"Sorry for the trouble, I forgot I ordered for this couple of minutes ago." She apologized.
"Oh! It was you, I thought my kids did. It's okay, the misunderstanding has been cleared. And there's no need to apologize for this." Said Olivia.
But she mulls over what she had bought and why? She would have done that when she gets home but no, she did it here instead.
"Dear, what was so urgent that you needed to buy, you could have done that at home." She tried to get answers and somehow she succeeded.
"It's nothing serious, it's just a small gift for Annabel."
She hands the parcel over to Annabel and says, "Please wear this to the party. I ordered the same dress in the morning before I left home, it's for the party. After knowing that you will be attending the party as well, I thought it would be nice and cute to wear the same outfits as you. You can't reject this even if you want to."
She shoved the gift into the latter's hands and left to go finish her meal.
"But you know I can't accept such an expensive gift. You should have bought something lower. How can I wear a dress with a five-figure tag." Said Annabel.
She followed Victoria to the dining while making her see reasons with her but the latter refused.
"I can't take that back, it has been bought and there's no way I could wear two outfits at once and besides it's not my size. It's even worse to reject and waste it than accepting it."
Victoria said and dismissed her friend, giving her no room for arguments.
Olivia couldn't believe that Victoria could do that for someone she barely knows, but somehow she decides to accept their friendship for a selfish reason only she and her God knows.
"Come on dear, she gave you this out of love and you want to give it back. Please accept it for the sake of your friendship." She said.
Victoria smirked, 'Fool! you're falling into my trap. I will ensure to make you rely on her for everything and humiliate you just like you've always done. Witch! You never miss a chance to torture her just because she has no one, just wait and see how I will turn things around.' She said to no one in particular but herself.
She stayed quiet and watch as Olivia persuades Annabel to accept her gift. And finally, Annabel accepted it.
She harrumphed and thanked Victoria for the expensive present.
"It's okay Mrs. Fazer, no formalities please. I am now your daughter's best friend, there's no need to say thank you."
"Thanks for the dessert and the warm welcome, it was very nice of you and I enjoyed every moment here. But I have to go right now, my mom must be waiting for me, see you all at the party. Bye." She said and left.
She didn't forget to give her friend Annabel a warm hug before she left.
She successfully reached home safe and sound. Everywhere was calm and there was no fuzz because her mom already knows where she was.
"My princess you are back." Mrs. Johnson strides towards her and hugs her precious daughter.
"Yes mom, I'm back. I need to freshen up first. I will join you guys later and I won't be having dinner because I've eaten. I had dinner at Annabel's place."
Mrs. Johnson panics and carefully examined her daughter to ensure she's fine and no one dared to lay a finger on her.
Yes, they have heard all there's to know about her daughter's best friend's family. They are fully aware of how Fazer's family maltreats her.
But she was relieved when she's sure that there was no scratch on her. "You went inside that house? But why did you have to go inside, you should have dropped her at the compound but you took her inside the house as if she's a baby. I hope they didn't bully you at all?" She asked.
"Mom, I'm fine there's nothing wrong with me. You of all people should know how much I value Annabel. And did you know that today she confessed her feelings for me? She loves me just as much as I love her. Mom? Annie values our friendship."
Her eyes can't stop glowing with excitement as she gets her mother.
"There's no need to tell me, I already know about it. It's only someone with a true feeling that could say those things to you. I heard every word she uttered. I couldn't have loved her more. I am very happy that you've found a true friend for yourself and I don't need to worry about you all the time."
Victoria tightly embraced her mother once again, she was elated by her mom's words, she couldn't refrain from crying. This was tears of joy.
"Hey my darling, don't cry. Shhh...please don't cry, you should be happy to have seen someone that deserves all your love and attention. Mummy is glad to say she's proud of her brave daughter."
"Yes mom, that's why I shall free her from the clutches of that old hag. They don't deserve someone like Annabel. She's too kind for this world."
"But mom, how did you know what she said to me in the car." She queried.
"Remember you called me but I was not picking up. I'm sorry my darling, I was busy with the preparations that I left my phone in the room. It was brought to me by one of our servants; who was passing by and heard it ring."
"Somehow you forgot to end the call, so it kept ringing until I eventually picked. Then I heard her voice when she was professing her love for you but like a jerk you are, you kept teasing the poor fellow." She said.
Victoria gently released herself from the emotional hug and giggles, "So, you figured out that I was doing that?"