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?"

She had long wanted to introduce them to each other. Surprisingly, they had met each other

where a young woman rose from the sofa with a smile. "Ms. Payne, I'm Hertha. I

"I remember.

at home, so I brought you some health

glanced discreetly at the gift box on the tea table. There were vitamins, fish

Her smile slightly faded.

mentioned, "Last time, we talked about the graduate

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

Hertha was shocked.

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

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

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

in surprise, "What are you doing

a white T-shirt paired with a quaint floral apron,