"Miss Lucy!" Mona called out as she hurried into the shop. She was still catching her breath, but her face stayed sweet—classic influencer smile, the kind that knows exactly when the camera's rolling.
Lucy turned calmly and greeted her with a gentle smile.
"Ah, Mona. Welcome back."
Caleb stood silently behind the flower racks. His breath was steady behind the mask, his eyes unblinking.
"I thought your shop wouldn't open again," Mona said casually. "After… that whole thing."
Lucy let out a soft laugh while adjusting some flower petals on the counter.
"Ahh… sorry about that. I had some family stuff to deal with. But this shop means a lot to me."
Her eyes met Mona's directly. Her smile was warm. Her face calm. Not a hint of hesitation.
"Shutting it down… would've been too painful. I just couldn't let it go that easily."
Mona nodded, seemingly satisfied, and gave a quick wave to the camera—still streaming live.
But Caleb?
He didn't move.
He just watched Lucy's face—how her tone changed, how she crafted each smile and word like she was reading from a script in her head.
Earlier, Lucy said she opened this flower shop out of boredom. Just for fun.
Now… she says it's important?
Her words were smooth. Her expression was sincere.
And that was exactly what made it so disturbing.
She's acting, Caleb thought. And she's damn good at it.
Mona turned back to her phone with a bright smile.
"Guys, thanks for walking with me all the way here~ Don't forget to like and share! I'm buying flowers for my grandma—she's been sick lately… See you!"
She gave a wave, then tapped her phone. The live ended.
Lucy glanced at Caleb—a quick, sharp look. Like she was saying, Don't do anything stupid right now.
Caleb got the message.
Stayed quiet.
Kept his hands busy with a pot on the lower shelf, though every nerve in his ear was locked on them.
"I didn't think you'd drop by today," Lucy said casually while arranging more flowers, like this was just small talk.
"Of course," Mona replied. "This place is nostalgic. Back when I was still a dork—I'd come here all the time, venting about my dreams of becoming an influencer."
Lucy smiled again, eyes still soft.
"And now you've made it, huh?"
Mona nodded, a little proud.
"Yeah… I kinda blew up after that whole ButtManiac thing went viral. My followers jumped by like… two hundred thousand."
"Oh?" Lucy tilted her head slightly.
"I remember you once said you hated being the center of attention. But now it seems…"
Mona chuckled. "Hehe… true. But, y'know… the world's tough. You gotta grab your moment."
"That video…" Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"I saw it. I follow you, remember?"
Mona looked surprised.
"Oh—right! I totally forgot. Thanks, Miss Lucy."
Lucy squinted a little, but still smiled.
"But I've been wondering… you're okay talking about 'toxic parents' and stuff like that? I mean, that's a pretty heavy topic."
The vibe shifted.
Mona laughed nervously, eyes darting left and right.
"Hmm… yeah, I guess. But… I mean, I was just sharing what other people went through too…"
Lucy stayed quiet. Gently adjusting the flowers. Her hands moved gracefully, but the silence was growing heavier.
Mona started to fidget.
"But… if you think I went too far, I could… maybe take it down later. It's just… the ad money's been really good."
She looked down a bit.
"I can use it to help pay for my grandma's treatment."
Lucy looked at Mona with a faint smile, then asked softly,
"Hmmmm... Mona… do you even believe the whole ButtManiac thing?"
Mona went quiet for a moment, her eyes slowly drifting toward the flower arrangement near the register.
"It was just a photo going around," Lucy continued, her tone still calm—but sharper now.
"No video. No solid proof."
Mona let out a small, bitter laugh.
"If I said I'm not even sure myself… that'd sound kinda messed up, huh?"
Lucy leaned forward a bit, her fingers gently adjusting the flowers, but her voice had turned colder.
"Men are like that. They'll always look guilty… because the world wants them to look guilty.
And sure—sometimes they really are assholes. But more often than not… they're just made into scapegoats."
The words hung in the air.
Caleb froze behind the flower racks, his chest tightening.
But before Lucy could say more, Mona suddenly spoke up again, her voice raspy.
"My parents… before they died… they had a ton of debt. I used to think I could pay it off slowly."
She looked down, fingers gripping the strap of her sling bag.
"But now the interest just keeps growing. And the person who used to help me… doesn't want to anymore."
Lucy stayed silent. But her gaze shifted—not pity, but focus.
"He said…" Mona continued, her voice barely above a whisper,
"…if I wanted, he'd pay it all off."
"If I'd sleep with him."
Caleb held his breath.
In that moment, all the hate he'd been storing up for Mona… twisted into something way more complicated than he'd expected.
Mona gave a crooked smile.
"That's why I have to make money, Miss Lucy. Right now… being an influencer is all I've got."
She stared at the floor, then slowly looked up.
"And yeah, even if that whole story was fake… I'm still gonna use it. I'll squeeze every bit of exposure, every ad, every donation."
Her eyes shimmered—not with sadness, but with resolve.
"I… I can't go back to being the girl who just waits around doing nothing."