"Shh! Focus, Veronica, everyone's looking at you," Julius said.
Veronica went hysterical again. "Look at this!" She shoved the phone towards Julius, her eyes wide. "He's serious! How can I be calm, Julius? This could destroy us!"
Felix and I just smirked. Veronica, Julius, and his bodyguards left in a huff, leaving behind a bag containing a million dollars—the price of their crime. Felix immediately signaled his men to take the bag. One million dollars. Ours now.
That night, Julius came home heavily drunk, frustrated, desperate. I stared at him with burning hatred. The victory felt bitter as the lipstick stain on his expensive shirt made the situation worse.
The next day was important for me. The party to choose the ten best models for the fashion show abroad. My designs. My pride.
"You're dressed up too? Where are you going?" Julius blocked my way. "I'm not dressing like this to take you, okay? Don't get the wrong idea," he continued, his tone sarcastic. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked, looking at me strangely.
"Where are you going? Are you afraid I'll go with you? Still ashamed that I'm in a wheelchair?" I retorted sharply.
Julius straightened his tie, nervously. "It's not like that, darling, I have a meeting with producer Andrew tonight." His lie sounded very fabricated.
"Just go then, I'll be going with Felix anyway," I replied with an indifferent expression. His face flushed.
"What does Felix have to do besides clinging to you?" his voice rose. I just raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, whose new car is that? Do we have a new neighbor?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the bright red Ferrari in front of the house—a car I had recently bought, a reward for my success when I could walk again.
"My car," I replied flatly, full of victory.
Julius laughed mockingly. "You? There's no way we could buy a car that expensive. Don't dream, darling." He insulted me.
I swallowed, holding back my anger. His insult to my feelings for him became bland.
Julius left in a hurry. I knew where he was going. Tonight, could I say goodbye to him?
The party at the luxurious hotel was filled with important guests. I arrived accompanied by Felix, his hand pushing my wheelchair.
The guests whispered, curious about the mysterious designer L2.
I sat right behind Julius and Veronica, watching their love drama that felt too excessive. Their shadows hugging each other, the faint whispers of sweet nothings, and the unbearable gaze of love in their eyes—it all felt sickening.
Veronica's hair clip fell, her eyes accidentally met mine. Her pupils widened, trapped in a real shock. I returned it with a thin, sarcastic smile, which felt piercing to her.
Julius left Veronica. He hadn't realized my presence. Veronica turned around, her face full of anger. "Are you crazy? What is a cripple like you doing here?" she shouted. The guests were disturbed, too late for Veronica to fix the situation. Everyone was looking at us.
My lips lifted. "A homewrecker like you can be here, why can't I?" I challenged, my voice full of confidence.
"You—"
"What? You think I'm blind, Veronica?" I whispered, my voice cold, hoping to pierce her heart. My smile widened, sweet and threatening.
Veronica's eyes widened, panic clearly visible. Julius, who had just arrived, was stunned. The guests whispered, they knew who Julius, I, and Veronica were.
"Andrew? Meeting here?" I asked, my voice whispering, full of sarcasm.
Julius stammered, "He... asked me to represent him," his voice trembled. "You? What are you doing here?”
"Oh yeah?" I scoffed, "I've been here for a while, behind you, watching your sweet moments."
Tension choked the room. The guests' stares, sharp and curious, pierced me like daggers. Julius, with a fake face, acted as if he was the victim. "Get her out! She doesn't belong here!" his voice, loud and full of command, but a tremor of fear was evident behind it. Felix and I exchanged glances, his hypocrisy felt like a hard slap.
Veronica, with a manipulative smile, chimed in, "Get her out quickly! Imagine, if the main sponsor sees this!" Her words, seemingly innocent, were full of poison. I could only shake my head, running out of words to face their falseness.
Felix, anger blazing on his face, shouted, "You're sullying this event with your disgusting affair!" However, his voice drowned in the growing roar of jeers.
"Affair!", "They're having an affair!" Those shouts were like a fierce wave ready to crush me.
Felix held my hand, "You're so patient," he whispered, feeling my trembling hand.
Julius, cunningly, turned the situation around, "She's the one having an affair!" He pointed at me and Felix, "Look, they're holding hands! I'm with Veronica because she betrayed me first!" The lie was so real, but some of the guests still believed it.
Veronica, with a mocking triumphant smile, shouted again, "Get her out! She's ruining our moment!"
"Veronica was right! Get her out!", "Cheap woman!", "Even a cripple is cheap, let alone if she's not?", those shouts intensified, the guests, instigated, began to push me, showering me with unbearable insults and abuse.
I remained silent, letting them judge for themselves, while pain and humiliation gnawed at my soul. Veronica, with a face full of satisfaction, watched my suffering.
The event began. We were forced to calm down. The host introduced the L2 collection. Then, the main sponsor, a wealthy tycoon, appeared on stage, the sound of cheers filled the room. "Let's call the designer!"
Silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome, designer L2, Lizzy Larson..."
All eyes were on me. Julius and Veronica's faces turned pale, their shock was evident as I stood up, strode confidently towards the podium.
Then, the room erupted in cheers, this time, for me.
