"The real chess set is now held firmly in Mr. Albright’s hands. Queena said that she had never gifted Serena with a chess set, let alone mentored her, so all the time it’s Serena who lied and made a fool of
us?" The room seemed to swell with disbelief. Could Serena, the daughter of the Collins family, have woven such a deceitful tale?
The revelation was nothing short of a bombshell.
"Indeed, Queena is quite the craftswoman. She once made me a set," Eugene’s voice was laced with a touch of pleasure.
The set had been a playful project for Queena at the time, but from the very first glance, Eugene had coveted it for himself. Fortunately, the generous young lady had presented it to him on the spot.
That particular chess set, her maiden creation, was still treasured in the safe confines of his vault.
"Serena, say something." Lindsay pressed, her patience waning; what on earth was going on?
"Queena, is she really your protege or not?"
"Is there some feud between you two that led to this mess, or have you never actually taken her under your wing? Is she lying?"
Everyone seemed to be looking to Rosemary for the truth of the matter.
Before Rosemary could respond, Jarvis chimed in with a sly smile, "Knowing Queena as I do, she’s far too busy to tutor anyone, let alone take on a protege."
The crowd was struck by yet another wave of astonishment. Mr. Jarvis’ words implied that it was indeed Serena who had been weaving lies all along. Queena had never had the time to guide her.
"A lady from a rich family, lying through her teeth."
"Is it really necessary to puff herself up like that?"
"I can’t believe how vain she is."
"She didn’t think Queena would be here to call her bluff. It’s utterly laughable."
Alma, though shocked and surprised at Rosemary being Queena, couldn’t help but revel in Serena’s embarrassment. It seemed Serena’s arrogance was finally being met with the slap of reality it so
deserved.
In the crowd, the renowned professional chess player Mona suddenly understood why Rosemary had not offered her an opportunity to learn, not take her as a protege. She stood before Queena herself! How could she, even with her credentials, hope to catch the eye of such a master?
The Chess Association’s Secretary-General, Atwood, felt a burning sensation creep across his cheeks.
He had been oblivious to the young woman’s true identity and had foolishly hoped to add her on WhatsApp to bridge a connection.
The other guests who had been vying for Rosemary’s mentorship for their children now felt a sense of embarrassment. Rosemary was Queena, a name that stood shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Albright, who
had even hinted that Queena’s skill surpassed his own.
How could such a distinguished master randomly take on a protege or casually provide guidance?
At that moment, Serena massaged her temples and said weakly, "I apologize. I’m feeling a bit unwell. I must excuse myself."
As she attempted to leave, a couple of guests blocked her path.
"You spread rumors about being Queena’s protege, and now that you’re caught, you think you can just walk away?"
"Your chess skills are so lacking, and you almost tarnished Queena’s reputation. It’s generous enough that she hasn’t held you accountable; don’t you think you owe her an apology?"
"Not even a simple ’sorry’? It’s hard to believe how the Collins family raised you."
"Do your parents even know about this?"
Serena’s eyes flickered with concern at the mention of her parents, fearing the scandal might reach them.
Rosemary saw right through her, "You’ve certainly spiced up the birthday bash."
Serena stayed bowed, not straightening up, her nose tingling with the onset of tears and a sense of humiliation spreading through her heart.
This was the first time in years that she had faced such embarrassment in front of so many esteemed seniors, and to make matters worse, Martin was right there, witnessing it all.
Martin didn’t just stand by idly; as she bowed, he bowed with her.
In that moment, Serena’s eyes caught sight of Eugene’s feet beside Rosemary, and she felt an intense irritation.
Eugene had known all along that Rosemary was Queena, but he had deliberately kept quiet, even encouraging her to challenge Rosemary. Wasn’t that just a ploy to make her embarrass herself in front of all the guests?
Such a heavy-handed old man, with such deep scheming - just because Rosemary was a favored junior didn’t mean he had to let others lose face, and he had even pretended he wanted to see who was more talented.
It was too much!
And then there was Alma, stirring the pot and making things worse, leading all the guests to believe Serena was a chess prodigy.
"Do you admit your mistake?" Rosemary asked, her voice lazy.
Serena kept her head down, "Yes, I do. I shouldn’t have falsely claimed to be your protege, nor should I have made up such stories."
"Tonight is Grandpa Eugene’s birthday. You should stay until the party is over."
The crowd couldn’t help but admire Rosemary’s magnanimity. Only Serena knew that Rosemary’s request for her to stay was just another way to increase her discomfort.
After all, she already felt utterly out of place, yet Rosemary insisted she stay and leave after the end of the birthday bash.
Who knew what else was waiting for her!

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