Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Everyone in the circle knew Roseanne Cole was head over heels for Murray Sherwood. She was so crazy about him, it was like she had no life outside of him, totally wrapped up in his world all the time. Every time they broke up, it took less than three days for Roseanne to come crawling back, begging for reconciliation. Those words would never escape hers in a world where "let's break up" seemed on everyone's lips.

The room fell into an eerie silence for five seconds when Murray walked in with his new flame.

Roseanne, in the middle of peeling an orange, stopped cold. "Why's it so quiet in here? Why's everyone staring at me?"

"Anne..." Her friends gave her worried glances.

But Murray acted as if nothing was amiss, wrapping his arm around his woman and sitting on the couch. "Happy birthday, Cliff."

He was so brazen and nonchalant.

Roseanne stood up. It was Cliff's birthday, and she didn't want to make a scene.

"Excuse me. I'm going to powder my nose." she said.

She closed the door behind her and could hear the conversation picking back up.

"Murray, Roseanne's here. Didn't I give you a heads-up? Why'd you bring her along?"

"Seriously, Murray, you've crossed the line this time."

"It's fine," Murray loosened his grip on the woman's waist and lit a cigarette, a smile playing on his lips, looking every bit the charming rogue.

The rest of the conversation was unclear as the door shut. Having regained the composure in the restroom and touched up the makeup, Roseanne looked at her reflection and curled her lips in disdain. "How pathetic."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Indeed, she was living a pathetic life.

Taking a deep breath, Roseanne made up her mind. Yet, the scene greeting her as she pushed the door open and returned to the room made her grip the doorknob tightly, almost losing her composure. Murray was pressing his lips against the woman's, their saliva moistening the napkin between them.

Laughter and cheers erupted around them.

"Damn, Murray is good at that!"

"They're at it! They're at it!"

"The mood's set. Give us a show!"

Roseanne's hand on the doorknob trembled. That was the man she had loved for six years, and at that moment, she only felt bitter irony.

"Hey, knock it off..." Someone murmured, gesturing toward the door.

Everyone turned to look.

"Anne, you're back? It's all in good fun. Don't take it to heart..."

But Murray cut him off, glancing over calmly. "Roseanne, since you're here today, let's lay everything out."

Roseanne nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

Murray cut to the chase. "We've been on and off for years, and to be honest, I'm just tired of it. There's nothing left between us."

Roseanne clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

Huh! Six years of love had ended with, "There's nothing left between us."

Murray continued, "Millie's a great girl, and I want to make things official with her."

Roseanne numbly nodded. "Okay."

Murray looked at Roseanne. "Even though we break up, we're still friends. You can still call me if you need anything in Lumina City."

"No need," Roseanne forced a smile, light as air. "If it's over, let's end it cleanly, to be fair to the lady."

Murray raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.

"Cliff," Roseanne turned to the birthday boy. "Happy birthday. I hope everyone enjoys themselves. I'm leaving now. I peeled the plate of oranges on the table. Enjoy, and don't waste them." Murray didn't like fruit, except for oranges. But he was picky, insisting on removing every piece of pith before he'd eat them.

Over the years, to ensure he had his daily fruit, Roseanne always meticulously peeled and cleaned the oranges, arranging them neatly on a plate for him.

He'd hug her and coo, "My girlfriend's too good. God, what a lucky guy I am!"