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?"

into the alley, cursing, "Who the hell parked the car here, blocking the alley? Didn't you see the road is narrow enough without your car clogging it up? Driving a fancy sports car doesn't give you the right

Murray was silent.

instantly realized the car that caused

turned to him. "Whether I see someone new, one or two,

about your future, and 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 be

she didn't wish the same for Millie. Life

break up. It was time

unable to comprehend

away, Murray felt panic for the first time. It seemed something he owned was slipping away, and

She didn't

"You've said that before..."

but Murray had

up" calmly as if she

he was speechless. The breakup was his idea.

her place,

the