Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

The neighbor gossiped, "Seriously? Without a job or education, what's she up to?"

"Oh, you know, playing sugar baby to the rich! Just lie down and spread her legs. And voila, her bank account's blooming. Why bother hunting for a job?"

"Yikes! Hazel, watch your mouth! That's a lady's reputation you're messing with!"

Hazel continued, "Hmph. If his daughter has worked a decent job, why hasn't she shown her face around here in years? She's ashamed, and that's why. Norris surely doesn't want the scandal. In a small town like ours, gossip spreads faster than wildfire. How's he supposed to keep his head high as a teacher?"

"Oh, my lord..."

These whispers never reached Norris. Even if they had, he might have kept to his silence.

In his eyes, what his daughter was doing wasn't much different from being kept as a mistress in a big house.

When Roseanne stepped off the train, she couldn't help but wrap her down jacket tighter around herself. Despite Pinehollow being farther south than Lumina City, it was still bitterly cold this time of the year. She sat in the taxi, watching the scenery reel backward, memories of her hometown slowly aligned with the view outside the window.

its modest population, Pinehollow had seen its heavy industries move out over the years. The government pushed tourism, leading to significant greening efforts along the roads. They had the old buildings refurbished and parks newly minted. Only the old town retained its original look, with the river dividing the new

people would

freeze over, breaking at the slightest touch and scattering like diamonds, shimmering

spanned the river, and the Cole family lived at one end. While she was walking through the alleys, the

generation at Twilight Peak Academy, Norris got specially invited to teach at Pinehollow Horizon

a year, he became

He also founded the school's physics competition team, sending quite a few students to international contests,

wasn't an overstatement. His teaching excellence secured him among the first batch of teachers to enjoy housing benefits, and

of her father, Roseanne

told you to aim high, and this is your choice? For a man, you're willing to

so miserably

don't ever come back. Don't ever consider us

sure about this? Are you willing to give up your parents for

from now on, I'm not your father, and you are not my