Back then even her mum and sisters could not recognised her. Clifford was the only one who recognized her. She always smiled whenever she recalled Clifford's bewildered expression when he called her name back then. The picture was the one a famous photographer who miraculously came across her captured and posted on his instagram page. All companies went crazy trying to scout her as their model and she did settled for one of the companies whose offer she thought was the best for the teenage her back then. That single picture changed her life.
Her brightened mood dampened when she recalled how futile all her efforts to find V for the past seventeen years has been.
"I wish you were here to witness how tremendously your little ugly Stephanie has transformed," Stephanie said, tears tickling down her beautiful face. "I have missed you so much? You assured me back then that you will definitely recognised me so where on earth are you? If you are still alive please show me a sign. I just need a sign, hmmm," Stephanie spoke sadly. She has paid the best private investigators hefty sum of money to find him for the past nine years, yet they have been no positive news about him. The news was always the same every year. She was at the brink of giving up on her search for him.
Stephanie dozed off in that position. In her dream, she met him. He was able to recognized her just like he had promised her. Stephanie wished she would be trapped in her dream land forever. She never wanted to wake up but her wish did not come true. It was when V was about to put a sparkling diamond ring on her finger on their wedding day that her phone rang. Her ringing tone was so loud it woke her up immediately from her sleep. Stephanie wished the person who called her was in her presence then she would have torn him/her apart.
"Who the f*ck just rang my phone just when V wanted to put the priceless diamond ring on my finger? You should have called after our wedding night," Stephanie shouted angrily kicking the air. "Whoever you are, you are the enemy of my life. You are a bad luck," Stephanie cursed answering the call without checking the caller's ID.
"What the heck made you call me the time you did? You should have waited for about an hour before you called. You have just ruined my mood," Stephanie fired angrily before the caller could speak.
"It's me Gabrielle?" The caller answered meekly. For a moment there, Gabrielle had thought she dialled a wrong number when her best friend shouted on her.
"Gab.... Gabrielle?" Stephanie stammered taking a quick peep at her phone to check the caller's ID.
"Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong that made you upset?" Gabrielle asked ready to apologised if Stephanie said she did something wrong.
"No, no, no. You didn't do anything wrong. I am so sorry for shouting on you. I must have lost it to have shouted on you," Stephanie immediately apologised.
"What happened to you? From the sound of your voice earlier it seems like I interrupted you from something important. What were you doing before I called?" Gabrielle, an equally beautiful fair skin girl asked curiously.
"I took a nap after my lunch outing with Cliff," Stephanie said checking the wall clock. She put her hands on her mouth to block any sound from escaping when she saw that she was almost running late for her date. "I am so dead! Cliff is gonna cut off my neck," Stephanie thought. The image of Clifford's angry expression pop up in her head. She shivered when she imagine Clifford gets mad at her for real. Clifford was scary when he gets mad and she did not want to witness his mad side. Still on the phone she quickly but quietly walked into her big dressing room.
"Don't tell me, you dreamed about him again?" Gabrielle asked suspiciously. Although she has only being friends with Stephanie for a year plus now, she could easily read her thoughts. Because of this Stephanie always call her a psychic.
"Him? Who is him?" Stephanie immediately feud ignorance of her accusations. She knew who Gabrielle was referring to but she was only playing innocent.
"Steph, you are twenty-six for God sake but you are still a virgin because you have been waiting for a boy that might not even exist. Wake up girl or you might really remain single all your life because of your attitude towards men," Gabrielle shouted in a bid to wake her up. "With your beauty you, I can guarantee you that you deserve the best man in the world. Trust me on this and get your ass off your comfortable zone and step into the world of dating," Gabrielle shouted yet again.
"Look at who is talking, I am just a year older than you so why don't make it sound as though I am old? I am just at the peak of my life so I have all the time in the world to do whatsoever I desire but I will keep your words in mind," Stephanie said hurriedly choosing a sleeveless blue fitted gown. She was almost late for date so she did not have time to go about scattering her dressing room. Gabrielle continue talking and talking refusing to disconnect the line. At the moment Stephanie has already applied makeup on her face. It was only remaining for her to comb her long red-brown hair.
"Girl, can you please disconnect the call and let me prepare for my date? Cliff might really murder me this time around if I arrive late to my date. He has repeatedly nagged me about it, so Girl, pity me and hang up because I don't wanna die in my bro's hand yet," Stephanie replied sarcastically.
"You have a date? How come you didn't tell me about it or don't tell me you have started keeping secrets from your best friend?" Gabrielle said playfully.