Chapter 1
It all happened because my boyfriend, Dwayne Richmond, made one wrong tap on his phone, and I was dragged into The Enchanted Florist, a super exclusive flower appreciation group.
One said: [Top-tier Orchid, about to bloom, all-natural and pure. If you know, DM for details.]
The picture was just some generic orchid pulled off the internet.
The whole vibe of their flower-selling talk was seriously creepy. Everyone in the group went by flower-themed nicknames, and they kept tossing around the word "picking" like it was some kind of code.
Then, out of nowhere, someone dropped a private photo. And the "Orchid" in that shot was actually my sister.
Someone asked: [How much for this Orchid plant?]
I stared at the screen. That was sent from Dwayne's account.
He was in the shower, his phone left on the couch, screen still glowing, with The Enchanted Florist group chat wide open.
I just wanted to lock his phone for him.
But the next second, a man called "The Botanist" jumped in.
The Botanist said: [Are you new? Do you even know how things work around here?]
[We don't talk price here. We talk about the plant's condition.]
Dwayne's account sent a groveling emoji.
Dwayne said: [Sorry, I just got carried away by how stunning this Orchid is.]
[About to bloom, all-natural, untouched. With this kind of age, it's a real gem.]
Then someone named "Pine" chimed in.
Pine said: [You've got a good eye for a newbie. This Orchid is really hard to come by.]
[But not everyone gets a shot at picking something this special.]
I frowned and thought, 'Picking? What kind of word is that?'
'Why are they talking like this in a florist group? This is getting weird,' I muttered to myself.
I opened the "Top-tier Orchid" photo The Botanist had posted.
It was just a run-of-the-mill stock photo with blurry pixels, nothing special about the composition.
'Seriously? How does this count as some rare gem to these people?' I thought, totally confused.
Just then, Rose's avatar lit up in the chat.
Rose said: [Oh, Pine, quit scaring the newbie. Don't worry, we're just a bunch of flower lovers here, sharing tips on how to care for and pick flowers, that's all.]
[I've got my eye on this Orchid too. Wonder if the owner's willing to part with it?]
Dwayne replied right away: [Rose, you're interested too? Guess I'll back off and let you have it.]
The Botanist dropped a smiley face in the chat.
The Botanist said: [The owner of this Orchid is only looking for someone who really knows and loves flowers.]
[She's not after cash, just hoping to meet a kindred spirit.]
[If you want to 'check it out,' DM me and show you mean it.]
As I stared at my phone, the weird feeling in my gut just kept getting stronger.
This had nothing to do with selling flowers.
All their words, all their talk, oozed a sleazy, sinister vibe that made my skin crawl.
Just as I was about to put the phone down and act like I hadn't seen any of this, I hesitated, my heart pounding.
The Botanist suddenly dropped another photo into the chat.
He said: [Here, take a look at the Orchid's natural habitat. Then you'll know just how 'pure and untouched' it really is.]
The background was that pink princess bedroom I'd seen a thousand times.
On the wall hung a poster I'd chosen for my sister myself.
Her desk still had the birthday present I'd given her, a giant bunny plush.
And there she was, my sister Nahla, lounging on her side in a thin-strapped nightdress, her gaze dreamy and unfocused as she looked into the camera.
The hem of her dress had slipped up, revealing her long, fair legs.
I'd stared at that face for twenty years. It was my own little sister, Nahla Frost.
It felt like every drop of blood in my body shot straight to my head.
The sound of the shower kept echoing from the bathroom.
And in those few seconds, my entire world flipped on its head.
Pine said: [Damn, the atmosphere in her room is so sweet you can almost taste it.]
Rose said: [Pine, you dirty old man.]
Pine said: [She looks ripe for the taking.]
The sleazy chatter in the group buzzed around me like a swarm of flies.
I clutched my phone, my fingertips ice-cold.
Dwayne's account was still joining in, echoing their twisted chatter.
Dwayne said: [She's truly a rare beauty. I was out of line. Someone like her is way out of my league.]
'He's still putting on an act,' I thought.
The bathroom door clicked open, and Dwayne came out with a towel slung around his waist, toweling off his damp hair.
"Babe, what's got you so focused?" he asked, grinning as he walked over.
He reached out, trying to pull me in by the waist.
I slipped out of his reach and thrust my phone screen right in front of his face.
"Explain yourself," I said, my voice icy and calm.
But Dwayne's smile froze on his face in an instant.