Until the last petal drops

Kalina's heart raced as she walked briskly from the mall, her mind consumed with thoughts of Improving her flower shop. But as she reached for her phone to check the time, she was greeted by a series of notifications that sent chills down her spine. Amount after amount, her hard-earned savings were being withdrawn from her account, the account she had entrusted to her boyfriend.

Panic rising, she dialed his number, her fingers trembling with each press of the screen. But the phone rang and rang, unanswered. She tried again, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, he picked up. What she heard next shattered her world into a million pieces.

"Why are you withdrawing money from my savings account, Landon?" She asked with a trembling voice as soon as he picked.

"Oh, hey Kalina. I didn't expect you to call." He said so casually.

Was he being serious right now? She thought.

"Answer my question, Landon. What's going on with my savings?" Kalina demanded voice cracking.

He responded in a nonchalant and bored tone. "Oh, that. I needed some extra cash. Don't worry, I'll pay you back."

Kalina's voice began to rise. "You're taking money from me without even asking? And what about my business? That money was meant for my future!"

"Look, Kalina, I don't have time for this. I have better things to do than listen to your complaints." he said impatiently.

Kalina was shocked. It was like Landon didn't understand the gravity of what his actions would cost her "What? What do you mean, 'better things'? What's going on, Landon?"

She wished she didn't ask because what he said sent chills down her spine.

"I'll tell you what's going on. I never loved you, Kalina. You were just a convenience, someone to pay for my expenses while I looked for someone better. And guess what? I found her." He told her coldly.

She couldn't believe this. She thought he loved her, why was he doing this?

"I don't understand… How could you do this to me, Landon? I trusted you…" Kalina's voice broke.

"Trust? Please, Kalina. You were always so rigid, so focused on your business. You were never any fun. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone else to take care of you. Goodbye, Kalina." He told her smugly.

Kalina was left speechless, tears streamed down her face as she struggled to comprehend the betrayal she'd just experienced.

Now she was seated at the bar of a club staring at her drink looking dejected. Aiden the bartender, who was also her Best-friend was behind the bar, polishing glasses and glancing over at her. He gave Kalina a concerned look.

As Kalina sulked, Aiden could tell that something was wrong with her and he even had a good idea about what it was but he didn't want to pry. But as a friend, he also wanted to help her in anyway he could. He took a deep breath and walked over to her still behind the bar.

"You are doing ok?" He asked his voice gentle.

Kalina looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. "I'am fine," she said, her voice cracking He noded sympathetically, deep down he knew she wasn't fine.

He offered her a refill on her drink. Kalina waved him off, but he filled her glass anyway, sliding it over to her. Kalina took a sip of her drink and looked down at the bar, Avoiding Aiden's gaze.

"You don't have to pretend with me," he said Reaching out and touching her arm. "I can tell something's wrong. You can talk to me you know." He probed. He knew what was wrong but he wanted her to admit it herself.

Kalina hesitated because she knew Aiden had warned her about Landon when she first started dating him, but she decided to open up. She finally looked up at Aiden, her eyes brimming with tears as it finally dawned on her that her gold digger of a boyfriend had indeed Absconded after clearing her account.

"It's just…it's been a really rough week."

In the days after her boyfriend's disappearance, Kalina was consumed by a mix of emotions. She felt shock, anger, and deep betrayal. She had trusted him completely, and he had taken advantage of that trust. It was like a punch to the gut, a gut-wrenching realization that he had been lying to her the whole time. She couldn't believe she had been so blind to his true nature all because she believed that everyone deserved love. And on top of all that, there was the practical problem of the money he had stolen from her.

Watching the blooming love of her adoptive parents while growing up, made her a huge believer of love.

She was only a few months old when she was left in the cold winter air with nothing but a thin pink blanket and the basket she was in doing nothing to shield her from the cold air biting her fragile pale skin.

If Mrs Morgan her adoptive mother who was in her earlier sixties had found her a second later, she would have frozen to death. Mr and Mrs Morgan didn't have children so they went ahead to adopt her showering her with all of the love in the world. So she grew up believing that everyone deserved to be loved.

Kalina was their little bundle of flower with her red hair, blue eyes and pale skin. Her name, literally meant flower. She grew up a happy and cheerful kid, spreading love and flower whenever her parent would take her to the park or whenever they would take her out on a walk.

Sadly, when she was 18, her parents were involved in a hit and run on their way back from a flower delivery and they died on impact, leaving her all alone.

Thankfully, Aiden and his parents stuck to her helping her with the funeral arrangements and the business till she was ok enough to take responsibility of the flower shop.

"What happened?" Aiden asks, giving her a sympathetic look. "Did something happen at The flower shop , or...?" He trails off, wanting her to fill in the blank spaces.

