Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Everything familiar was thick with irony.

Why? Why did he ever say those things?

Looking back, he felt like he was under some spell, acting on whim without realizing her pain and despair.

In just a year, Roseanne had moved on, embracing college life, while he was still stuck in this private room. Trapped and with no desire to leave.

Murray's grip on his glass tightened until his knuckles turned white, and then, unexpectedly, he chuckled. The resolve he had when breaking up was now equal in regret. Seeing this, Cliff sighed, unable to persuade him otherwise, he simply joined in.

"Here, Murray, I'll drink with you."

Soon enough, Murray was plastered.

Cliff drove him back to the mansion. Throughout the ride, Murray's eyes were shut tight, mumbling, "Anne...Anne...don't leave me..."

It was tough for Cliff to watch.

seen Murray and Roseanne's relationship from the start. How did it come to

tucking him into bed, Cliff hesitated to leave. He decided to make

at the family home? Can

later with dark circles under her eyes and a scowl that could scare

had been anxiously waiting, lit up at her arrival. "Ah, Sadie, thank

sight of the drunken heap on the bed.

was feeling down, went a bit overboard. Can you take care of him?" Cliff said before

Cliff turned, puzzled. "Yeah?"

trash bin

know, what about

your cigarette butts everywhere. You think the floor cleans

an apology and promised

Sadie covered Murray with a blanket, tucking him in before

she sighed, resigned to her fate. She dragged him back to bed like hauling a sack of potatoes and then tried to

IMS

until Sadie, losing patience, pinched his cheeks, turning him into a compliant duckling.