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.

significant greening efforts along the roads. They had the old buildings refurbished and parks newly minted. Only the old town

would boat on the

surface would freeze over, breaking at the

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

of his generation at Twilight Peak Academy, Norris

a year, he became

physics competition team, sending quite a few students to international contests, all of whom went to

far and wide wasn't an overstatement. His teaching excellence secured him

her father, Roseanne felt

high, and this is your choice? For a man,

have failed so miserably as a teacher and a

ever come back. Don't ever consider us

this? Are you willing to give

now on, I'm not your father, and you