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

Explosion?

Bentley's mind flashed back to the mess on the floor when he'd come in earlier. He hadn't thought much of it at the time-just noticed Amy lying there, with bits of what looked like an antique vase scattered around her. But now it clicked: those scraps of fake skin had to belong to the imitation Amy.

He remembered, years ago, agreeing to this deal, already knowing the fake Amy wasn't human. She was a chip-based android, perfectly lifelike on the outside, but programmed to self-destruct to protect her code if things went south.

Bentley stepped forward and grabbed Amy's hand, gripping it tight. "Did she say anything to you before she died?" he asked, voice low and urgent.

Amy shrank back, putting on the perfect show of fear-her eyes wide, trembling like a helpless little thing.

Tears welled up as she looked at him, voice barely more than a whisper. “No, nothing. As soon as I got downstairs, she started hitting me. Just like before, when she'd lock me up and go crazy. I was terrified, I just curled up in the corner. She kept shouting about being conscious, about being a real person, and then... I must have blacked out. I didn't hear anything else."

her cheeks, so pitiful that anyone watching would feel

more she acted like the fragile victim, the safer she

Amy had been through, only believed

a glare and shoved him aside, then wrapped Amy up in a hug. She stroked Amy's back, comforting her like a child, and eventually soothed her

Amy up and get answers, but every time, Lucy shut him down with a

options, Bentley finally

tucked her in gently, the perfect picture of a caring mother. But Amy knew the whole act was for show. Lucy's sweetness was just a mask-out in public, she was all grace and charm; at home,

soon as Lucy left the room, Amy quietly slipped out of bed and crept toward the door, listening hard. Sure enough, she could hear her parents talking just

were too impatient," Amy's father was saying. "Amy just got back, and she's been locked up for years. There's no way she could know Grace was an

we have security cameras

"I did."