Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



"Stop making excuses, sweetheart. I'm not one of you city folks, all those fancy restaurants don't sit well with me. And come on, I'm your elder. Is it too much to ask for a homemade breakfast? If you don't like it, I'll just have a word with your mother-in-law!"

As she spoke, she began to moan and groan, now claiming a headache from the stress, now bemoaning her hunger.

The others around immediately took her side, launching into a chorus of complaints against Madge.

Looking at the lot, Madge could almost see the usual banding together, the mob mentality at its finest.

"Great-Aunt Martha, you're hankering for some home-cooked breakfast, huh? Alright, I'll have Norris whip something up for you, just give us a moment."

"No! Didn't you get my point? I asked you, not Norris! It's only natural: men make the money; women cook the meals!"

"I heard you loud and clear but..." Madge flashed a wry smile, "In our house, I bring in more bacon than Norris does. Even this house, it was bought with my paycheck. So, by your logic, Norris cooking is just the way things should be."

"Bullshit You bought this mansion?!"

The disbelief was palpable in her eyes.

Madge, ever so serene, simply nodded.

Martha's sister nudged her, whispering with an awkward grin, "I asked Norris about it yesterday. The mansion really is bought by his wife..." Martha was gobsmacked.

Madge didn't bother with another word, turning back to her study.

Impossible...

A woman earning that much? Buying a mansion?!

Martha was utterly flabbergasted.

Her sister scoffed, "If I made that kind of money, I wouldn't be cooking either. I'd wait for a man to cook for me. With money in the bank, who'd bother with the kitchen? Put yourself in her shoes, what would you do?"

Martha found herself speechless.

Indeed, with money, who would still play servant?

...

When Roseanne came back with breakfast, she walked into a strangely tense atmosphere. Before she could figure out what was going on, a loud "crash" from the backyard startled everyone.

That sound came from Norris' cherished garden.

A bad feeling washed over Roseanne.

Sure enough, upon inspection, Norris' prized orchid was smashed to smithereens, other plants suffering various degrees of assault.

Norris was trembling, his heart bleeding for his orchid...

To cultivate such a beauty, he had spent countless mornings and evenings nurturing it, meticulously

keeping notes. And just as it

bloomed, it was ruined by someContent protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

reckless kids.

The kids, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, even had the nerve to cheerily ask Norris, "Uncle Norris, isn't it pretty? We picked it for you, hehe..." Roseanne caught Norris' ashen face and feared his blood pressure might skyrocket.

But, having been a school principal for years, Norris managed to keep his cool, though a smile was far from his face.

Funny? Not at all.

Unable to bear it, Roseanne decided to escape with her laptop. Just one more day...

Roseanne could avoid the drama, but Norris and Madge had no such luxury.

After all, they had to play host to their visiting relatives.

Otherwise, Martha would have their heads.

In the afternoon, Irving and Abbey, under the guise of a friendly visit, clearly came for the spectacle.

Irving, at least showing some

conscience, didn't want to rub salt in

the wound and was about to leave

when Abbey firmly held him back,

her eyes warning him not to dare.