Chapter 3 · Becoming The Lover To My Crush's Murderer

Chapter 3

I quickly dropped my gaze, my voice soft and humble. "It's nothing special, Miss Torres. I'm hardly worthy of your praise."

Grady stood off to the side, not bothering to intervene. Instead, he seemed to appreciate how meek I was, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"But," Erica said, tossing the wilted flower to the ground and gently grinding it under her shoe.

She shot Grady a meaningful glance before her eyes landed back on me. "These flowers are way too cold and plain for Grady. He only likes roses. They're passionate, vibrant, and impossible to ignore."

I lifted my gaze, my eyes shining with just the right touch of admiration and shyness. In a soft voice, I echoed, "Miss Torres, you really do have great taste. Grady always says you're like his favorite rose, that you're irresistibly stunning, and the one and only in his eyes."

That "quoted" compliment pleased both Erica and Grady.

A smug look flickered across Erica's face as she cozied up to Grady, looping her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder. But her eyes landed back on me, her voice sounding like she was doing me a favor. "Well then, Miss Clark, please take care of my flowers.

"Those rose bushes over there are kind of a mess. Since you know your way around flowers, could you help sort them out?"

Grady didn't say a word, but his silence was as good as agreement.

Mila couldn't bear to watch any longer and quietly handed me a pair of gardening gloves.

But Erica let out a soft laugh and stopped me. "Oh, the top florists I know in the country all say they have to use their bare hands to really feel the life in the flowers. Gloves? That's so amateur." She was talking nonsense, and everyone knew it.

Grady adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes settling on me with a silent command that was hard to ignore.

"Do as Erica says," he said.

He was using this as a way to calm Erica down and remind me to stay in line.

I lowered my head, kept silent, and sank to my knees, quietly sorting through the rose branches scattered on the ground. They were past their prime but still bristling with thorns.

Erica's mocking laugh floated down from above, dripping with disdain. "Grady, look at her down there. Doesn't she just look like a dog?"

Her words hung in the air, thick with malice.

I looked up at her, giving her a wan, submissive smile. Cold sweat broke out on my brow from the pain of the thorns digging into my fingertips, making me look even more pitiful. "As long as it makes you happy, Miss Torres."

My reaction bored her. She let out a huff, turned away, and settled into a wicker chair, looking utterly uninterested as she leisurely sipped her coffee.

I kept working on the roses, tuning out the world around me.

It wasn't until Mila suddenly cried out, "Miss Clark, your hands! And why are you so pale?"

Before she could finish, my body gave out and everything went dark. I collapsed to the side. In the last blurry moment before I blacked out, I felt a strong arm catching me. It was Grady.

I leaned weakly into his arms, barely able to whisper, "I'm sorry, Grady. I couldn't finish it..."

*****

The hospital room was thick with the sharp smell of disinfectant.

I drifted back to consciousness, frowning as a stinging pain shot up my arms.

Grady immediately handed me a glass of water, his face tight with worry. "The doctor said you were exhausted and had low blood sugar. What happened?"

I kept my head down, my hair framing my pale face.

Under his increasingly impatient gaze, I pretended to make up my mind and spoke in a low voice, "I-I remember you said the new 'Romantic' roses are hard to cultivate. I thought I could do one last thing for you and decorate your engagement party with Miss Torres using roses I grew myself."

My voice broke, and I turned my face away, refusing to look at him, my shoulders trembling.

Grady grew even moodier.

He'd just proposed to Erica, mostly out of a fear of losing control and being abandoned by her all over again.

However, instead of throwing a fit, I went out of my way to prepare one last gift for him. The sharp contrast was like a thorn in his heart.

"One last thing for me?" Grady grabbed my chin roughly, forcing me to meet his eyes. They burned with anger, and underneath it, a panic he didn't even notice himself. "Zoe, who said you could just decide to walk away?"

I stared up at him, tears blurring my vision, my heart aching with unbelievable sadness. "I know I'm just a replacement. Now that Miss Torres is back, I... I can't overstay my welcome."

"Who told you you're just a replacement?" he snapped, like I'd struck a nerve. He let go of my chin, as though my tears had scalded him. "And when did you get to call the shots about leaving?"

Chapter 3

I quickly dropped my gaze, my voice soft and humble. "It's nothing special, Miss Torres. I'm hardly worthy of your praise."

Grady stood off to the side, not bothering to intervene. Instead, he seemed to appreciate how meek I was, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"But," Erica said, tossing the wilted flower to the ground and gently grinding it under her shoe.

She shot Grady a meaningful glance before her eyes landed back on me. "These flowers are way too cold and plain for Grady. He only likes roses. They're passionate, vibrant, and impossible to ignore."

That "quoted" compliment pleased both Erica and Grady.

"Those rose bushes over there are kind of a mess. Since you know your way around flowers, could you help sort them out?"

Grady didn't say a word, but his silence was as good as agreement.

Mila couldn't bear to watch any longer and quietly handed me a pair of gardening gloves.

Grady adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes settling on me with a silent command that was hard to ignore.

"Do as Erica says," he said.

He was using this as a way to calm Erica down and remind me to stay in line.

I lowered my head, kept silent, and sank to my knees, quietly sorting through the rose branches scattered on the ground. They were past their prime but still bristling with thorns.

Erica's mocking laugh floated down from above, dripping with disdain. "Grady, look at her down there. Doesn't she just look like a dog?"

Her words hung in the air, thick with malice.

My reaction bored her. She let out a huff, turned away, and settled into a wicker chair, looking utterly uninterested as she leisurely sipped her coffee.

I kept working on the roses, tuning out the world around me.

It wasn't until Mila suddenly cried out, "Miss Clark, your hands! And why are you so pale?"

Before she could finish, my body gave out and everything went dark. I collapsed to the side. In the last blurry moment before I blacked out, I felt a strong arm catching me. It was Grady.

I leaned weakly into his arms, barely able to whisper, "I'm sorry, Grady. I couldn't finish it..."

*****

The hospital room was thick with the sharp smell of disinfectant.

I drifted back to consciousness, frowning as a stinging pain shot up my arms.

Grady immediately handed me a glass of water, his face tight with worry. "The doctor said you were exhausted and had low blood sugar. What happened?"

I kept my head down, my hair framing my pale face.

My voice broke, and I turned my face away, refusing to look at him, my shoulders trembling.

Grady grew even moodier.

He'd just proposed to Erica, mostly out of a fear of losing control and being abandoned by her all over again.

However, instead of throwing a fit, I went out of my way to prepare one last gift for him. The sharp contrast was like a thorn in his heart.

I stared up at him, tears blurring my vision, my heart aching with unbelievable sadness. "I know I'm just a replacement. Now that Miss Torres is back, I... I can't overstay my welcome."

"Who told you you're just a replacement?" he snapped, like I'd struck a nerve. He let go of my chin, as though my tears had scalded him. "And when did you get to call the shots about leaving?"