Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

She sighed, her voice dripping with something that sounded like benevolence, but the more you listened, the more off it seemed.

Raven's eyes twinkled, "I still don't know what Anne's been up to in Lumina City. Must be something big, right? After all, regular folks don't just stumble upon millions." Roseanne frowned, and Madge took her hand, signaling to let her handle it.

"Oh, you jest, sisters. After college, Anne didn't go on for further studies but she wasn't just sitting around either. She switched a few jobs, saved up a little."

Alva sneered, "As long as it's honestly earned, that's fine. Just worried about girls not following a straight path, you know?"

Madge's expression stayed calm, "Thanks for your concern, Alva. But the kid's grown now, has her own plans. We, as her family, just need to support her."

Abbey raised an eyebrow. "Plans? So, what's Anne up to? Heading back to Lumina City for a job? Or scouting new opportunities? Next Thanksgiving, will she bring home another few million?" She drew out the word "opportunities" intentionally, her tone laden with unmistakable insinuation.

Madge's face darkened, just as she was about to speak, Roseanne's phone rang.

"Mom, I gotta take this..."

"Sure, go ahead." Madge took a deep breath, reminding herself that patience was a virtue.

"Leda, what's up? Something wrong?"

Leda's voice was laced with urgency, "The GRE results are out! Check yours, see if you passed."

calculated the dates; indeed,

She had totally forgotten...

checking now," she said, hanging

laptop, navigated to the results page, and quickly entered her registration number

came from the walk-in

turned to

Lauretta

a

ding a Chanel bag,

c Louis Vuitton drape

her shoulder.

you

"Your mother said

doesn't mean rifling through

It's just looking at bags. Are they

cooled, "We were taught as kids not to

I did? It's

"No, it's not."

some guy who bought them for you anyway. What are you acting all high

she could finish, Roseanne's hand flew, landing a