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MidReal Story
Petals of Hope
Anonymous
Jul 9
Scenario:I, Lily, can't wait to be loved again.
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Sarah Thompson
nosy neighbor and gossip columnist, acquaintance of Lily and Mark, curly red hair, freckled face, curious and witty
Mark Jennings
supportive friend and local baker, friend to Lily, short blonde hair, blue eyes, kind and humorous
Lily Carter
heartbroken florist, single, long brown hair, green eyes, resilient and hopeful
Chapter 1
I’m not a big fan of surprises.
At least not the kind that jump out from behind doors or scare the crap out of you.
I prefer the good kind of surprises.
The ones that make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
But sometimes, surprises can be bittersweet.
Like the one I got today when I was working in my flower shop, Lily’s Petals, and glanced out the window to see Mark Jennings walking down the street with a pretty brunette hanging on his arm.
Mark is my best friend, and he’s been gone for the past two weeks on a much-needed vacation.
The brunette is his girlfriend, who he met at the singles’ event we both attended a few months ago.
I should be happy for him, and I am.
Mark is a great guy, and he deserves to find someone special.
I turn my attention back to the bouquet in front of me, my hands trembling slightly as I arrange the flowers.
The roses need to be perfect, just like everything else in this shop.
But my eyes keep drifting back to the window, to Mark and his new girlfriend.
They look so happy together, and it makes my heart sink a little.
I force myself to focus on the task at hand, but it's hard when all I can think about is how different things are now.
The bell above the door jingles, and I look up to see Mark walking in with the brunette by his side.
"Lily!" Mark exclaims, his face lighting up with a smile. "I want you to meet someone."
I plaster on a smile, even though it feels like my heart is being squeezed in a vice.
"Hi," I say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm Lily."
The brunette steps forward, extending her hand. "Emily," she says with a warm smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Mark talks about you all the time."
"All good things, I hope," I reply, shaking her hand.
"Of course," Emily laughs. "He says you're the best florist in town."
I glance at Mark, who is watching me closely. "Well, I do my best," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
Mark wraps an arm around Emily's shoulders. "Emily's been dying to see your shop," he says. "She loves flowers."
"Really?" I say, forcing another smile. "That's great."
Emily starts wandering around the shop, admiring the arrangements. "Everything is so beautiful," she says. "You have such a talent."
"Thank you," I reply, but my heart isn't in it.
Mark steps closer to me, lowering his voice. "Are you okay?" he asks.
"I'm fine," I lie. "Just busy."
He frowns, clearly not convinced. "You sure?"
"Yeah," I say, waving him off. "Don't worry about me."
Emily returns to Mark's side, beaming. "This place is amazing," she says. "I could spend hours here."
"Maybe we should let Lily get back to work," Mark suggests gently.
"Right," Emily agrees. "We don't want to keep you."
"It was nice meeting you," I say as they head for the door.
"You too," Emily replies with a smile.
As they leave, the bell jingles again and Sarah Thompson walks in.
She has a smirk on her face that makes me uneasy.
"Well, well," she says, sauntering up to the counter. "Looks like someone's got some competition."
"What do you want, Sarah?" I ask, not in the mood for her games.
"Oh, nothing much," she says casually. "Just thought you'd like to know something interesting about your friend's new girlfriend."
My curiosity is piqued despite myself. "What do you mean?"
Sarah leans in closer, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Let's just say Emily isn't who she appears to be."
Before I can press her for more information, the shop phone rings urgently behind me.
I glance at it and then back at Sarah.
"I have to take this," I say reluctantly.
Sarah shrugs. "Suit yourself. But if you want to know more, you know where to find me."
I grab the phone and answer it quickly.
"Lily's Petals, how can I help you?"
A frantic voice comes through the line.
"Lily! It's an emergency! We need flowers for a wedding—today!"
My mind races as I try to process everything happening at once.
"I'll take care of it," I promise before hanging up.
When I turn back around, Sarah is gone.
And I'm left standing there with more questions than answers and a ticking clock counting down to chaos.
