Marrying my father's friend, in love with my best friend

"Where is that food!?" she jerked up the sofa seeking for escapism. Her heart couldn't take be this close to him, and having him look at him like she was the center of his world when she clearly wasn't .

"I'm vanish" she added, walking naturally to the dining table.

The house was superb as always but she noticed it was more decorated as normal, as if a party would be going on. The maid keep on walking up and down, putting and removing things.

"I cook your favorite," Ivy heart warm up. It feel so good to be love and cherish. Even though she didn't have Liam love, she had wonderful parents.

"Mushroom risotto!" she beamed. She walked straight to her chair, which was on the left of the central chair, meant for her father. She served herself, not waiting for the others.

Her parents laughed, mimicking her behaviour. They took their seats. Sofia sitting on Karl left and Liam beside Ivy.

"How can you even eat this," he eyed her plate in disgust.

"It taste awful and let me not talk about how it smell!" in one word, hate. Liam hated mushroom.

"Eh!" She gently pushed him, "I know you don't like mushroom but that give you no right to insult it. I'm not going around and talk about how disgusting broccolis and asparagus are," she took a spoon of her food. Her face lighted up.

"Like you are doing now?" he folded his arms.

"It is delicious mum," she complimented her ignoring Liam comment.

It has being so long she ate her mother food. For her, she was the best cook in the world.

"I'm glad you like it," Sofia couldn't content her smile, her family was finally completed.

"I like it? I love it!!" Ivy ate happily.

"At least you could have some healthy food among your favorite," Liam said eyeing the table full of oily food wondering what to eat.

"You are a woman aren't you suppose to take great care of what you eat?"

"What should I? I'm not like you stressing on what to eat to be beautiful. I'm naturally beautiful,"

Her comment brought everyone attention. Ivy, complimenting her looks was something unusual. She never did in the past. Confident about her brain? Sure. Here status, herself. All but her looks was never one. They watched her in awe.

"What?" she asked feeling every eyes on her.

"It strange to hear you say such things," Liam said to which her parent nodded.

She realized the meaning of her words. In the past, she never felt good about how she looked. It never really bothered her until the apparition of Shirley. She unconsciously explained it was her looks which caused Liam to never look her way. After trying and failing to gain his attention with her looks, she gave up.

It was her stay abroad who brought the real change. She realized, she couldn't claim to be a fashion and beauty company with her owner be completely out of it. It was mission to take care of her looks, who she did. It made realized how beautiful she actually was.

"Why? Aren't I beautiful?"

Liam rapidly answered, "you are. Always were. It's just, it isn't a thing Ivy talks about," the question itself surprised Liam.

Though she was only joking, hearing him call her beautiful didn't leave her indifferent. She had confidence in her looks but a compliment from the man she loves was a confident booster.

" and what is an Ivy thing to say?" she asked curious. How did her best friend portrait her?

"well…" he thrilled, thinking.

"More like-" he coughed and mimicked Ivy's voice, "-I'm so amazing, brilliant and talented. God has no mercy on others to create me this perfect," he paused. Analyzing what he just said and nodded to himself.

Ivy being confident was nothing new to him but it was new to hear her praise her physical appearance, she never did in the past.

"For real?" she asked astonish. Was she that arrogant? Upon thinking about it, she nodded. Yep, it definitely sounds like her.

Was it in fact, the core of the problem. Why he loved Shirley instead? Because, it wasn't something the girl could say.

"Thanks to remind me I'm an arrogant bitch,"

"no, no. Just arrogant. You are not a bitch-" she was already rejoicing about the compliment when he added, "-you are worst than a bitch," he laughed out.

"You are so death young man," she slapped the table giving a cold stare, but the smile on her face, she was struggling to conceal revealed her true emotions.

"stop there kids" knowing them, he knew it may end with a 'fight'. A playful one but yet, he wanted none of that.

"What are you planning to do now that you are back? Getting back in the company?" her father asked, aiming to deviate the center of attention.

"How can I? I have a company to manage and you know that,"

Karl sighed," I was just hoping to get my best employee back in my company,"

"It will be a waste of her talent to work for some else," Liam commented as he serve himself some rice.

"Don't eat that!" Ivy shouted, grabbing his hand which he was about to eat with.

"Why?" Liam asked confused.

"Is there a problem?" Sofia asked eyeing them worried.

"Mum always put ginger in her rice and you are allergic to it you dummy," she hits the back of his head.

Liam asked widen and immediately push the plate away from him in fear. He could have almost die.

"I'm so sorry dear. I completely forgot about it," Sofia apologized.

"It's okay," he smiled, "but what am I eating now," he frown looking at the table. It was the only one he was ready to stomach.

"You must not eat," Karl commented which earned him a glare from the women of the table.

"Take this," Ivy place the big bowl of salad in front of him, "At least you won't put your health at risk, diva,"

Liam rolled his eyes, "Come to me in some years,"

"I will eat shrimps," he decided. He pulled the large plate closer to himself.

"You know how to open them?"

"I'm an adult now, of course I know,"

"You were an adult at twenty two years old," she rolled her hand before helping him with the shrink.

"You just came but you are already treating me like a baby," he smiled watching her.

"Because you are a baby," she joined him with an earful smile.

Liam look at his plate with a glow in his eyes. It has being long since someone did it for him. With her being absence, he learnt to do it himself as he didn't like it when it was done by someone else. It disgusted him, even Shirley own he couldn't stomach. Ivy was the only person doing it which he eat without feeling nauseous. Why? It was a mystery to himself.