Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

Mr. Tanner was completely floored by Flora's words, left speechless and stunned for what felt like an eternity. This girl had some nerve!

But...

Oddly enough, he didn't feel the slightest bit annoyed. Instead, he found himself thinking she had a point.

"Dr. Ray, is there anything else?" Flora asked, her voice cool and collected as she glanced at the equally dumbfounded Dr. Ray.

"N-no... nothing else," Dr. Ray stammered out, still reeling from the shock.

"Alright then, I'm leaving." She had to get back to Connor.

Without waiting for a response, Flora turned on her heel and walked out. No one dared to stop her. Everyone just stood there, watching her leave, completely dazed and taking forever to snap out of it.

"Seriously, Old Ray, how did you teach Flora?!" Mr. Tanner finally blurted out, nearly a minute after Flora had walked out.

Where did she get that kind of confidence and boldness?

Who raised her to have such a fierce spirit?

Dr. Ray shot him a look that spoke volumes.

Teach her?

How could he possibly teach her anything? It was clear she was a force of nature, not someone you could simply instruct!

"Move along, move along! Flora's gone, there's no point standing around here!" Dr. Ray grumbled, feeling utterly defeated and not wanting to see Mr. Tanner. If it hadn't been for Tanner's indecisiveness, none of this would have happened.

Mr. Tanner left, his face a storm cloud of regret. Who would've thought that Flora, despite her young age, could be so headstrong, refusing to budge if she didn't want to.

"What are you all standing around for? Get back to work!" Dr. Ray barked at Shawn, Darcy, and the others, snapping them out of their stupor.

Still, they couldn't shake off the excitement and awe.

Flora...

She was something else!

Her words still echoed in their minds, filling them with a burning ambition. When would they have the guts to say, in the field of medicine, no one could surpass them?

...

After leaving the lab, Flora headed back to Shallow Bay. Moss was at the door, opening it for her with a respectful nod.

""Hey, Flora, you're back?"

Flora barely stepped inside when she heard a voice she knew all too well.

She glanced over at Ray, who was leaning against the kitchen's sliding door, and tossed her backpack onto the sofa. "Back to freeload again?"

"You've eaten at my place countless

times without paying a dime. What's wrong with me grabbing a couple of meals here?" Ray shot back with a smirk his flirtatious eyes twinkling with mischief. "Look at you, being all stingy."

As he spoke, he yelled back into the kitchen, "Connor, go easy on the chili. Aisha and your Flora prefer milder flavors."

"If I were Aisha, I wouldn't like you either," Flora said, watching him for a moment.

"What?" Ray turned to her, genuinely surprised.

"You won't even cook a meal for Aisha, so why should she like you?" Flora replied bluntly.

Ray frowned, clearly not agreeing. "I can afford a housekeeper. The housekeeper can cook all kinds of dishes, from Italian to French to Mexican... whatever she wants. Why dot need to cook?"

It wasn't that he believed men shouldn't cook. He just didn't see the point when he could hire someone to do it. Whatever Aisha liked, he could have someone make i for her so why should he cook?