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

Yvenne's hand was shaking as she gripped her phone tightly, then in a fit of frustration, she hurled it to the floor. Her anger was intense, her eyes practically shooting daggers. She couldn't wrap her head around how all the recognition and followers she'd worked so hard to gain had suddenly shifted their focus to H. What was so great about H anyway?

She had been so confident about clinching the top spot in the competition, but out of nowhere, a surprise contender had emerged, like a bolt from the blue.

Her roommates were taken aback by her outburst, exchanging nervous glances, too wary to continue their gossip about celebrity news.

"Yvenne, what's the matter? Why are you so upset?" asked the girl on the opposite bed, her voice cautious as if she was walking on eggshells. "What got you so riled up?"

"Yeah, Yvenne, look at your new phone. The screen's cracked now, and fixing it is going to cost a pretty penny," chimed in another girl, picking up the phone. The screen showed her Twitter account, brimming with designs and sketches that had caught their attention recently.

One of her roommates looked at the screen and was immediately taken aback. "Yvenne, is this really your account?" she stammered, placing the phone in front of Yvenne with disbelief. "You're the underdog in the designer competition, a high school student from Westbrook High!"

Yvenne had planned to keep her achievement under wraps until she could unveil it with a grand victory, ensuring Fiona was left in the dust. But her earlier outburst had inadvertently blown her cover.

After a bit of thinking, she figured maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. She had enough designs to see her through to the end of the competition, and she wasn't sweating Fiona finding out. Even if Fiona did get wind of it, Yvenne could always twist the narrative to her advantage.

"I..."noveldrama

Before she could say anything, her other two roommates rushed over to her bed, eyes wide with astonishment.

"Is it really you in the news? Yvenne, you're incredible!"

"Yeah, why didn't you tell us earlier? We would've been over the moon for you. You've been keeping this under wraps for ages."

"No wonder you haven't been hanging out with us lately. We thought you were working to pay off Fiona's dress, but wow, you're something else."

Flustered by their admiration, Yvenne could only smile and shake her head, neither confirming nor denying their assumptions. She soaked up the attention they lavished on her, momentarily forgetting all her designs were pilfered.

Just then, Fiona swung the door open, and all eyes turned to her, a mix of curiosity and disdain in their gazes. The girl who seemed to lead the pack shot Fiona a challenging glare, her expression dripping with contempt.

"Some folks just love to flaunt their ties with the Smith family, acting all superior. But really, it's all borrowed clout. Without it, who knows where they'd be."

Fiona couldn't be bothered to engage, especially since she'd just received an enticing offer from the Smith family.

She didn't respond right away, instead noticing the show's latest Twitter update.