Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

In a world where marrying into wealth often meant ignoring infidelity. Beverly had seen it all. Men of status frequently had mistresses tucked away. Everything else was fair game as long as the lawful wife remained intact.

As a mother, she never interfered much. Today was supposed to be when she officially offered Roseanne a place in their prestigious family.

But the gratitude Beverly had expected was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she got a cold sneer from Roseanne. "Mrs. Sherwood, keep your charity for someone else. I don't need it. Besides, I've broken up with Murray. It's best if we take each other as strangers from now on."

Roseanne had once tolerated Beverly for Murray's sake despite Beverly's disdain for her lack of academic and professional achievements, deeming her unworthy of her precious son. But Roseanne no longer cared for Murray's approval, nor Beverly's. Why should she dance to their tune?

"Oh, Mrs. Sherwood," Roseanne added with a slight smile, "you might want to be less harsh with your words. They can come back to bite you. And remember, dressing up a monkey doesn't change its nature." With that, she turned on her heel and walked into the Kingswell University library, leaving Beverly frozen in shock.

Beverly couldn't believe her ears. "How dare she say that to me? Who does she think she is? Does she not want to marry into the Sherwood family anymore?"

Her daughter, Hertha, was shaken by Beverly's grip, snapping back to reality. "Mom, did Roseanne just say she broke up with Murray?"

"Do you believe that?" Beverly scoffed.

Hertha nodded. "Right, they've 'broken up' many times before."

Everyone knew Roseanne was head over heels for Murray, loyal as a devoted dog. But Hertha shifted the focus quickly, "Mom, we have an appointment with the university dean today."

Realizing the time, Beverly took a deep breath to calm her rage. "Let's go. We can't let Roseanne ruin our day."

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The Kingswell University library, a treasure trove of knowledge, was where Roseanne went after the confrontation. She wandered until she found a seat near the bioinformatics section, which was convenient for her studies.

Her eyes caught a book by Owen, with the cover a vast universe, much like Owen's personality, deep, expansive, and serene. The book, a blend of biology and physics, fascinated her, and she spent hours engrossed in it.

By afternoon, Roseanne's stomach reminded her to take a break. Mid-meal, Leda called.

"Leda, what's up?"

"Are you at home?"

"No, at the library." Roseanne took a sip of water. "What's going on?"

"Murray showed up yesterday, asking for you!" Leda was still fuming. "As if I would ever tell him where you are. You haven't seen him, have you?"

Roseanne reassured her friend, eager to avoid the drama and focus on her future, unfettered by her past with Murray.