Chapter 3
After leaving Nathaniel’s place, I opened a mall, modest flower shop at a local market.
Years of growing plants had led me to fall in love with the simple life of working with flowers
They’re way easier to deal with than prople who have no heart
What I didn’t expect was to run into someone I didn’t want to see so soon
Isabella, decked out in all the latest fashion, holding a bunch of overly flashy roses.
She pretended not to see me, standing at the shop door, snapping pictures, occasionally sending voice messages to Nathaniel porting on a street art.
I immediately felt like the sweet seat of flowers was tinted with a sourness.
“So you’ve been hiding out here to run this shop?”
It was no surprise to see Nathaniel, holding on
His gaze was deep, but his words were full of sarcas
Tignored him, focusing on trumming the flowers.
Seeing I wouldn’t engage, Nathaniel got frustrated.
“wine What’s with this attitude?
I reluctantly looked up, calmly asking “What’s the matter?”
“If you don’t need anything, kirully leave. Don’t disrupt my business.”
His face darkened at my coldness
“Viviane, why are you throwing away your life as Mrs. Morgan and running this low–class flower shop?”
“Did I or my family treat you badly?”
He scoured the shop with a critical eye.
The shop was neatly arranged with flowers of every type and color.
But there was one thing masing–mandrake flowers
“Where are the mandrakes?
Nathaniel asked, then his tone softened as if he had an idea.
“I know you’re still upset about that plant.”
“If you come back. F’ll open ten flower shops for you.”
Our son looked at me, his eyes full of hope
I set down my shears and gave them no response.
“Small business doesn’t compare to Nathaniel’s empire.”
Please leave me to work.”
Nathaniel didn’t say anything, but his eyes burned with intensity.
14:22
Ditched My Toxic bus for a Bonaire Upgrade!
Chapter 3
Isabella, always the troublemaker, chimed in
“Vivianne, I know you’re upset, but it’s been a while.
“Don’t you care about Nathaniel and Henry’sheahb?”
I looked down at the flower in my hands, replying indifferently.
“Oh, then maybe you should spend more time with them.”
Nathaniel’s face went completely dark
“Don’t you even care about being a good wife to Nathaniel
“I’m giving you one last chance.”
“Come home with me, and I pretend nothing happened.”
Our son reached out, trying to grab my hand
Iflinched away, feeling the familiar pain flare up
I knew it was from an old injury, so 1 locked the shop door, leaving them on the outside.
Maybe it was just me, but I swore I saw disappointment on Nathaniel and our son’s faces as the door clicked shut.
Outside, habella’s voice called out.
“Nathaniel, I found a place. There’s a mandrake garden on the outskirts of town.”
“They say the entire mountain is covered in mandrakes”
“This time, we’ll definitely find the Seven–Star mandrake.”
Something about these words seemed to hit Nathanael and our son hard
Nathaniel didn’t speak for a while, and Henry mumbled, his voice thick with emotion
They knew.
The “mandrake garden they were talking about was just a barren mountain ten years ago.
The mandrakes that now covered it were all plants I had painstakingly nurtured, one by one.
