HIDDEN LEGACY : THE FAME OF THE FORGOTTEN HEIR

Chapter 3 : Fake Vase? Let Grandma Be the Judge

"Beware of how you speak, or I will silence you!" threatened Matthew, who now appeared threatened himself.

"I am not speaking recklessly; I am confident in what I say. This vase is fake! You cannot deny the fact. No matter how skillfully you paint it, anyone who pays attention to this object will realize that it is just a cheap item that has been repainted.

"It is not as expensive as you claim, millions of dollars seem like an exaggerated statement." Ben's explanation caused the guests to become more animated, whispering among themselves.

Matthew was at a loss for words, now glancing towards his parents. "What is this beggar saying? How dare he speak so freely! Is there anyone who would believe his big mouth? You're just making things up.

"Mom, Dad! You surely know that I would never do such a thing. Don't believe his nonsense!" Matthew pleaded anxiously.

Benjamin let out a slightly long sigh, scratching the edge of his forehead. He also stifled a laugh at his brother-in-law's behavior, as it seemed that from the beginning, he had never been satisfied with attempting to humiliate him.

"I'm sure you deliberately spoke ill of my gift because you're envious! Your gift is cheap and nothing but junk. You bought it at a flea market yourself, so what can be expected from a gift that costs less than 10 dollars? It's not even comparable to my valuable vase worth millions of dollars," Matthew retorted, trying to turn the situation around that had been embarrassing him.

Benjamin smiled in response. "Yes, that's right ... my gift is nothing more than ten dollars, it's cheap and used, and perhaps no one here has given a gift cheaper than mine. I admit it, it's a fact. I bought my gift at a flea market.

"Do you want to know what's more intriguing than the value of my gift?

"The truth is, my gift is even better than the vase that Matthew just gave. You know why? At least my gift is not fake. It's hard to say it here, but I'll still reveal the truth.

"This vase is not only a repainted fake but also poisonous!" Ben's statement this time left everyone stunned, some unintentionally gaping, others covering their mouths in disbelief.

It was baffling how the man who had appeared clueless earlier was now speaking with confidence and certainty.

Matthew tried to interrupt. "Wh-what are you saying?" he asked, his voice faltering and trailing off, accompanied by a pale face. He glanced left and right, looking at his relatives, afraid that they would turn and mock him for claiming a fake item and showcasing it as a million-dollar treasure.

"Come on, Matthew, just be honest! Because this can be very dangerous, especially if Grandma displays your vase in her room for days. It could make her sick because of the toxic substance," Benjamin urged.

"You may think of me as poor, and yes, I admit I am poor. But at least I did my best to give a gift to Mrs. Elizabeth, compared to buying a fake vase, repainting it, and claiming it as a valuable antique worth millions of dollars like what Matthew did. And what's even worse is carelessly or perhaps intentionally presenting a toxic object as a gift," Benjamin explained again with his lengthy sentences.

Matthew fell silent. He felt humiliated by the consecutive blows from Ben, who turned out to know everything he had done. It was infuriating that this man exposed all the lies of Olivia's eldest brother in public, leaving him ashamed and speechless.

The fact is, everything Ben said was the truth, but it was impossible for Matthew to admit it. He was still trying to find a way to free himself from the accusations that could potentially cause him serious trouble.

Initially, before buying this vase as a gift, Matthew thought that his gift wasn't that important, especially since Elizabeth would receive many gifts from other people, and their house wouldn't have space for a relatively large vase. He believed that the gift, in the form of this vase, would simply be stored in the warehouse. So, there was no need to buy an expensive one. He could at least purchase a cheap item, repaint it, and save the remaining money given by his father, perhaps to buy a new car for his girlfriend.

"I don't think it's essential for me to buy an expensive gift. This fake and cheap vase should be more than enough. After all, it will end up in the warehouse anyway, according to Elizabeth's habit. Moreover, a large item like this would only make Grandma feel disturbed because it takes up space.

"All it needs is a little repaint, and this item will appear shiny and antique. Everyone will think it's worth a lot of money. I can even tell my father that it costs over a million dollars, so I can use the remaining money to buy Stefani a new car. I'm sure she'll love me even more if I shower her with expensive gifts. I'm certain no one will find out, especially not my father. He won't care, let alone check its authenticity," Matthew smiled, feeling pleased that his plan would succeed so easily.

But now, reality hit him hard. Benjamin had the audacity to expose all of this in front of everyone.

"Hahaha, are you done with your foolish rant? You're just talking nonsense. How could a poor person like you know about the quality of antique items, especially just by looking at them briefly? You're just talking nonsense to bring me down," Matthew said, trying to defend himself and influence the guests not to listen to what Ben had said.

Someone stood behind Benjamin, out of his sight. "Matthew is right. How could a poor person like Benjamin understand expensive items? He must be intentionally talking nonsense. How dare a homeless person like you speak like that to Matthew, let alone accuse Elizabeth's beloved grandson of something impossible? Are you looking to get yourself killed?" It was Dave, a distant cousin of Matthew, expressing his anger.

Suddenly, the doors of the hall opened, causing everyone to fall silent. All of a sudden, the room became quiet. Everyone showed respect by stepping back a few steps to make way for a woman who was the leader of the Campbell family since her husband, Mr. Davis Campbell, passed away.

The arrival of Elizabeth, the leader of one of the wealthy and respected families in Eldoria, made everyone tense immediately. After a moment, Olivia took the opportunity to approach Elizabeth, who was standing among them.

"Grandma, I've missed you so much," she hugged her briefly and received the same response.

"I've missed you too, dear," Elizabeth replied, but her smile faded briefly as she noticed Benjamin's face among the crowd of extended family members.

"Grandma, would you like to know something special?" Olivia asked.

Elizabeth nodded.

"Matthew has given you a luxurious gift, an antique vase worth millions of dollars. Would you like to inspect it and confirm its authenticity? Matthew would be thrilled if you took a look and paid attention to his gift, right, Matthew?" Olivia's directed question instantly made her brother pale. He hadn't expected his sister to ask Elizabeth to personally inspect the gift.

Wouldn't it be dangerous if Elizabeth found out the truth? Besides, it was impossible for Elizabeth not to recognize genuine items. Grandma knew very well what was valuable and what wasn't, especially since collecting antique items was one of her hobbies.