Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



This summer felt like it was cranking the heat up to eleven.

From Monday to Friday, I had my sweet escape in air-conditioned classrooms, labs, and the library.

Weekends? Just as awesome. My home's AC and chilled watermelon slices were the stuff of dreams.

Lounging in my cool haven, munching on watermelon while skimming through papers, it felt like a small slice of peace in a hectic world.

Leda dropped a message: "Hey, it's Saturday, no classes. Sure you don't want to hit the town?"

Roseanne sighed and said, "Leda, please, give me a break. With this heat... I can't even think about stepping outside."

"Not even for a little shopping, maybe to grab some cute outfits?!"

"I can just shop online."

"What about makeup? You gotta try those in-store to know if they're any good!"

"I stick to my usual brands, no need to test."

"Come on, don't you want to grab some snacks, maybe check out the fresh produce at the supermarket?! You gotta leave the house for that!" Leda's frustration was palpable through the screen.

Roseanne whispered back, almost guiltily, "Actually... home delivery isn't so bad."

Leda was silent for a moment.

"Have you been less busy with work lately, feeling a bit lonely?"

A deep sigh from Leda. Roseanne always could read her like a book.

Roseanne frowned, puzzled by her friend's insistence.

"What about your contacts like Kevin, David, and all those other friends... Where'd they go?"This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Usually, Leda would never think of dragging her out in this scorching summer heat. She hated the sun even more than Roseanne did. So when Leda brought it up today, something felt off.

"Don't even start..." Leda seemed defeated.

Just mentioning it seemed to cause her physical pain.

York, that idiot, had somehow gotten her phone's lock screen password and decided to browse some not-so-savory websites, infecting her phone with a virus that wrecked the whole system.

He swore he could fix it.

Leda, trusting him, decided to go for another spa treatment at the Gibson Mansion a place where indulgences like emperor-grade jade bracelets and anti-aging treatments were the norms, thanks to York's affluent family.

True to the saying, "you eat their food, you play by their rules," Leda found herself biting back her anger.

York, meanwhile, was a broken record of apologies, "I'm so sorry, Leda. I didn't realize fixing it would make things worse. If I had known, I'd have taken it to a professional..."

Leda cut him off, "Enough, just stop."

York continued, oblivious to Leda's growing rage, "It's all my fault. I'll make it right, I promise. I'll get you a new phone first thing tomorrow." Leda clenched her teeth, "I said stop."

But York couldn't help himself, "How can I show how truly sorry I am? I know even ten new phones wouldn't make up for this one, with all its messages and contacts..."

Leda's fist tightened.

York went on, "What now? All those contacts, gone? Can't reach your little crushes anymore?"