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?"

other. Surprisingly, they had met each other beforehand due to a twist of fate. Just then, from outside came a

young woman rose from the sofa with a smile. "Ms.

"I remember. Please have a

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

at the gift box on the tea table. There

Her smile slightly faded.

"Last time, we talked about the graduate program spots for this

the gesture, but please take these back. As for the graduate program, it's competitive

Hertha was shocked.

Madeleine's words were full of encouragement, talking about "opportunities," "trying," and "doing your best." Why does she sound so different today? Hertha tried to say something else.

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

she was getting dismissed. Confused about what went wrong, she left in

exclaimed in surprise, "What are you

white T-shirt paired