She turned around to leave thinking everything was settled but only for someone to yank her hair and shoved her into the wall.
"Didn't you decide to let me go so how dare you sneak up on me," Joanna yelled as she massaged her painful scalp.
All Joanna's thoughts were that her attacker was Adhara and that is why she didn't bother to turn around before she talked.
She was amazed after she spun and saw that her attacker was Laura and not her stepmother.
"Hey, I just saved his guts and you from weeping your eyes out so what is wrong huh?" Joanna snarled.
"Shouldn't you thank me...,"
"I should be thanking you?" Laura scoffed, her index finger pointed at Joanna.
"Do you expect me to thank you for setting me up and ruining my birthday party...,"
"What are you saying?" Joanna immediately feigns ignorance of the accusation Laura threw at her.
"I know you did this so you can quit with the pretence," Laura accused and moved towards Joanna.
Just then, three muscular men in blue suits who entered the hall not long ago arrived at the scene of the commotion.
"Take your Young Miss home," Mr Anderson ordered the three men.
Instantly, the three men walked over to Laura. One grabbed her right hand and another held her left while the last one created a path for them.
"Let go of me," Laura yelled and tried to wrestle her way out of their hold but they didn't budge neither did they obey her orders.
Despite all her struggles, Laura was forcefully escorted out of the hall by the three men. Adhara was too disappointed in Laura to plead for her.
And Madam Cora chose such a bad time to remain silent.
After the commotion died off Mr Anderson climbed the stage and addressed everyone.
"To everyone present here, I and my entire family want to apologise for all the inconveniences you might have experienced tonight," Mr Anderson apologised and bowed his head.
For a man like him who hated bowing to others, it hurt his pride to bow for the ruckus he took no part in but he had no choice but to do this.
While he was still talking Joanna and her companions exited the hall without attracting attention to themselves.
Before they left the hotel premises Joanna sent Adhara a text message and informed her that she took Anthony with her.
After the earlier mess created by the family of the celebrants, the guests left the venue of the party one after the other.
The once highly anticipated party became an entire joke because of a single disruption.
In a brightly lit street, a car with three occupants was seen driving at a moderate speed on the free road.
"Drey, I bet you must have some bottles of whiskey in your car so where are there?" Joanna asked.
She searched the possible places Audrey would have kept a bottle of whiskey there but she couldn't find any.
"Why are you searching for that huh?" Audrey asked as she stole a glance at the lady sitting in the front seat with her.
"You drank a lot at the party. Wasn't that enough?" Audrey asked meekly. Because she was the one driving she couldn't stare at Joanna's face for a long time.
"Enough?" Joanna scoffed and peered out of the window.
"Are you looking down on me...,"
"Having high alcohol tolerance shouldn't be something to brag about. I am afraid you will be on the hospital bed when Amos decides to get back with you...,"
"I don't drink because I love it...," Joanna trailed and balled her right hand into a fist.
"I am sure I won't be able to get a wink of sleep again tonight if I don't drink until I drop...,"
"Anna!" Audrey called.
As they talked, for a moment the two friends forgot that there was another occupant of the car apart from the two of them.
"There is no need to look at me like that. I can manage just fine," Joanna, who was now staring at Audrey's face, forced a smile.
"Big Sis, did you and Brother Amos break up?" Anthony asked as he stuck his head between the front seats.
His tiny worried voice made Joanna and Audrey look behind them at the same time.
"T-t-that...," Joanna stuttered. She was too flustered to think of any lies to tell her smart little brother.
"Did he hurt you?" He asked when neither Joanna nor Audrey gave him the response he wanted.
"You can....,"
"He did nothing of such so you can relax ok...,"
"But...,"
"Tony, look at me," Joanna tilted her body closer to the door of the car so that she didn't have trouble twisting her body.
Joanna made sure he was staring into her eyes before she started. "Big Sis is just a little stressed out but I promise I will be fine. I will return to that cheerful Big Sis you know so don't worry ok?" Joanna assured him with a smile.
She raised her hands and cupped his face.
"Really?" Anthony asked, his suspicious eyeballs moving from Joanna's to Audrey's face.
"Hey, she is the one you are talking to, why are you staring at me instead?" Audrey, who caught Anthony gazing at her, mumbled.
Her grip around the steering wheel became firmer without her even realising it.
"Has your sister told you so many lies to the point that you no longer trust your beloved sister's words...,"
"Hey, what are you saying?" Joanna hits Audrey's hands lightly, and her lips pouted.
"I don't lie...,"
"If you don't then why would he need my help to confirm whether you were stating the truth...,"
"T-t-that...," Joanna stammered. She didn't know what to say to her defence knowing well that there was some truth in Audrey's accusation.
Joanna raised her head so that her eyes were locked with Anthony, "Don't take what your Sister Audrey said to heart because I promise you that in a few days, you will see me bouncing back to my former self," Joanna assured and beamed at him.
The journey from there onwards was more lively than the earlier part of their journey.
Just so they won't get home early Audrey took the siblings on a night drive around the kingdom.
