Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Just as Madeleine received the news, it hit her like a gut punch. This year, the graduate funding at the college was overwhelmingly in favor of Edna's research team, with a staggering seventy percent allocated to them, leaving scraps for the rest. After covering all the miscellaneous expenses, what trickled down to her and her team might barely scratch twenty percent.

For years, due to a lack of breakthroughs in their experiments, they couldn't produce any significant papers.

No papers meant no academic achievements.

Gradually, their funding dwindled, and so did Madeleine's health. None of her students could rise to the occasion to carry the banner forward.

At this thought, Madeleine couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Just then, Edna, who lived across the hall, approached her with a smile.

"Ms. Payne, good afternoon. Just back from the lab? I heard your team had some new discoveries? Is it true?"

Madeleine remained silent.

"Oh, I guess that's a no then. You're always so busy running to the lab, but why are there no tangible outcomes? You know, I heard about the cut in your group's funding this year... Ah, the struggle of being broke, I've been there. I used to be so envious of you. It's just the wheel of fortune turning, and now it's my turn!" Edna added with a slight smile. "But, it seems it's going to be tough on you."

Madeleine lifted her chin slightly, straightening her cardigan: "A decade ago, our project's funding wasn't even a tenth of what we have now, yet the output of the entire Life Sciences Department was twice what it is today. It shows that the amount of resources doesn't directly determine the academic output. However—"

She changed tack: "The presence of certain individuals directly impacts the academic atmosphere. That's why the department has poured so much funding into projects that have yielded disproportionately low academic results."

Edna's face darkened. "Keep fooling yourself. At this rate, I wonder if your research group will even survive! Moreover, I haven't seen you mentor any standout students over the years. As a teacher, you should know how crucial it is to have a disciple who is talented, hardworking, and willing to devote themselves to academia. Do you have anyone like that?"

Madeleine retorted, "And how do you know I don't?"

"Where? I haven't seen any. Being stubborn won't help," sighed Edna. "You might as well retire early and save yourself the trouble."

Madeleine simply looked at her, a mix of pity and sadness in her eyes.

Despite the challenges, her research wasn't as dire as Edna made it out to be.

Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.

Unfortunately, some people fail to grasp that.

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By mid-April, as the weather warmed up, Roseanne, who had secured her admission to graduate school, didn't let up on her efforts.

Her life was a simple routine of library, home, and the local farmers' market.

Aside from her studies, her greatest pleasure was cooking a delicious meal for herself.

She occasionally ran into Owen and invited him to share a meal, though such opportunities were rare since he was always buried in his work.

Their brief encounters were usually

when he came home to grab fresh clothes or because the lab's break room was occupied, forcing him to return home to sleep.

As days turned to months, Roseanne's life was mundane but fulfilling.

She no longer had to wait for a man who no longer saw a place for her in his life; she didn't need to prepare his meals or manage the small details of his daily routines; nor did she have to endure his constant negativity, which had been steadily wearing down her spirit.

Having lived through such times, Roseanne cherished her current lifestyle even more.

Video calls with her parents in Pinehollow became a daily ritual.

Since moving into her new place, Norris had embraced his passion for gardening, planting everything he'd previously wanted but couldn't.

Every day after classes, her first stop was the yard to check on his flowers, herbs, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Madge joked, "Your dad's living the true country life now, only thing missing is fertilizing fields."

From a distance, Norris shouted back, "And I love it!"

Meanwhile, Madge found new

inspiration for her writing, immersing herself so deeply that she became oblivious to the world around her, except for Norris tending to the garden.

However, her latest idea was promptly rejected by her editor.

This led to inevitable arguments between them.

Norris mentioned catching Madge tearfully reading her previously published mystery novels in the middle of the night. Hearing this, Roseanne couldn't help but frown.