Chapter 36 Oh no, Poppy!!

Chapter 36 Oh no, Poppy!!
Lilith’s POV
The happy moments I felt only a few moments ago melted into thin air as I met eyes with the very person who started the nightmare I currently am in.
Poppy.
The man who shattered my life was here, and he didn't even have the decency to look like he was suffering. He looked free, while I was more of a prisoner than ever, tied to Jayden who hated my guts.
As I stared at the eyes that once stared at me with so much love and respect, I could feel nothing but a look of shock followed by an ugly resentment. My first instinct was to run and hide till I couldn’t see him anymore but my legs felt rooted to the ground. I began to panic as I thought of all the things that could possibly go wrong. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he called me Lilith in front of everyone that saw me as Celine. My whole life would shatter, as well as Jayden’s.
I watched in horror as Poppy set his glass down and began to walk toward me. His best friend, the man he had chosen over me at the altar, tried to grab his arm but Poppy shook him off. His gaze was locked on mine.
There was so much going on in his eyes that I didn’t know what to do, even as he stopped right in front of me. "Lilith?" he breathed, looking me over. "What the hell is this?"
I felt my heart hammering against my ribs frantically as I tried to form words.
“What—”
“Are you so gullible to think I would want you by showing up here? Wait, have you been stalking me?”
I took deep breaths as I assured myself that I could do this. If I messed it all up, Ariel would suffer along with me.
"I beg your pardon?" I said, my voice coming out in a clipped tone that I had practiced over the past weeks. Fake confusion filled my gaze as I stared right into his eyes. "Do I know you?"
Poppy whipped his head back in a bitter laugh of disbelief at my words. He glanced at his back to make sure I was actually talking to him. "Do you know me? Lilith, it’s me. It’s Poppy. What do you think you’re doing here, wearing that dress?” He stepped closer, his eyes raking over my expensive jewelry with disgusted eyes. "Ravenna told me you’d found a way to move on. She said you got stuck with a man that screamed luxury but I didn’t believe her. I thought she was exaggerating but seeing you now, she was right.”
The mention of Ravenna made my blood run cold. She had been talking to him? And worst of all, saying ill things to him about me? What exactly does she want to back off?
I controlled the rage in me and maintained a face I knew Celine would have held.
"You must have me mistaken for someone else," I said, my voice coming out cold. "My name is Celine Smith and I suggest you lower your voice and step back before you cause an embarrassment for yourself."
"Celine?" Poppy spat the name like it was a curse. "I don't care what you're calling yourself now but I know those eyes well enough to know exactly when you’re lying.”
Oh no.
"I have never seen you before in my life," I lied, though my heart felt like it was going to explode. "If you don't leave me alone this instant, I will have security escort you out.”
“Is this some sort of ploy to get my attention?” he pushed.
“You have the wrong person, sir,” I insisted as I took a step away from him.
"You're a liar!" Poppy shouted, drawing the attention of a few nearby guests. “You might be all dolled up but I can see right through you! You’re a slum girl, Lilith! You don't belong here!"
The word slum, which Jayden had used on me too many times, hit me hard and for a moment, I was short of words.
My panic began to rise as I could already imagine things starting to go wrong.
Poppy however was not ready to stop. “You—”
"Is there a problem here?"
The cold but familiar voice, which always filled me with irritation, surprisingly soothed me this time. Jayden appeared at my side with his overbearing presence filling the space immediately. He didn't look at me. He looked directly at Poppy with his eyes narrowed into slits as he wrapped a possessive arm around my waist.
Poppy’s eyes trailed to Jayden’s arm around me and he looked stunned.
"Who is this man, Celine?" Jayden asked in a cool but dangerous tone.
"I... I have no idea, Jayden," I whispered, leaning into him, my body trembling despite my best efforts to stay still. "He keeps calling me by some other name. He’s been harassing me."
Jayden turned his full attention to Poppy with the height difference alone making Poppy smaller.
“Why are you speaking with my wife?” he asked Poppy coldly.
“Wife?” Poppy asked, taken aback.
"I don't know who you think you're talking to," Jayden said, his voice raising a bit higher for eavesdroppers to hear. "But this is my wife, Celine Smith. And if you utter another word to her, or even breathe in her direction again, I will ensure that you spend the rest of your life regretting it. Do I make myself clear?"
Poppy looked between us, his mouth hanging open. He looked at Jayden’s tailored suit, then at the way Jayden held me possessively and for a moment I saw a flicker of doubt in Poppy’s eyes followed by slight confusion and it looked as though he was having an inner battle with himself.
"Celine, huh?" Poppy muttered, his voice a bit thinner than before. He looked at me one last time before looking back at Jayden. "I guess I was wrong, I apologize.”
We watched silently as he backed away until he blended with the crowd.
I felt the air rush back into my lungs, but it didn't bring relief. I felt lightheaded with my vision blurring as so many emotions flowed through me.
I watched as the man I spent years loving went back to his best friend and they held hands like nothing mattered to them anymore. I could tell Poppy was going to talk about me but didn’t want to say it just yet.
Apart from the drama he had just caused, the mere sight of him brought me so much pain and made my forgotten hurt feelings surface. Suddenly, it felt as though I was back at the altar one more time as he told me he was choosing a guy over me.
"Smile, Celine," Jayden whispered harshly into my ear, snatching me back to reality. "The cameras are still on us. Wipe that ghostly look off your face.”
I forced a painful smile to my lips as hot tears gathered in my eyes.