Lucas and Scarlett stared at Vance's retreating figure, their mouths hung open. They couldn't believe what they just heard.
Lizzy was the famous Markus Berlin's?
How did that happen?
All the pieces started falling together. How
Lizzy was invited to the auction. How she was able to afford twenty million dollars worth of jewelry.
"Maybe he is just bluffing." Scarlett said, recovering from her shock first.
But even she knew that didn't make sense, Vance Berlin had no reason to bluff. They didn't know each other that well.
Lucas was still yet to recover from his shock. If Lizzy is truly a Berlin, then his life is doomed. She could ruin him and his entire family with just a snap of her fingers. The Berlin family is that powerful. Scarlett tried to comfort her fiance.
"Hey, I'm sure there is a misunderstanding somewhere. You told me Lizzy grew up in foster care right? There is no possible way she is part of the Berlin family. It must be one of her tricks to get you to fall to her feet." She said,
"I'm just as confused as you are right now. There is no way this is possible." Lucas said, looking dumbfounded.
Vance walked up to Lizzy where she was effortlessly mingling with some business associate. Lizzy excused herself from the crowd when she saw cousin's brooding face.
"What's wrong, Vance?" She asked, her eyebrows shot up.
"Nothing much, just that your ex-husband and his insufferable girlfriend walked up to me and we're spurting rubbish about you. I just couldn't take it anymore and snapped. I know you told us not to do anything and you'll handle it. I'm sorry, Liz." he said.
Lizzy flashed her cousin a sweet smile.
"It's okay, Vance. Thank you for standing up to them for me."
"Anytime." Vance reciprocated the smile.
"I gotta go find my girlfriend. I'll talk to you later." He walked away.
Lizzy took a deep breath after Vance left. She already anticipated this move from Lucas. After all, she was married to him for three years, she knows everything about him. While he made no attempt to know her more. This put Lizzy at an advantage.
She didn't initially intend to purchase the piece of jewelry. But when she saw how desperate Lucas was to get it, she decided to make her first move which hurt his ego.
Seeing how foolishly Lucas approached Vance, Lizzy knew she succeeded in her first step to revenge. Now it was time for the second step. Rub her new status in his face. That would do so many damages to his already bruised ego.
Lizzy held her head high and strolled towards Lucas and Scarlett. They were still reeling in shock from finding out Lizzy's true identity that they didn't hear her coming. She stood a few meters away from them, her arms crossed and a smirk dancing on her lips. Scarlett was the first to notice her presence. She scowled at her.
"Careful how you act around me, Ms Green. Trust me, you don't want to get on my bad side." Lizzy said with a smirk. Scarlett scoffed.
"So now you act all high and mighty just because you fucked your way to the top? How can they even be sure that you're a Berlin? You're a cheap ugly thing that was tossed in foster care at birth."
Lizzy swallowed hard, maintaining the smile on her face. She wasn't going to let Scarlett's words hurt her. It was time for her to stand up for herself and talk back to her bullies.
"Well, Ms Green, here I thought you were a top supermodel because of how smart you are. But I guess that isn't the case. There is something called a DNA test. You can look it up on Google when you're not screwing other women's husbands." Lizzy said.
A gasp escaped Scarlett's mouth. She advanced towards Lizzy, ready to hit her.
"Did you just call me a whore?" She asked, unable to believe her ears.
"Oh look, you got that right. I guess I was right when I said you weren't smart. You're just a slut and a shame to all women. I guess I can say you slept your way to the top given how fast you took this trash out of my hands." Lizzy gestured to Lucas, her voice low and menacing.
Anyone looking at the three of them wouldn't even suspect they were exchanging words because of how calm Lizzy seemed.
Lucas didn't respond to Lizzy's insult. He hadn't said a word since Lizzy appeared in front of him. He was staring at her, noticing how much she had changed. He was also brainstorming how to get in Lizzy's good graces. He needed the Berlin Enterprise investment in his company. But that seems out of reach now, considering his history with Lizzy.
