Chapter 18: A Slap in the Face

Monica glared at Olive. The dress seemed tailored to Olive's figure. Olive was not only beautiful but captivating; had she not been sent to an orphanage, she would have undoubtedly mingled with Los Angeles's socialites.

Monica stepped forward, taking Olive's small hands affectionately. "Olive, you've changed your dress. Come, let me introduce you to some friends. Wait, why is your dress so familiar? Isn't this the princess dress Gabriella is supposed to wear tonight?"

Olive showed no surprise; she knew the confrontation was imminent.

Gabriella stared at Olive, wide-eyed. "Olive, why are you wearing my princess dress? Today's my birthday, right? This luminous princess dress is a birthday gift from my mother…"

Pearl chimed in, "Olive, you're going too far! Today's Gabriella's birthday; why did you steal her dress?"

Gabriella's friends, aware of her luminous princess dress, began whispering amongst themselves. "What's wrong with this Olive girl? Was she trying to steal Gabriella's clothes to show off? That's so selfish!" one muttered. Another added, "I heard she just returned from the orphanage. I'm sure she couldn't take her eyes off the dress, so she stole it. What a shame!"

The guests' stares turned hostile. Patrick approached, hoping to avoid further embarrassing drama. He glared at Olive and reprimanded her in a low voice. "Olive, today is Gabriella's birthday. Why would you steal her dress? You really have no sense. Go change upstairs immediately, and don't come down until the party is over."

Gabriella blinked repeatedly, on the verge of tears. "Dad, please forgive her. After all, Olive and I are sisters. If you want, I could give her the dress." Two tears rolled down her cheeks.

The women present scowled at Olive with disdain. "Gabriella's too kind. If it were me, she'd have to take the dress off!" one voice declared. Another agreed, "Absolutely!"

The scene played out exactly as Monica had planned. A smug smirk touched her lips. "Olive, why don't you go upstairs for a while…"

Olive, silent until now, furrowed her brows and muttered, "This dress is mine, not Gabriella's."

Her words ignited an uproar. Monica, sensing trouble, quickly said, "Olive, no need to argue. Let's go upstairs."

Olive looked at the floor, adding with a hint of resentment, "The dress isn't from Luminous; it's an imitation."

Imitation?

Most guests were Luminous fans. A woman immediately stepped forward to examine the zip's logo. "This dress is…a high-quality imitation," she concluded.

What!

Monica and Gabriella felt their hearts sink. Gabriella rushed forward, incredulous, "Are you sure?"

"The Luminous logo has an eagle. But this one, as you can see, the bird isn't an eagle," the woman explained, showing Gabriella the zip.

The crowd exchanged glances. "It turns out Olive didn't wear Gabriella's dress. But why is she wearing a fake one?"

Olive, lowering her head, explained in a barely audible voice, "It's Gabriella's birthday. Mom called and told me to dress nicely. But I didn't have a nice dress, so I spent my last money on this imitation. I know what I did was wrong, but I wanted to attend my sister's birthday party. Dad, I didn't want to embarrass you. I just wanted to fit in after all these years." Her voice cracked as she wiped away a tear.

Olive's emotional confession shifted the situation. "What's really going on? It seems Patrick doesn't love Olive." someone whispered. Another chimed in, "Look at Gabriella crying like she's the victim, when Olive is the real victim." "It's Monica who should be blamed! Why didn't she buy Olive a dress? Is it because she's not her biological daughter?"

The tide had turned. Monica was caught completely off guard; she hadn't known the Luminous dress she bought was fake. Patrick felt humiliated, standing shamefaced with his hands in his pockets. Monica and Gabriella stared at Olive, defeated. Once again, Olive had outsmarted them.