonnie raised her brow, clearly uninterested. “Well, she’s being a bitch, and you’re taking her side. Aren’t you being stupid?”
“You must have just memorized the answers to those math questions!” Tilda, another girl, piped up.
“Yeah, who the hell do you think you are calling us stupid?” someone else added.
Bonnie’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to check the message. It was from Ivor.
“Grandpa asked me to pick you up. Arriving soon.”
Bonnie tapped a quick reply and slipped her phone back into her pocket. A moment later, a bright red sports car pulled up in front of the school, drawing everyone’s attention.
A man stepped out from the car—Dwayne Moss, Sacha’s boyfriend. His appearance only heightened the already tense atmosphere.
“It’s Dwayne Moss! He’s so damn hot, just like his car. If only he were my boyfriend,” one girl whispered.
“You can forget about that,” another said, eyeing him jealously. “He’s Sacha’s boyfriend.”
Sacha beamed with pride, her chin lifting. She turned back to Bonnie and put on a sad face. “I didn’t mean what I said, okay, Bonnie?” she said, feigning regret. “It’s pouring right now. Why don’t Dwayne and I give you a ride home? We can call it quits.”
Bonnie didn’t answer, her expression unchanged.
Sacha’s eyes welled up with fake tears. “Come on, Bonnie, I didn’t do it on purpose. We’re classmates, right? Why would I want to embarrass you? Anyway, I’m throwing a birthday party this weekend at Regal Karaoke. You should come, okay?”
She reached out to grab Bonnie’s hand, but Bonnie stepped back in disgust.
“Do you really hate me that much, Bonnie?” Sacha asked, her voice trembling as if she were on the verge of breaking down.
The other students began to chime in, siding with Sacha and criticizing Bonnie.
“She’s too much!”
“Bonnie is such a bitch!”
“She sure is!”
Dwayne, still holding Sacha, stepped forward. “Don’t cry, Sacha. I’ve got your back,” he said, pulling her closer. His gaze shifted to Bonnie, but when he saw her beauty, he was momentarily taken aback. She was even more stunning than Sacha.
Sacha noticed Dwayne’s reaction and felt a sudden wave of jealousy. “She’s my classmate, Dwayne,” she said quickly, trying to downplay Bonnie’s presence. “Just leave her alone. I feel sorry for her, you know? She skips school a lot, and she’s had to repeat a grade for two years. I think she’s going to fail the college entrance exam. Her family doesn’t even like her. Oh, and her sister stole her fiancé. You know him, Hadwin Rhodes.”
At that, Dwayne’s face shifted to one of contempt. “So, you’re the girl Hadwin dumped,” he sneered. It was clear now that he no longer had any respect for Bonnie.
Bonnie, however, didn’t even look at him. She was done with the conversation.
“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Dwayne snapped, his anger rising.
Bonnie glanced at him but said nothing, her gaze cool and indifferent.
“I don’t talk to idiots,” she said flatly.
Dwayne’s face turned red with anger. “Are you calling me an idiot? I dare you to say that again!”
Bonnie simply pursed her lips and turned away, uninterested in engaging with him further.
As Dwayne began to fume, a deep, cold voice suddenly interrupted.
“Move. You’re in my way.”
Everyone turned to see a man holding an umbrella, his presence so commanding that Dwayne took a step back instinctively.
It was a man with an imposing, kinglike presence—handsome, with an air of authority that immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Sacha and the other girls gasped, staring at him. “Who is he? A movie star?” one whispered.
“He’s so freaking hot!” another said, unable to tear her eyes away from him.
Dwayne studied the man, but he didn’t recognize him from any of the elite circles he frequented. Still, the aura surrounding him was undeniable.
The man—Ivor—looked at Dwayne with narrowed eyes and spoke coldly. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
With that, Dwayne instinctively stepped aside, daunted by Ivor’s presence.
To everyone’s shock, Ivor walked straight toward Bonnie, completely ignoring the rest of the group.
The stormy clouds above seemed to part as Ivor’s arrival shifted the dynamic completely, leaving everyone to wonder who this mysterious man was—and why he was picking up Bonnie.