She was Still Having A Bad Premonition

Mantisha decided to roam around a little before going to show her face again to Sylvia. She knew that her mother might be anxious. But what could she do. People were all looking trouble for her and following her everywhere. A single flaw in their expressions could reveal their relationship. She had to be cautious for that.

Mantisha returned back to the hall. She started eyeing everybody carefully. The previous attentions she got were quite subsided by now. Everybody was toasting each other and busy in socializing or making connections. She left a sigh of relief. Now she could go to her mother and uncle Adi again. Proposing a toast to them would be a great idea, right?

Then again, proposing a toast meant that she had to drink it all in one go. With her alcohol tolerance, what would happen if she got drunk again and made a scene here.

She was busy with reasoning herself, and did not notice the one approaching her with a fretful look on her eyes.

"Oops..." A elegant looking lady triped over something and almost going to fall. Mantisha grabbed her arm quickly and steadied her. However the glass filled with red wine was splashed on Mantisha.

"I am okay, just sprained my foot a little. Thank you." That lady thanked her in an elegant posture. Mantisha's lips twitched. How could someone's posture be this classy!

That lady was wearing one of the Chanel's latest edition, she looked very polite and respectful. It was quite understandable that she belonged from a noble clan. The etiquettes and manners itself showed the intense trainings she received from childhood.

"However, your dress... I am sorry for ruining it unintentionally." She looked especially sorrowful at her wine stained dress.

Mantisha looked at her gown too. She did not know how much it cost, but she can still guess it. Besides, Uncle Adi especially chose and gifted her this one. She was also quite upset. But what else could she do. She was not supposed to dodge or run to save her dress, when someone was going to fall in front of her, right?

"As long as you are okay." She smiled to that lady, "This dress... I can change it to just another one. You don't need to be sorry about it. Just call for help if you are feeling uncomfortable somewhere or feel like you have sprained your foot seriously."

"Mmm hmm. I will." That lady smiled back, then Mantisha called a waitress to find her table and helped her to settle down.

After the waitress left, her expression changed visibly. She cursed inwardly, 'Pretentious bi*ch! You clearly wanted to slap me then and there, but instead of that, you pretended to help me and be bountiful.'

She curled her lips mockingly, 'It was Ms. Eberly's creation, and only one in the world. Yet you pretended like nothing happened. I wonder how long you are going to continue this facade. I wonder how Young Master Albert would react after seeing you loosing your reputation.'

She was thinking as she was observing every step of Mantisha.

However, Mantisha was totally oblivious of it. It was her first time in a party like this, she was not sure who would be better to call for help now. 'It would be great if Mia was here, but I could not possibly call her to come, right?'

She was watching every watchful pairs of eyes towards her as she started getting uncomfortable again. On that moment, all of a sudden a face brushed past her sight what caused her emotions fluctuate. But when she looked at that face again to confirm, she found out that lady had already looking on another direction as she maintained her elegant smile on. Mantisha shook her head as she thought of hallucinating things again. She even saw that lady she had saved earlier on from falling, actually looked at her with hostility.

She decided to go from here and leave through the back door. She thought it would be okay if she informed Sylvia later about her.

"Are you looking for any help, Miss?"

Mantisha turned and met a kind looking young waitress. She had a blunt nose with wide forehead, but her comparatively bigger eyes and a broad smile plastered on her face made her look young, and lively.

"Umm I was wondering if I could leave now... It would not be appropriate to stay here, mmm... like this... You know." She stammered a little under public attention as she looked at her surroundings.

"You can always leave Miss. But just to let you know that we have arranged a few clothes from brands and on different sizes for some unpleasant situations like this. If you want to change, you can just say it."

Mantisha's eyes glimmered with light. Yes, how could she forget that. Uncle Adi had mentioned about it earlier. So she immediately agreed to change as she started to follow her to a room upstairs.

Mantisha stood there in awe. How could Uncle Adi be so generous! Different kinds of dresses were prepared there for 'emergency situations', all belonged from different sizes, colours and famous brands.

She would really say that rich people were wasteful, if it was half an hour ago, but now she understood why people needed to be careful. She gave Adi a thumbs up in her mind as she felt he was too careful to not make his guests uncomfortable.

But then, another struggle began. She could not choose a dress from this pile at all. At least five of them suited her test and fitted for her temperament. She thought if Judy was here, she hadn't had to worry at all. She really missed Judy.

"How about this one, Miss?" That waitress pulled out one from the collections carefully.

Mantisha was stunned. How could she miss this one. It was a cocktail gown, it looked simple yet stylish. If she was not wrong, it was one from Tasman Murad**, an internationally renowned designer. People die to get a hand on his dresses. Many of the stars appeared in the red carpets and film festivals wearing his creations. To think of his dress would be worn by her, she was thrilled.

"Ahh... It's really beautiful. You saved me from a lot of trouble. Thank you." She thanked the waitress with genuine gratitude. And why not, she really saved her by choosing a beautiful cocktail dress for her.

A trace of strange light flushed past her face. She fiddled with her shirt's cufflinks as she quickly said, "Then you change here Miss. If there is not anything else, I will take my leave first."

Mantisha just nodded her head, as she saw her leaving the room. She was flustered at her nervous behaviour. 'Why did the waitress look scared! She even broke one of her cufflinks.' Mantisha picked up the broken cufflink from the floor as she thought to return it to her.

'Strange! I did not mistreat her, right? Wait... She looked SCARED!'

Mantisha stared at the closed door in a daze. That waitress, she did not mean any harm, right? She looked back at the dress hanging in front of her.

'It is really beautiful, but...' She bit her lips, as a sudden hostile pairs of eyes appeared in her mind. She sighed in frustration.

It could be that she really was becoming paranoid, but what could she do. She was meeting all kind of eccentric people in these days. However, she did not offend that lady, nor this waitress. Could it be...

She got anxious as she started rummaging through the room. On the tables, behind the mirror, in the flower vases, behind the curtains, even above the cupboards, she searched everywhere. But to her relief, no pinhole cameras could be found.

She sighed in amazement. So it really was her imagination then. Then she looked at the dress again, it was so hot and eye catching that she really was tempted by the contrast. However, she was still having a bad premonition. A hunch of her was pushing inside her stomach to run away.

She bit her lips in dejection. This time, she would not going to give in. She would stay in the party, and keep giving moral support to her mother. She still need to go to her again, she would not run away cowardly now.

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**Special note: As you know I lack creativity when it comes to fashion, so I took a reference again (you will see the result in following chapters), and that's also from Zuhair Murad. Yes yes, his designs cost a fortune and we can just start counting the numbers with millions. But then again, I didn't want to use an actual designer's name because it could effect his reputation or vice versa, so I just changed it to another name. And the dress I'm gonna describe later, I'll use one of his design's picture (available on internet) as an inspiration and I changed the style as well as the colour a little too (of course in words). So dear readers, as well as the original creator and authorities involved, just forgive this poor soul for the lack of her creativity.

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