Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Owen didn't make a sound. To him, food was a means to refuel, and he never cared about the taste. "All clean now."

Glancing at the neatly arranged bell peppers and kale, it was evident the work of someone with a touch of OCD.

"What's so funny?" Owen asked, puzzled.

Roseanne cleared her throat. "Nothing. You should head out now."

"Okay." Owen dried his hands and nodded slightly.

Roseanne had made a whole spread of dishes, leaning toward the lighter side, the kind of food Madeleine could and would enjoy.

"It's kind of you to remember," Madeleine remarked, touched.

After the meal, Roseanne cleaned up without being asked. Owen naturally joined in to help.

While standing under the warm glow of the kitchen light, his silhouette elongated. From Roseanne's perspective, his finely chiseled profile resembled that of an ancient Greek statue. Madeleine leaned against the doorframe. "Anne, how did you meet Owen?"

her favorite student. She had long wanted to introduce them to each other. Surprisingly, they had met each other beforehand due to a twist

a smile. "Ms. Payne, I'm Hertha. I visited you in the

"I remember. Please have a

smile brightened. "I heard you've been recuperating at home, so I brought

discreetly at the gift box on the tea table. There were

Her smile slightly faded.

we talked about the graduate program spots for this

As for the graduate program, it's competitive

Hertha was shocked.

of encouragement, talking about "opportunities," "trying," and "doing your best." Why does she sound so different today? Hertha tried to say something else. "Ms. Payne,

guests over, so I can't keep you any longer. I'll have Bob help you with your

dismissed. Confused about what went wrong, she left in a daze, accidentally bumping

surprise, "What

white T-shirt paired