Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

In the days following, Owen found the sensation becoming overwhelmingly stronger.

Typically, Owen would carve out tfor a late-night run at least once a week to clear his head.

One evening, as Roseanne heard noises in the hallway and opened her door, she discovered Owen had already

returned home.

But that wasn't all. Owen usually reserved a day or two each month for sdowntime, yet Roseanne never saw

his door crack open even once during these breaks.

And there was that one tshe opened her door, sure she saw a sliver of movement from his apartment - as if

he had peeked out at the sound of her footsteps, only to retreat quickly. Roseanne was baffled.

She racked her brain trying to figure out when she might have offended him.

But she couldn't cup with anything.

If only she could catch a glimpse of him, Roseanne wished she could just ask straight up - what on earth about

her made him dodge her presence like a plague?

Meanwhile, Owen, sensing Roseanne's footsteps fading, timed his move to the window and saw her walking

away. Only when her figure disappeared did he withdraw his complex gaze.

It wasn't that he wanted to avoid her.

But avoiding her was the only option he had.

The dream he had the first tcould be dismissed as a fluke, an accident, a normal physiological reaction. But

after seeing her outside the cafeteria that day, Owen had another dream that night.

It was more vivid, more thrilling, and more embarrassing than the first.

Waking up, every detail replayed in his mind, tormenting him.

In frustration and despair, he stripped the bed, throwing the sheets and duvet cover into the washing machine as

if trying to cleanse himself of the memory.

He couldn't understand why he would dream such things.

How could he trash a woman's image like that? Yeah, trash.

He hated himself so much, he couldn't even look Roseanne in the eye.

What if it happened again? How could he live with himself?

He had no clue, but his mom, Silver, had been bringing him food a bunch of times. She'd go back and tell his

dad, Ferdinand Reynolds, "the kid looks down, barely touched his food, might be heartbroken or something."

Ferdinand just sighed.

The project progressed smoothly, and the camaraderie within Roseanne's group flourished.

One afternoon, tired of the usual cafeteria fare, they decided to explore local eateries off-campus.

While discussing their afternoon plans on the way back, Mamie suddenly stopped.

Confused, Roseanne and Scales halted alongside her.

Scales asked, "What's up?"

"There, ex-boyfriend alert..." Mamie gestured subtly towards the direction of the school's main gate, then gave

Roseanne a look full of sympathy. Roseanne's lips twitched. Could she still avoid this awkward encounter?

No chance.

Murray had already spotted her and was striding over with a bouquet in hand.

Approaching them, Roseanne noticed it was a bunch of champagne roses.

Mamie coughed lightly, "Hey Caley, I'm feeling a bit thirsty. Wanna hit up the convenience store for a drink?"

Scales glanced between Roseanne and Mamie, nodded in agreement, and the two of them took off.

Left alone, Roseanne dropped all pretenses, "Murray, got a lot of free ton your hands?"

He paused, "Anne..."

"We broke up a year ago. Stop looking for me, okay?"

Murray frowned, stubbornly pushing the flowers into her hands, "No, | can't."

Roseanne was exhausted, repeating herself for the umpteenth time, "It's pointless. You have so many other

options, why obsess over me?"

"Because you're the only one I've ever wanted," he insisted.

Roseanne couldn't help but laugh bitterly, recalling a particular birthday party for Cliff when Murray was all over

Millie.

"I wanted to give Millie a status."

The words he once said now felt like a slap across his face.

His eyes reddened, "I was blind then, mistaking the counterfeit for the treasure, abandoning my true love."

"I know it's too late for apologies, but I still need to say this - you've always been the one | loved the most, the

only one."

"Anne... please forgive me?"

"It was around this time, right here at Kingswell University's north gate, you agreed to be my girlfriend. Could

you giveanother chance to win you back?"

Roseanne returned the flowers, firm and clear, "No, | can't."

"If you have even a shred of regret towards me, then stop showing up like this. Your presence turnsinto a

topic of gossip and brings unnecessary trouble." Murray's declarations were always so impulsive, without

consideration for anyone else.

Roseanne once mistook that for a sign of affection - direct, honest and as passionate as the sun. But six years of

misplaced faith showed her the truth

It wasn't love, but selfishness.

Using what he thought was love to act mindlessly, disregarding her situation and wishes, stubbornly doing things

his way.

Roseanne wasn't into being

gossiped about, but he was always

doing these over-the-top things -

1n

like showing up with fancy flowers, picking her up from school and parking his car right at the front gate for

everyone to see, or dropping by her classroom pretending he was just there to hang out with her in class.

But he never realized the amount of ridicule and mockery Roseanne endured behind his back.

"...You never told me... | didn't know..." Murray murmured, lost.

"Did you really not know? Or would you have continued regardless?" Roseanne's gaze was sharp. Murray was

speechless.

"Six years is a long time, but you never truly understood me, just as never truly understood you. Let's just let

this relationship go; it's not worth picking back up."

With that, Roseanne walked past him, leaving him standing there, his face pale with realization.

He retreated, collapsing onto a bench.

And nearby, two sneaky figures hid behind a tree, watching intently, not wanting to miss a moment of the

unfolding...