Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Murray's figure swayed, his voice tinged with disbelief, "What are you implying?"

"You really don't get it, do you? You think you've covered your tracks perfectly, but Roseanne isn't a fool."

Murray, sensing an underlying accusation, grabbed Corley by the collar, his eyes fierce, "What exactly did you say to her?!" "Ha, looks like you still haven't figured out why she left you."

"As if you know everything!" Murray shot back.

Corley retorted, "Of course, I do-"

"Shut it!" Corley shrugged him off, straightening his shirt with a superior air, "Look at you now, like a stray dog..."

Cliff intervened, "Enough! Can't you guys cut it out for once? We're all friends here, why turn on each other?"

Murray snapped, "Who's friends with him?!"

Corley coldly added, "I don't have such friends."

Cliff sighed, feeling the tension.

Murray pointed at Corley, a warning in his tone, "Stay away from Roseanne, or else—"

"Or else what?"

Murray's voice was stern, "Don't make me forget our years of friendship!"

Corley was unphased. "Threats won't work on me. It's not just me; there will be others. But one fact remains-you'll never get Roseanne back. It's irrevocable. If you don't want her to despise you more, back off. Otherwise, you're only pushing her further away." With those final words, Corley walked past him, patting Cliff on the shoulder, "Thanks for trying to keep him in check. Don't let him get too drunk."

As Corley left, Cliff looked at Murray, who seemed lost and dispirited, and couldn't help feeling pity.

"If only you knew," he thought.

"Cliff..."

"Murray," Cliff immediately went to his side, "Let's go home, okay?"

"Why won't she forgive me?"

Murray's voice was hollow, his gaze void. "No matter how much we argued before, she always came back... Why not this time?"

е

Cliff paused, then said, "Murray, have you ever considered that a bird stays in a cage not because the cage is secure, but because she chooses to confine herself within its limits?"

"And why would she choose not to now?"

"Because she's disappointed, hurt, and has decided to stop loving."

And with that, she flew away, never looking back.

"Stopped loving?" Those words hit Murray hard. It was the second time he was hearing them, the first directly from Roseanne.

"Can't an apology fix this?" he asked, desperation in his voice.

Cliff was speechless. After a while, he replied, "Not all problems can be solved with an apology."

"What does she want from me, then?! My heart on a platter?!"

Cliff knew Murray was truly drunk; he would never utter such words sober.

"Murray, let's not talk about this now. Sleep on it, and we'll discuss it when you're sober... Come on, I'll take you home."

As they started to leave, Murray

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suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and pushed Cliff away, heading back towards the building.

"Hey-Murray, what are you doing?"