All Chapters of FLOWER OF LOVE: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

That dawn felt different when Flora Amor opened her eyes. For once, the sharp voice of her mother wasn’t the first thing she heard. She had risen earlier than her, a rare occasion. With finals finally over, there was no excuse to sleep late anymore. She had made up her mind the night before: she would start waking early, help her parents with work, and stop being a burden. From now on, she would be a good elder sister. With classes done, only the submission of requirements and projects remained, leaving her more time for her family. She cooked rice, fried tocino, eggplant omelet, and eggs for breakfast. “Hey! What’s gotten into you? Why are you here this early?” her mother exclaimed in surprise when she woke up and found Flora Amor already bustling in the kitchen. “Hmp! Ma, it’s too early to annoy me,” Flora Amor shot back with a sideways glare, flipping the eggplant omelet. “Ah, I know this style,” her mother muttered, grabbing a mug and stirring 3-in-1 coffee. “You’re about

Flora Amor woke up early that morning. She was determined to go out and look for a job. But first, she needed to stop by school to submit the projects she hadn’t been able to pass the other day. Her professors were kind enough—she was sure they’d still accept her work. “Oh, you’re up early. Classes are already over,” her mother remarked as soon as she stepped out of her room. “Isn’t it good, Ma? You won’t tire out your mouth shouting my name every morning. And no need to buy bread anymore—I already cooked breakfast.” She teased with a grin. Her mother squinted at her. “Whenever you’re this sweet, I know you’re about to ask me for something.” She went to the kitchen to fix herself a cup of coffee. “I’m applying for a summer job, Ma. I saw postings on the school bulletin board. This way, I won’t need to keep asking you for money when classes start again,” Flora Amor said while stirring the sweet chocolate rice porridge she was cooking. “What’s that you’re making?” her mother a

It was Flora Amor’s first day at her summer job. Coincidentally, it was also the day Dixal left—where to, he hadn’t told her. He had dropped her off the previous afternoon, and since then, there had been nothing—no calls, no messages. Silence. “Ma, I’m leaving!” she called out after checking the large wall clock in their room. “Take care!” her mother answered from the bedroom, busy nursing the youngest child. A tangle of emotions weighed in her chest—sorrow and excitement clashing inside her. The thought of not seeing Dixal for three whole days pressed heavily on her, but the anticipation of finally working filled her with light. She would be earning her own money. She would finally be able to help her mother provide for their family. That thought alone made her smile from ear to ear. She had barely stepped past the corner of their street when a car caught her attention, parked idly along the roadside. 'Wait… I’ve seen that car before.' She approached discreetly, trying

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back. I hope you keep your promise,” he said. She snapped upright. Her father was home. She was about to leave the room when her mother’s voice answered from the other side of the thin plywood that served as their divider. “What matters to me is his safety—everyone’s safety,” her mother murmured. Flora lifted a brow and turned toward the wall. Even though her parents were whispering, their words reached her clearly. What are they talking about? Why are they worrying about our safety? A cold shiver ran through her. She pressed her ear to the plywood; their voices sharpened. “My life is at stake because of what you made me do,” her father said. “You went into that thing by yourself. Don’t drag us into this,” her mother hissed. Her brow knitted. She couldn’t make sense of the fragments she heard. Why didn’t any of it add up? Why did every word from her mother feel like a knife—sharp, hot, sinking into the hollow of her chest? She

It was six in the morning when Flora Amor stirred awake. She shot up from bed in alarm, then bolted toward the bathroom as if her body was moving on instinct. “Are you going to work today, anak?” her mother asked softly as she stepped out of the bedroom, the youngest child fussing in her arms. Flora Amor blinked. For once, her mother’s tone wasn’t sharp with yelling to wake her up. It was almost gentle. “Yes, Ma,” she replied quickly before disappearing into the bathroom. But that wasn’t the truth. She had already decided last night that she would quit her job and help her mother sell fish at the market instead. Today, she was heading to City Hall. She had made up her mind to confront her father’s mistress and introduce herself—as the Mayor’s eldest daughter. Her mother should have been the woman at his side. Not that mistress. “I already cooked rice, anak. What do you want for breakfast?” her mother called out. “No need, Ma. I still have some money. I’ll just buy food