"You have some nerves young woman. Just because they took you out of the streets, fed you, and replaced your rags with clothes, makes you feel you can talk down on me? Unlike you, I actually worked my way to the top. I didn't have to leach off an old, dying man, claiming to be his daughter and providing fake DNA report." Scarlett yelled, drawing attention towards them.
Lucas finally intervened. He held Scarlett back and whispered soothing words to her ears. Scarlett calmed down, but she was still standing daggers at Lizzy.
Lizzy crossed her arms, maintaining her posture and feigning nonchalance, but deep down, she was seething with rage. Here was the man she dedicated several years of her life to. He has never shown her a hint of affection. But now he is doing that to his first love right in front of her. Lucas locked eyes with Lizzy. His expression was calm and almost friendly.
"Lizzy dear, I know we've had a lot of misunderstandings in the past, but I hope we can get past that. I apologize for any inconveniences you might have experienced while we were married. I hope we can put the past behind us and start afresh. I'm so glad you're doing well. To new beginnings?" He stretched out his hand for a hand shake, a smile etched on his face.
Scarlett fumed silently beside him. Unlike Lucas, she did nothing to hide her disgust. She stared down at Lizzy.
Lizzy stared at her ex-husband's outstretched hand and scoffed. She couldn't believe Lucas was proposing peace to her after dedicating her to years of suffering. He had the audacity to want to call a truce.
She was going to get her revenge on him and nothing was going to stop her. She placed a hand on her heart and feigned excitement. She forced a smile on.
"I'm truly flattered by your generosity and thoughtfulness, Mr Jenkins. But I'll have to decline. Unfortunately, I don't make peace with evil. I ruin the evil. So you can take your fake truce to the gutters where you'll be when I'm done with you." She delivered her threats in a low and menacing tone.
Lucas retrieved his hand and dipped it inside his pocket. His jaws ticked as he stared at Lizzy.
"You should have taken the opportunity when I was willing to put all what happened behind us. But now you've just made an enemy with the wrong man." Lucas said.
"I don't accept fake apologies. Come back when you know how to make a real one." Lizzy turned and was about to leave when Lucas stopped her.
"The Berlin family will soon see you for what you truly are. And when they do, they'd toss you away in the same garbage they picked you from. Then you'll be all alone again. When you come crawling back to me, I'll never accept you." Lucas said.
Lizzy smirked at her ex husband's delusional thoughts. She would never go back to him. Not after the way he and his family treated her.
"Not everyone is like the Jenkins family, you know." She said,
She turned on her heels when she remembered something.
"Oh! Lest I forget, don't you need Berlin Enterprise to invest in your new project?" She directed her question to Lucas. Lucas stared at her, his eyebrow raised. But he didn't give her any response.
"You can kiss the investment goodbye." She smirked.
Lucas let out a low chuckle, despite the inferno building in him.
"You don't have the power to do that." He said.
"Oh I do, and I will do it. See you never, Mr Jenkins." She threw a glance at Scarlett
"And you too, Ms Green."
Lizzy flipped her away and walked away majestically. She felt an euphoric rush as she walked outside the auction house. She was glad that she could stand up to Lucas after years of suffering. She enjoyed watching the colours drain from his face as he realized who she was, and when she called off their project before they could even present it.
The driver brought her car around and she left the event.
Lucas and Scarlett walked out of the event just in time to see Lizzy stepping into her luxurious car.
"I can't believe this. I can't believe she talked down on me." Scarlett said in disbelief.
Lucas didn't respond to his sulking fiancee. Several thoughts swirled in his mind. It was evident that his ex wife was hell-bent on destroying him. She already ruined any chance he might have with the Berlin Enterprise. But he has to be faster and smarter than her.
And he has just the right weapon to destroy her. She would never see his move coming. He smirked at the thought.