You're Truly A Low-Life!

“Get your hands off me!” Scott snapped, shaking off James’s grip on his shirt with a quick flick.

“Ouch!”

James yelped, shaking his right hand as if it were stinging. It seemed like Scott's shove had been gentle, yet James felt a sharp twinge in his hand.

“You son of a bitch!” James spat.

Scott took a step forward, ready to teach James a lesson, but suddenly Lisa splashed wine from her glass directly onto Scott's face.

“Watch yourself, Scott! If you hurt James again, I swear I’ll never forgive you for as long as I live!” she exclaimed.

Scott wiped the wine from his face with a handkerchief, slowly opening his eyes. He glared coldly at his former fiancée.

“Do you think I care? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Lisa. Whether you’re in my life or not means nothing to me,” he said.

Lisa's eyes widened in shock. Reflexively, she hurled her empty wine glass at Scott's face.

Swoosh!

Scott caught the glass effortlessly. Lisa was astonished. How could he move his hand that fast?

Frustrated that her throw hadn’t connected, Lisa turned her gaze to Luisa, who stood behind Scott.

“Hey, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be catering to those pervy guys at The Red Velvet? And why are you wearing a scarf? Trying to hide that ‘RV’ tattoo on your forehead?” she taunted.

Luisa lowered her head. After everything Lisa had said and done to her, she couldn’t bear to hold Lisa’s gaze for long. The mention of the tattoo made her feel especially uncomfortable.

Scott noticed Luisa’s discomfort and shot Lisa a fierce look.

“Luisa is here because she’s part of the team organizing this tender auction. What’s wrong with that?” Scott replied.

“What did you say? She works here, in this office?” Lisa asked mockingly, then burst out laughing.

“Of course she works here. She’s a project officer at Dominion Group. Believe it or not, it’s up to you,” Scott said.

At this point, Daniel rose from their table and walked over to Luisa and James. Lucas and Jacob followed closely behind.

The guests at the front tables sensed something was happening behind them, but they didn’t care. They were sure it wasn’t worth their attention.

“What nonsense is this? You’ve already crossed the line by coming here. Now you say that useless woman behind you is an employee at Dominion Group? Your words are truly embarrassing!” Daniel said.

“I don’t know what’s happened to you, but it seems like your brain is getting worse. You should probably see a doctor, Scott, if you have the money for a hospital visit,” Lucas added.

“You and Luisa shouldn’t be here. If you still have any sense left, Scott, you should take her away. The longer you stay, the more you’ll humiliate yourself,” Jacob chimed in.

Seeing her family joining in the attack on Scott and Luisa only fueled Lisa’s confidence. She sidled up to James, linking her arm through his and leaning against him, then said,

“Let me tell you something, Scott. This prestigious project from Dominion Group will be won by the Winterbourne family, the richest and most powerful family here.

“And since James is close with Quint, the heir to the Winterbourne throne, some of the projects will be passed on to James, and my family will surely get a taste of it.

“If that happens, Grandma will promote me to project manager, a position I’ve had my eyes on for ages. And not only that, James will gift Mom and me a villa in the northern part of Oval Enclave.

“Now I hope you realize how pathetic you and Luisa are. You’re levels far below us!”

Lisa emphasized every word, her voice rising at times, drawing glances from some guests at the front tables who looked mildly disturbed.

Scott merely chuckled and shook his head. He said, “Interesting information. But let me tell you something.

“First, the Winterbourne family isn’t guaranteed to win this tender project. In fact, it’s likely that they won’t win it at all.

“Second, the villas in the northern part of Oval Enclave are the cheapest among the hundreds of villas in that area. How funny that you brag about it. It just shows how low your standards are. Don’t you realize that?”

Lisa’s face flushed red. “Shut up, Scott! What do you know about the villas in Oval Enclave, huh? You might not even get a foot in the door!”

“Stop pretending to be someone great, Scott. I know your past. You served in the military, but only as a guard for a general. That was your highest rank before you were dishonorably discharged for drinking and gambling.

“I also know about the gifts Mr. Lombard brought yesterday. He did that because the general, your former boss, ordered him to, didn’t he? There’s no real connection between you and the general.

“Oh, come on, Scott. I’ve done some research on you, and I found nothing special. You’re pathetic!”

Scott furrowed his brow. Everything Lisa said matched the false information spread years ago to cover the true reason for his abrupt departure from the military. It seemed Lisa had really tried to dig into his past.

But so what? It meant nothing at all.

“Lisa Grandier, once again I’ll tell you, everything you say only reveals how low you are. You should also realize that you and your family don’t belong here. This prestigious auction is too big for the Grandiers to participate in it. If I were you guys, I would be ashamed and leave this room this very moment,” Scott said.

Lisa’s face grew even redder. She wanted to argue, but what Scott said was true. Yet still, she couldn’t accept being attacked like that.

“Alright then, everyone. If there’s nothing else you want to say, we’ll be leaving. We have plenty of important matters to attend to,” Scott said mockingly. He took Luisa’s hand and led her away.

Luisa kept her head down, not daring to look at Lisa. Suddenly, as they passed her, Lisa reached out, yanking Luisa’s scarf off roughly while saying, “Show everyone that tattoo on your forehead so they know you’re a whore from The Red Velvet!”

“Ah!” Luisa screamed, blood dripping from her left ear.

Scott’s eyes widened. He glared at Lisa in fury. He marched up to his ex-fiancée and slapped her hard across the face.

Smack!

“Ah!” Lisa cried out. She would have fallen if Lucas and Jacob hadn’t rushed to catch her.

“How dare you touch Luisa with your filthy hands! You’re truly a low-life, Lisa Grandier!” Scott shouted, his voice trembling.

...