The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 208: Got Them All Right

Naomi Kenway was Ian’s mother, so Mr. Holloway just gave a nod of acknowledgment. He then found a math test and handed it to Ian, saying, "Here, you can work on this for fun."

Ian Shaw pouted, seeming displeased. "I know how to do problems," he said. "I can do them really well."

Mr. Holloway chuckled and turned to Naomi Kenway. "Your son is so lively and cute. A clever little rascal, wise beyond his years!"

Naomi Kenway smiled as well.

Mr. Holloway left for the restroom partway through, so Naomi Kenway remained in the classroom, watching the children work. They never whispered or passed notes; every child’s face was a picture of intense concentration.

As Naomi Kenway passed Ian Shaw’s desk, she saw him scribbling furiously. She paused, because Ian was writing incredibly fast. His movements were so smooth and effortless that it was hard to believe he had any time to think.

Three minutes into the short quiz, Ian Shaw had already answered all the questions.

"So fast..." Mr. Holloway noticed as soon as he returned. He took Ian’s test paper and examined it, his eyes behind his reading glasses wide with shock. "This... this... this..."

A moment later, he’d finished looking over the entire test. His voice was full of disbelief. "I’ve checked it once, and he got every single one right." Mr. Holloway shook his head in amazement. "This child must be a genius. How old is he...?"

"Four."

"Four... He’s only four..." Mr. Holloway’s face was a mask of astonishment. He squinted, studying Ian Shaw closely, then suddenly burst out laughing. "You can tell he’s a bright one just by looking at him."

With that, he grabbed Ian Shaw’s test paper and rushed off, his usually slow, elderly gait suddenly quick and energetic.

Naomi Kenway wasn’t particularly surprised, but she praised him all the same. "Mr. Holloway was just praising you, Ian. My darling is so amazing. You’ll always be Mommy’s pride and joy!"

She meant every word.

Ian Shaw sat perfectly straight at his desk, his back ramrod straight. He broke into a smile at her words, and the deep dimples on his little face seemed to overflow with honey. His eyes sparkled. "Mommy won’t have to be embarrassed of me anymore. I’m so happy."

"Oh, sweetie, what are you talking about? Mommy has never felt embarrassed because of you. You are my one-of-a-kind treasure, my pride and joy forever. No matter what, you always will be..."

"Mommy..." Ian called out in his soft, boyish voice, his eyes still shining brightly. "If Mommy’s happy, then I’m happy."

[Aww, this is so heartwarming! Ian and Nina are each other’s angels!]

[Aced it without breaking a sweat, and you’re just in kindergarten, Ian! I still vividly remember getting a 58 on my first-grade final exam!]

[Ian is a real dark horse! His test scores depend entirely on his mood—that’s a true master for you! I bow to thee online!]

[That last commenter is hilarious. What’s so amazing about a four-year-old kid? I’m not buying it. This has to be a script they planned in advance. Don’t you think Ian’s genius came out of nowhere? It’s way too sudden!]

[What’s so sudden about it? Ever heard the phrase ’playing the fool to catch the wise’? A while back, a bunch of people were saying Nina was a bad mother to Ian. I’d love to see what they have to say now. Ian is clearly just as smart as Mona. Nina is a very successful parent! She’s raised her child to be both intelligent and optimistic!]

[Mona is the textbook example of ’the kid your parents wish you were.’ She’s won multiple city-level competitions for preschoolers! Ian is smart, but he’s not on Mona’s level. I mean, just think about it—Mona gets up at five every morning to study. Ian could never do that!]

...

Afterward, Nathan Lynch, Simon Sawyer, and Carina Sanders turned in their papers one after another. Jared Woods remained unresponsive, fast asleep on his desk and snoring like thunder. He only started the test in a groggy haze after Carina Sanders woke him.

Ian Shaw went back to his "doodling." Nearby, Carina Sanders propped her chin on her hands and watched him without making a sound so as not to disturb him.

As Naomi Kenway walked past his desk, she couldn’t help but notice what Ian was doing. This must be the "slacking off" and "unruly behavior" Renee Jennings had described that morning.

Naomi Kenway took a closer look, her eyes narrowing slightly.

It wasn’t so much random "doodling" as it was strings of "numbers," which only looked disorderly because of their creator’s wild and unrestrained script.

Naomi Kenway’s gaze paused. She found herself staring, mesmerized, at an inconspicuous pattern on the paper. It felt incredibly familiar, as if she’d seen it somewhere before, but for the life of her, she couldn’t place it.

"Mommy, what’s wrong?" Ian’s concerned voice rang out. He then asked nervously, "Don’t you like me writing this in class?"

Naomi Kenway shook her head, smiling. "Since you’ve already finished your assignment, you’re allowed to relax a little."

*

Meanwhile, in the teacher’s office, Mr. Holloway was singing Ian Shaw’s praises to high heaven, holding up his test paper and declaring the boy a genius. The other teachers present readily agreed.

Renee Jennings’s brow furrowed as she listened from the sidelines. As she was only a temporary teacher, there was no desk for her in the office, so she had pulled up a stool to sit beside Mr. Holloway.

"I’d like to take a look, Mr. Holloway," Renee Jennings said.

Mr. Holloway handed the test paper to her. "Take a look, Mr. Jennings. He got every question on here right, and he’s just a four-year-old in junior kindergarten."

Renee Jennings accepted the test paper, saying instinctively, "Is that right? That’s not so special. Our Mona is very gifted, too. She’s won several major city-level awards—all very prestigious preschool awards in Veridia."

Mr. Holloway looked surprised. "Is that so? Are all children this gifted these days?"

Renee Jennings just hummed, her eyes still fixed on the test paper. She simply refused to believe Ian Shaw had done it himself.

The longer she stared at it, the deeper her frown grew.

"What do you think? Pretty incredible, isn’t he?"

Renee Jennings forced a smile. "Yes, he is, but..." Her eyes darted to the side. "I remember Ian didn’t like to study before. His grades were so poor that Nina was always worried sick about him. Just this morning, I was proctoring his language test, and he didn’t even attempt the questions—he got a flat zero. How could he change so drastically all of a sudden? Besides, this handwriting doesn’t look like a four-year-old’s, does it?"

She gave a little laugh and covered her mouth. "Oh, I’m just rambling. Don’t mind me. It’s just... I find it a little hard to believe."

Mr. Holloway’s brow furrowed slightly, but he still said, "I don’t think so. I was watching from the side. There couldn’t have been a mistake."

"The entire time?"

Mr. Holloway didn’t answer. He had, in fact, taken a trip to the restroom.

A satisfied smile spread across Renee Jennings’s face as she watched the expression on Mr. Holloway’s face change. "I’ll be heading out for a moment, Mr. Holloway."

Renee Jennings rose to her feet, intending to go find other students in the class and ask them about the situation.

*

The short quizzes were graded quickly. The children would find out their scores during the last class period; anyone who earned an A on both subjects would receive a small red flower sticker.