Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"You're so handsome, I'm totally smitten, let's give it a shot, be my boyfriend..."

"Wow, aren't you the bold one," Roseanne laughed.

"My biggest virtue is my courage to dream big and act on it."

"Yeah? Maybe just stick to dreaming for now," Roseanne teased.

Corley, seemingly oblivious to her subtle rejection, grinned, "Dream first, then do."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

"Not everything can be done," she said, dampening his spirits a bit.

"No worries. You gotta try, right? No regrets. Who knows? Maybe it'll happen."

Roseanne didn't respond.

At the staircase, Corley stopped, "This is you."

"Thanks."

"Call me if you need anything. Anytime. I'll be there."

"Sure."

"See, you're humoring me again. You're thinking, 'Sure, I'll say yes now, but when push comes to shove, I won't call.""

A smirk twitched at the corner of Roseanne's mouth.

"I know you're Miss Independent, happy with your solo gig. But maybe, just maybe, think of me if you need help? I'm not asking to be the first you think of... but maybe... eventually?" Roseanne chuckled, "Okay."

"Head up then."

Corley watched her ascend the stairs until her room light flicked on, then he turned and left.

...

After spending nearly a month in the villa, Millie's pregnancy was stable and she was well taken care of. With Murray away and no one to berate her, she relished her days in comfort. en FindNovel

Post-morning sickness, she glowed and even gained a bit of weight.

Beverley, on the other hand, slaved away, tolerating Millie's whims and fancies.

Despite not losing weight, Beverley looked visibly worn. Her struggles with insomnia, exacerbated by Millie's unpredictable demands, left her frazzled. Even if Millie was quiet, Beverley would wake up startled, then spend the rest of the night wide awake.

Millie lived luxuriously, shopping without a care, unaware of the concept of restraint. Fed up, Beverley left Millie in the mall to return to the villa alone.

Finding Beverley lounging and eating watermelon, Millie scoffed, "Leaving me alone in the mall and sneaking back to enjoy yourself, are you living up to your duties? What if something happened to me? Don't you care about your grandchild?!"

Beverley, barely enjoying a moment of peace, rolled her eyes, "With all those security guards and Sadie by your side, what could possibly go wrong? You're being paranoid!"

"It's for my grandchild, not you. Don't expect me to hover over you 24/7. You're not worth that effort."

After her comeback, Beverley scoffed and rolled her eyes, shutting down any more talk.

Millie, seething, clenched her teeth.

Quickly regaining her composure, she lazily ordered Lara to wash some cherries for her and headed to the backyard gazebo for some sun.

"Oh, and Sadie, bring my sunscreen."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.