Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"Look at you, Roseanne, moving up in the world," the man sneered, his tone dripping with venom. "Jumping from one guy to another, quite the party girl, aren't you?"

His voice suddenly turned icy. "Who was that guy? What were you two doing upstairs?"

Roseanne's smile vanished as her hand throbbed in his tight grip. She tried to pull away, but he was using brute force.

The more she struggled, the tighter his grip became.

Roseanne shouted, "Murray, let go!"

Murray refused to let go. "Answer me first!"

Roseanne frowned, enduring the pain. "What's it to you?"

"As an ex-boyfriend, I think it's only fair I take an interest in my former girlfriend's love life, huh?"

A laugh escaped Roseanne, a hint of sarcasm in her gaze. "Oh, so you admit you're the ex-boyfriend. What brings you here, then?"

Murray got momentarily choked up. "Can't I just be passing by?"

car here, blocking the alley? Didn't you see the road is narrow enough without your car clogging it

Murray was silent.

that caused the commotion was

showing up. After disposing of her trash, she turned to him. "Whether I see someone new, one or two, or even three or four guys, it's none of your business. We're

I'd prefer it if you stayed out of my present and future. Let's just be strangers from here on out. And don't come to my place anymore. I wouldn't want your girlfriend getting the wrong idea. After all, since you chose to

she didn't wish the same for Millie. Life in its prime

decided to break up. It was

to

Roseanne walked away, Murray felt panic for the first time. It seemed something he owned was slipping away, and he couldn't grasp

She didn't

"You've said that before..."

their ups and downs, but Murray had never

up" calmly as

hold her back, but he was speechless. The breakup was his idea. He was

at her place, Roseanne

the