Kalina sighs. "It's... it's complicated," she says, her voice breaking again. "I'm not sure where to even start."

Aiden considers this for a moment. "How about we start at the beginning?" he suggests.

"It's just... he said he loved me, you know?" Kalina said wiping off a traitor stray tears furiously "And I really believed him. But then he just took off, with all my savings. He was supposed to invest it for me for my business sake, and now it's all gone."

Rolling his eyes, Aiden Spoke "I warned you, Lina. I told you that guy was bad news. But you wouldn't listen to me. And now look what happened. What did you expect?"

Kalina glared angrily at him. Now was not the time for an 'I told you so' but apparently Aiden didn't get the memo "Thanks for rubbing it in, Aiden.You're such a big help." She fired sarcastically.

"You didn't listen to me when I warned you about him. I knew he was bad news the moment I saw him, but you wouldn't heed. Now look what happened. He stole your money, and you're heartbroken. I tried to tell you he was just using you, but you still wouldn't listen. Do you see now why I was so concerned?"

He sure wasn't winning the best friend of the year award that's for sure.

What Kalina didn't know was that the only reason Aiden was being insensitive at the moment was because he was in love with her and she was too blind to see it.

He has been in love with her since the first day they met at the park when she was 8 and he 12. She had given him a bunch of ponies before declaring them Best friends for life.

Kalina felt the sting of her friend's words, but she was too upset to feel the full impact of his smugness. She couldn't believe that he was so unsympathetic, but she also knew he had been right all along. She had been so naive, and now she was paying the price. She tried to respond calmly, but her voice betrayed her anger and hurt.

"I know you were right. I was wrong to trust him. But right now, I just want to figure out what to do next.

"Look, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and take responsibility for what happened. You put yourself in this situation, so you need to own up to your mistakes." He said harshly

A moment of silence stretched on, as Kalina struggled to process what her friend had just said. The words echoed in her mind, and a sick feeling of guilt and anger rose in her chest. She felt her face flush, and her hands started to tremble. Her friend's words stung, and she struggled to find the right response. But in that moment, the only thing she could think of was how much she wanted to get away.

"I know I was wrong but you don't have to be mean about it" Kalina says, voice shaky

" Just calling it like I see it. Some people never learn." He shrug tapping his fingers away on the granite counter.

Kalina took a deep breath, struggling to keep her composure. She knew she had to respond, but she didn't know what to say. Finally, she looked up at her friend and said,"I can't believe you're being so insensitive right now. I don't need you to make me feel worse - I need you to be a friend. But I guess you're not capable of that." Glaring at him with anger and hurt filled eyes, she continues "I... I need some time to think about what you said. I can't talk about this right now." Picking up her drink, she added "Well, I'm done here. Thanks for nothing."

Kalina stood up, ready to leave, but her friend reached out to stop her. "Wait! Just let me explain -" he started, but Kalina cut him off. "I don't want to hear any more insensitive remarks from you," she said, her voice shaking. She turned and started walking away, only to be intercepted by two new customers who were arriving at the bar. As Kalina brushed past them, she saw her friend out of the corner of her eye, looking defeated.

Not looking at where she was going,She bumped into a tall and broad-shouldered stranger, with piercing grey eyes. Spilling her drink on his expensive looking Amani. He has a proud, almost regal bearing, but he also seems to be constantly simmering with anger. He radiates an air of arrogance and superiority, as if he thinks he's better than everyone around him.

The stranger's eyes were like two chips of glacier ice, sharp and cold. A storm raged within them, as if a blizzard raged behind his pupils. They were filled with fury, and the anger in them was so intense that it almost seemed to swirl in their grey depths. They were like whirlpools of wrath, threatening to drag Kalina down into their depths.

His eyebrows were like two perfect crescent moons, arched over his eyes like the dark shadows of a storm cloud. They seemed to frame his eyes, drawing attention to their icy depths.

The stranger's nose was small and straight, but his full lips were a perfect contrast to its delicate lines. They were plump and pink, and they gave his face a sense of warmth and sensuality. His mouth was a perfect frame for his lips, and the expression on his face was thoughtful and pensive.

He had a high,sculpted cheekbone with a chiseled jawline and chin. His chiseled face had a warm golden tan that glowed under the lights of the club.

His healthy silky black hair looked well groomed and neatly styled. He was fit and athletic, with the physique of someone who clearly visited the gym often.

Kalina who was clearly checking him out wasn't at all blind to his attractiveness but the fury in his eyes made her start fumbling out an apology.

With an expression of rage and disgust, Dominique interrupted Kalina's fumbling apology. "What is wrong with you?!" he said in a voice that was loud enough to make everyone nearby turn to look. "You've completely ruined my suit!"