Chapter 315
Penelope bit her lip and muttered under her breath, “There’s no way she
memorized nothing in three days. It’s only the first five pages-that doesn’t prove anything. I don’t believe she can keep it up later on.”
Shirley’s expression finally eased a little, clearly sharing Penelope’s skepticism.
A faint glimmer of surprise flickered in Mr. Jerome’s eyes, but she didn’t react much. She, too, seemed to think that reciting just the first few pages wasn’t much of an accomplishment.
“Continue,” she said, her tone even. “This time, let’s try ten pages.
Penelope immediately volunteered to go first and delivered all ten pages flawlessly. As soon as she finished, she shot a challenging look at Anastasia.
Anastasia met her gaze with a cool, impassive smile, then, without missing a beat, recited all ten pages, word for word, just as perfectly.
Penelope’s face darkened, but she still refused to believe Anastasia could possibly get through the entire book. It was just the first ten pages, after all!
Mr. Jerome glanced at Anastasia. “Continue. This time, twenty pages.”
Now, Penelope hesitated. She didn’t want to go first anymore. Herbal Remedies Unveiled was a hefty book—she’d never actually memorized the whole thing.
Years ago, when she studied it with her sister, she’d become quite familiar with the material. But that was ages ago; she hadn’t even cracked it open in years and had forgotten most of it. She’d only reviewed it now because of the competition.
But because she’d underestimated Anastasia, she hadn’t prepared much. Beyond the first fifteen pages, her memory grew shaky.
Still, since she’d insisted on going first the last two times, it would look bad if she suddenly asked Anastasia to start now. Wouldn’t everyone think she was just getting cold feet?
While she hesitated, Mr. Jerome made the decision for her. “Penelope, you may begin.”
Penelope shot a nervous glance at Anastasia, sweat breaking out across her forehead, but she had no choice but to start.
This time, everyone noticed her pace had slowed. She stumbled over a few lines, pausing more often, making it clear she was less familiar with the later pages.
At last, she finished, her back rigid from the effort. As she relaxed, a flash of satisfaction crossed her face as she looked at Anastasia-there’s no way Anastasia could pull this off, not this time!
Sure, Anastasia had done well before, but Penelope was convinced she’d just crammed over the past three days. If she could manage anything, it would only be up to this point. There was no way she’d memorized beyond that.
Anastasia met Penelope’s eyes and smiled, unhurried and composed. Then she began, her voice steady, reciting at the same pace as before, page after page.
Unlike Penelope’s uncertain starts and stops, Anastasia spoke with flawless confidence, never missing a word. Anyone listening could hear it—she wasn’t just familiar with the beginning; she knew the later chapters just as well.
Penelope’s face drained of color. One by one, everyone in the room turned to stare at Anastasia, who stood there, calm and radiant, as if she glowed from within.
“How… how is this possible?” Penelope whispered in disbelief.
Shirley’s face had turned a deep, unpleasant shade.
And as if she hadn’t already proved her point, Anastasia picked up speed in the second half, delivering the words even faster, her voice growing clearer with every line.
When she finished the final sentence, the room fell utterly silent. All eyes were fixed on her, wide with astonishment.
“Anastasia is incredible!”
Maggie suddenly burst into applause, unable to contain her excitement. Students from Anastasia’s class joined in, and soon, even those who’d just been watching started clapping too. Thá´‡ link to the origɪn of this information rá´‡sts ɪn
Juliet gazed at her cousin’s back, pride swelling in her chest.
Even Mr. Jerome looked at Anastasia differently now, something new and respectful in her eyes.
“Continue. Another twenty pages,” she instructed.
“This time, Anastasia should go first!” Shirley spoke up sharply, her expression dark. “Penelope’s gone first every time-how much extra time has that given Anastasia to review? It’s only fair we switch it up now.”