Chapter 36: "Thank You For 11k Views!"

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: "Thank You For 11k Views!"

Simon was deep in thought.

His hands were tight on the steering wheel. The road was moving fast, but his mind was moving even faster.

Everyone knew how deadly Renal Cell Carcinoma was. A kidney cancer that almost took his life. His doctor told him plainly, "Simon, I pray you survive this. You have only weeks, maybe days, to live."

He remembered the smell of the hospital. The cold bed. The pain that made him cry like a child. Back then he was wretched, the orphanage home could not buy him a new kidney. They could not stop the cancer from eating his body.

Then Flora came.

A woman he did not know. A stranger. She heard about his case through a charity program run by her mother’s foundation. She did not ask for his name. She did not ask about his family. She simply signed a check. Millions of dollars. Millions to fly him to Germany, to pay for the best surgeons, and to pay for the treatment that burned the cancer out of his body.

She gave him a chance to live.

And not just to live, but to be wealthy in life. To breathe. To drive. To see the sunset.

He watched her through the rearview mirror. She was tired, sleeping calmly in the back seat with her head resting peacefully.

In his heart of hearts, he said, "Flora, you don’t know what you mean to me. You are my idol. You invested millions to save a stranger. A stranger like me. Even if I invest all my billions in you, it will never be enough to repay you for my life."

For him, gratitude is a must,not a choice. It’s a necessity, like air.

He thought to himself, "As a mark of my appreciation to you, I don’t mind enduring anything. Like a starving man, I can eat grass and swallow worms for your sake. If it means driving you for years, I will do it with joy."

People on the outside will never understand. His friends in the elite billionaire club would laugh. "Simon, you are crazy. You are a billionaire. Why are you driving a widow? Why did you secretly buy shares in her company worth millions of pounds?"

But his answer was simple and clear in his mind.

"What works for you might not work for me, because I am a man of appreciation. It comes from my sincere heart. I did not learn it from a book. I learned it on that hospital bed when I thought I was going to die. I have chosen appreciation as my new way of life. I will live with gratitude, or I will not live at all."

He gently pressed the brake. The traffic light had turned red.

Flora woke up slowly.

"Simon? Are we close?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

Simon quickly wiped his eyes. He did not want her to see his tears.

"Yes, madam. We are close. In less than an hour, we will be home."

Immediately, the light turned green, and he drove on.

In less than one hour, they were already at Flora’s mansion. It was 6:24 pm in the evening.

What a long day.

In Flora’s room every corner sparkled with cleanness, the place smelled of sweet scented candles Simon bought from the shop, Flora was deep inhaling the sweet scent when her phone rang softly breaking silence.

She picked up the call.

"Mum, good evening," Flora said softly.

"My daughter, how was your day? ," her mother said. Hope the meeting with Andrew went well? Her voice was strong and calm.

Flora sighed. "Mom, I am tired. Andrew is trying to bring out the beast in me . He is just doing too much. Today in court, he said I should marry him and prove my fertility"

Her mother laughed a little, but not because it was funny.

"Flora, listen to me. Andrew is petty. Very petty. Only failed people do that. They cajole a woman just to make themselves feel good. They try to pull a strong woman down so they can feel important. That is what he is doing."

Flora remained quiet. Her mother was always direct.

"Maybe, Andrew has forgotten who you are. You are not just an ordinary woman anyone can push around. You are a woman of great value, with great potential, and you are globally recognized. Your name carries grace. That is why he is envious of you."

Flora smiled. For the first time that day, she felt lighter in her chest.

"Mom, thank you," she said. "You are my greatest cheerleader and a woman of great knowledge. Whenever you speak, I feel strong again."

"I am telling you the truth, Flora. I am your mother. I have known your worth since birth."

Then her mother’s voice became more serious.

"Listen, my daughter. Andrew will be destroyed because of his envy. You do not need to fight him with anger. You need to be strategic in your dealings with him. Be wise. You have risen to your true prominence, and through this case, people will recognize your strength and your grace. They will see who you truly are."

Flora nodded, even though her mother could not see her.

"I know, Mom. I understand what you mean. I will not fight like him. Andrew is like a child on its mother’s back who doesn’t know that the journey is far .I will let my lawyers handle it, and I will watch from afar "

"That is my daughter," her mother said proudly. "Wisdom is better than noise. Let him make noise while you make moves."

"Yes, Mama."

"Okay, my love. I have a project at hand that I need to finish. It’s late. Go and rest. You had a long day. Goodnight, my queen. I love you"

"Goodnight, Mom. I love you too."

Flora ended the call. She sat on the bed for a minute. Her mother’s words stayed in her heart: _You are not an ordinary woman._

She felt stronger.

Then she picked up the intercom and pressed the button.

"Grace, please come to my room," she said to her maid.

"Yes, Madam, I am coming now," Grace replied.

Flora dropped the phone and waited, ready to prepare for the night.

There was a soft knock on the door.

Flora did not look up immediately. .

"Come in," Flora said quietly.

The door opened and Grace entered. She was holding a small towel and smiled respectfully.

"Good evening, Ma," Grace greeted.

Flora opened her eyes and smiled.

"Evening, Flora said. "How are you today?"

"I am fine, ma. Thank you," Grace replied.

Flora looked around and asked, "Where is Maya? I have not seen her since I came back. Is she alright?"

Grace nodded quickly. "Yes, ma. She is fine. She is reading in her room. I checked on her ten minutes ago."

A small sense of relief moved through Flora’s chest.

"That girl and her books," Flora said softly, laughing a little. "She will read all day if you allow her. Thank you for checking on her."

"Thank you,Ma. She loves reading," Grace said with a smile.

Flora leaned back and sighed. Her body felt heavy. She needed to relax.

"Grace, please prepare a warm bath for me. I need to soak and clear my head."

"Yes, ma. I will do it right now," Grace said.

"And Grace, please add lavender and goat milk with lemon body extract to the water. Put enough. I want it to be soft and calming. The one I bought last week is in the cabinet."

Grace nodded. "I will add them, ma. I remember where it is."

"Thank you. Make sure the water is not too hot. Just warm," Flora whispered.

Grace turned and entered the king-sized bathroom. It was wide and white, almost as big as the bedroom itself. In a few minutes, Flora could hear the sound of water running, soft and steady, as it hit the bathtub. She could already imagine the scent.

She closed her eyes again. She was just beginning to feel calm when her phone beeped.

Flora reached for the phone on her bedside table. She thought it would be her lawyer, or maybe a work message. She unlocked the screen and opened the message without much interest.

Then she read it.

In one second, her eyes widened. Her mouth was agape with surprise.

"No," she whispered. "No, this cannot be true."

Flora’s hands were trembling. She reached for her second phone on the bedside table, but it was not there.

"Where is my phone?" she whispered, her pulse quickened.

She searched the bed quickly, then opened her drawer and brought out her MacBook laptop. Her fingers trembled as she turned it on and clicked on the estate project file mapped for ten million pounds.

"This must open," she muttered, breathing hard.

But her network connection was poor. The page kept loading and loading.

"No, not now," Flora cried out in desperation "Please, not now. I really need to see this."

"Grace!" she called out, her voice suddenly urgent and loud.