Nancy crossed her arms and started, “Now I feel like I’m supposed to spread the word on how great Master Henson is. I might be 5 years younger than him, but since he graduated 9 batches ahead of me, I feel like I’m the most qualified to speak on this topic. He was a stellar student back in middle school and high school and managed to skip two grades. This enabled him to obtain a Masters’ Degree at the age of 22.
“After he graduated, he joined the family business, and managed to land his company in the top ten list of best performing companies in the entire nation in only two years time. He’s considered a legend in the university, so there could be no better lecturer for the business management course for San Diego University other than him.”
Wendy was shocked beyond belief. She hadn’t the foggiest idea that he was such a top achiever.
Seeing as she was just taking this in now, Nancy peered at her with a look of disdain. It seemed like she’d overestimated her.
After all, Master Henson was such a powerful figure, so how could an assistant professor like her even approach him so easily?
She then shook her head and huffed, “Forget it, pretend I said nothing,”
Immediately after, she spun around and walked in the direction of the president’s office in an arrogant manner. She didn’t feel like wasting her breath on a small fry like Wendy any longer.
After giving her a glance, Wendy spun around and left in the opposite direction.
She went straight to the entrance of the stadium after leaving his office.
Howell exited the stadium with his team mates in tow not long after.
He saw her standing at a distance and ran up to her himself. “Sister Wendy, I managed to swap out two team mates who were dragging our team down, so this time we’ll be able to win for sure. You better not forget our promise once that happens,” he chuckled.
She looked at him, not knowing how to reply for a while. “So, let me get this straight. You agreed to go for a photoshoot for the university pamphlet just so you could swap out two team mates to win the game?” She asked eventually.
“I didn’t think you knew about this so soon. I was planning to tell you after my match in the evening,” he said.
She lifted a hand to pat his arm. “Why didn’t you talk to me about this beforehand, kiddo?” She asked.
“They just need two photos, no? What’s there to talk about?” He asked back.
“Is it really though?” she asked again, at a loss for words. “I’m involved in this mess too because of you,” she said.
“What do you mean?” He asked, confused. “What does my decision have to do with you?”
“The president requested that I become a student representative with you for the promotional pamphlet. When I refused, he told me about how they chose you as the male rep. Thinking that you’d refuse, I told him that I would only take part if you did. I didn’t think you’d actually agree to it, seeing as you usually don’t take part in things like this,”
“What a coincidence,” he said and gave a big laugh after hearing her explanation.
“Is it though? I’m just unlucky, alright? I can’t believe I’m still treated as a student after I’ve already graduated and am now working as an assistant professor. What a joke. The girls who were looking forward to be your partner representative are probably cursing me to death behind my back right now,” she lamented.
He casually places a hand on her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Sister Wendy. You can just tell brother Henson if anyone dares laugh at you. He’ll definitely help you eliminate them all,” he snickered.
She hissed and rolled her eyes at him, shrugging off his hand on her shoulder in the process. “How dare you still tease me, you little brat? You’re just asking for it, aren’t you,” she huffed.
This made him laugh loudly. “I wouldn’t dare tease you in front of brother Henson, which is why I’m doing it behind his back right now,” he said.
She was speechless at this. “Well, you can stop now. What should I do though? I feel so depressed now. How can I possibly get out of this?” She whined.
“This matter isn’t as simple as it seems, but I have a way,” he proposed.
She got excited when she heard that. “What way?” She asked giddily.
“Go to Henson and play cute, then ask for his help. There’s nothing brother Henson can’t do,” he whispered in her ear.
She immediately lifted a hand to pinch him on the arm, making him yelp in pain. “Ouch! Are you trying to kill your brother-in-law, Sister Wendy?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Why don’t I just strangle you to death,” she threatened, then spun around to start walking towards the campus gates.
then spun around to start walking towards the campus gates.
He caught up to her and said, “Please believe me, Sister Wendy. As long as you’re willing, brother Henson can take care of literally anything for you.”
“You better shut your pretty mouth,” she said while thinking of something. “Let me ask you something, was Henson really that good of a student back then?” She asked.
“Why do you ask?” He asked while looking at her.
“I heard a rumour where the university hired him to give lectures for a business management course,” she said.
“No way,” he exclaimed and gave her a shocked look.
“I just came from the president’s office and heard from his daughter that he’s already agreed to the matter. This can’t possibly be true, right?” She probed.
“Did brother Henson break the news to you himself?” He asked back.
She shook her head and admitted that he didn’t.
He then heaved a sigh of relief. “Then it should be fake news. Don’t scare me like that,” he said.
“What’s there to be scared about though?” She asked.
“I’m not necessarily scared, but wouldn’t it be awkward if you had your own brother as your lecturer?” He proposed.
“What he said was true,” she thought.
“But of course, when he was still in school, his grades were top notch. People say he’s the type of student who could absorb and remember everything his teachers teach in one class and apply it to any situation.
“It’s a shame you didn’t get to see all the certificates and trophies he won before he kept them locked up in a corner of the house, otherwise you’d definitely be shocked at how much of an overachiever he was back then,” he boasted.
Hearing him recount Henson’s past, she recalled to that night when he helped her solve a few advanced math questions.
She was astonished at his superb problem-solving skills.
She wasn’t the best when it came to math. All the questions were from past year papers, but under his guidance, she managed to solve all them easily.
She already got a taste of how able he was back then, but she didn’t realise how smart he really was until now.
When she returned home for dinner that night, she had a lot weighing on her mind.
On the way back, she received a call from Linda.
Linda told her that she heard that the university had set her and Howell as the student representatives for the project.
She also told her that some of the students had taken this to the forums after hearing the news. They were asking why the university hadn’t chosen a normal female student instead of an already graduated assistant professor to represent them. She also warned her as she thought that she might be met with some trouble soon.
Wendy nibbled on her food absent-mindedly after Henson scooped some for her.
Seeing her dazed expression, he put down his fork and turned to look at her. “Wendy,” he called out to her.
“Did you say anything just now?” She asked after coming back to her senses.
“Did something happen? You look like your soul just left you,” he said.
“It’s nothing,” she mumbled while shaking her head.
But as soon she finished, she remembered what Howell had told her in the afternoon.
She bit her lip and gave it some thought. She then looked at him and asked, “Can you do me a favour, Henson?”
“Go on,” he nudged.
“The president decided to make pamphlets as promotional material for the university and he chose me and Howell to be student representatives. I didn’t want to at first, but after I got to know that Howell was involved, I assumed he wasn’t interested either and that he refused him as well, but little did I know that he’d already agreed to it and that I’d shot myself in the foot with this. So, knowing that it’d look bad on me if I go back on my word, can you… help me find a way to get out of this mess?”
she asked with a wide grin.
He then raised an eyebrow at her and teased, “What would I get if I help you?”