Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed
Chapter 146

"Whoa, if it isn't Roseanne! I thought I was seeing things when I saw you at the door!"

Louisa, the notoriously chatty and loud neighbor from next door, whose husband also teaches at Horizon Future Middle School, just like Roseanne's family, they moved into the faculty neighborhood in the same year. Spotting Roseanne stepping out, she hurried over, giving her an up-and-down look that was nothing short of thorough, "Well, I'll be darned! Isn't it just like the big city to polish up a gem! Look at you, hitting the big time, huh!" Roseanne was speechless.

"Just look at that outfit, that figure, those clothes and shoes, absolutely trendy!"

Louisa was all praises, then she leaned in closer, winking at Roseanne, "Hey, I heard you're doing great in Lumina City, got any connections... any chance you could hook up my little sister?" Roseanne was perplexed, "Hook up with what?"

"Ahem! You know, a big-shot, a real catch. My sister's got the looks and the body, plus she's young, only 22!"

Roseanne's face fell, she stepped back, putting some distance between them, "Louisa, you've got it wrong. I don't have those kinds of connections. I can't help you."

Hearing this, Louisa's brow furrowed, "Come on, Roseanne, we're practically family, why all the secrecy? Once you've made it, you've got to spread the wealth, right?"

Roseanne couldn't help but laugh, "Me, spread the wealth? Louisa, you're giving me too much credit."

Seeing her refusal, Louisa's smile vanished, "Oh, dear, look how uppity we get when we've got a little money! I was just kidding around. Who'd want to be with that kind of man, anyway..."

"Mrs. Johnson! Watch your words!" Before Roseanne could respond, Norris, her father, dropped his bike and rushed to shield his daughter.

His face serious, eyes ablaze with anger, "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say anything! My Anne is clean and honest, while you're spewing nonsense!"

"Oh, I'm spewing nonsense?" Louisa retorted, already on bad terms with the Cole family, with constant small frictions, "Just ask around our block, who doesn't know your daughter's been away for years, hanging onto rich men? It's not just me saying this, go ahead, shut everyone up if you can!"

"You" Norris was livid, his chest heaving with rage, "You're talking nonsense! Making things up!"

"Please... guilty but pretending to be innocent, so fake!" Her scornful gaze swept over Roseanne, "What decent girl dresses like that? Always on the prowl, absolutely disgusting!"

"You-you get out-OUT-" Norris clutched at his heart, struggling to breathe.

"Dad!" Roseanne quickly fetched his medication.

Looking up again, her gaze towards the woman was icy cold, "I called you aunt out of years of being neighbors, but you've crossed the line, hurling insults right to our doorstep? Well, then I won't be polite either!"

With that, Roseanne grabbed a mop from the corner, which Madge must have just used, still dripping wet, and swung it at the woman.

Louisa screamed, "She's attacking-she's attacking-"

She couldn't dodge in time!

Although she managed to avoid a direct hit, most of the water from the mop splashed onto her.

Roseanne joked, "Oops, just used that to mop the bathroom, didn't even rinse it. Perfect timing!"

Louisa's face turned pale, as if she really could smell that foul stench, "You-you little brat, that's despicable!"