Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"What kind of pills?"

"You know... the kind that can... spark a man's interest..."

There was a two-second silence on the other end before a snicker broke through, "Have you really sunk so low that you need to drug a man to get him interested?" Millie's cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment: "Just tell me if you can get them or not. The rest is none of your business!" "Wait."

That was all the other side said before abruptly hanging up.

Millie lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Even the ceilings in wealthy homes were decorated beautifully.

After getting a taste of this lifestyle, she could never go back to her old life. So, she had to win over Murray's heart.

The next morning, Roseanne had finished cleaning and preparing lunch before heading to the lab.

After a busy morning and two sets of data completed, she was quite satisfied with her progress.

After entering the data and ensuring it was saved, she grabbed her lunchbox from the fridge, ready to heat it up.

Jen could smell the delicious aroma from afar.

"Roseanne, what are you eating? It smells amazing. Is that takeout?"

Roasted chicken wings, perfectly browned and inviting.

Broccoli salad, vibrant green and emitting a mouthwatering fresh aroma.

The meat and veggies were a perfect combo, visually appealing and undoubtedly satisfying.

Roseanne replied, "It's not takeout. I brought it from home. I haven't even touched these chicken wings yet, do you want to try?" Normally, Jen might have hesitated out of politeness, but the sight of those golden-brown wings made her swallow her pride— "I'll take you up on that offer!"

With that, she grabbed a wing.

The chicken wing was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection. "Delicious! Did you make this yourself?" "Yep."

Jen wasn't exaggerating. Her own

cooking skills were mediocre, and family meals weren't much better. She had had good food at restaurants before, but often the ingredients weren't fresh, or the seasoning was overpowering.

Roseanne's cooking was different. The freshness of the ingredients went without saying, and somehow, she had mastered the balance of saltiness, crispiness, and tenderness. It was like the food was dancing on her taste buds.

Roseanne chuckled, "You're exaggerating. It's just simple home cooking."

Jen shook her head, seriously, "No

exaggeration. If simple home cooking tastes like this, what would happen if you made something more elaborate? You'd leave people blissfully disoriented."

"What's blissfully disorienting?" Sammy, ever alert to the mention of food, perked up his ears from across the room like a radar detecting a signal.

"We're talking about Roseanne's cooking. It's incredibly delicious! I just discovered today that we've been hiding a master chef in our lab!"

Roseanne laughed it off: "Don't listen to Jen. It's just average."

Sammy glanced over at the roasted chicken wings, immediately seeing they looked appetizing.

"I just had lunch and I'm pretty full, otherwise I'd definitely grab one. Say, Roseanne, will you make them again tomorrow?"

He had already eaten, and as a guy, it didn't seem right to take food from a woman's plate. But Jen's description had him curious.

"I'll probably make something different tomorrow."

"Oh..." Sammy looked visibly disappointed.

Jen didn't speak, but her eyes were nearly brimming with disappointment.

Roseanne laughed, "You know, I've been here for a while and I've been meaning to properly thank everyone for their kindness. Since today's Friday and we're off tomorrow, how about after work we decide whether to go out or... to my place,"

"To your place! To your place!" Jen was almost pleading, afraid Roseanne might change her mind. "It's settled then. We'll head over at six."