LOGINShare
Chapter 3
Related chapters
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 4
I immediately looked up, and what I saw nearly made my heart stop. Margaret must've gotten overwhelmed by the smoke and climbed over the balcony.Luckily, there was a narrow ledge outside, which was about four inches wide. Somehow, she managed to stand on it, but being 17 stories up, one wrong step could send her falling to her death.My hands were soaked in sweat.Suddenly, I got a message on my phone. I checked it, and to my surprise, it was from Margaret."It's been forever, Rue, and I still haven't heard any fire trucks. I don't think I can hang on much longer. The pain from the burns is unbearable. I can't even imagine what Bernard went through."You've been visiting me all this time, but that useless son of mine, Joshua, barely even stops by. I knew something was going on between you two."I actually looked into it. His first love returned, right? You never really talk to me about your problems, sweetheart. If I'd known earlier, I would've taken care of that jerk for you. I
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 5
Louis and his teammates rushed to grab the high-pressure hoses, ready to fight the flames. But when they reached the base of the apartment building, they stopped dead, their faces pale with shock.They were too late.I knelt beside Margaret's body, my face heavy with grief. Her blood was all over me, but I paid it no mind. She'd jumped from the 17th floor, so there was no way her body could've stayed intact.I could see the fear in everyone's eyes, but the moment I realized the mangled mess on the ground was Margaret—always the one to greet me with a warm smile—I just couldn't find the strength to get up.Louis didn't know what to say. Margaret had always been so kind to them when she was around. At Christmas, she'd make roast turkey for them, and in the summer, she'd whip up sorbets to help them beat the heat.She always used to say that since Joshua and Bernard were firefighters, that meant all firefighters were like family to her. But it was these same "family" members who blin
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 6
I could tell what Louis was about to say. He was biased against me, but I couldn't really blame him. We barely hung out, and everything he knew about me came from Joshua.Ever since Sophie showed up, Joshua had been feeling drained whenever he talked to me."Ruby, can you stop making such a big deal out of this?"Ruby, there's nothing going on with Sophie and me. You're just being paranoid."Ruby, you're seriously wearing me out. Can you try to be a little more understanding, like Sophie?"I kept getting disappointed over and over, and I started to wonder if maybe I was the one in the wrong. If he was that harsh with me, there was no way he'd say anything good about me to his friends.I went through Margaret's texts again, reading each one carefully. When I reached the part where she said, "I'm all for you getting a divorce from him", I broke down and started crying.That left no doubt in my mind.Even Margaret could see that Joshua and I were done. So, why should I keep draggi
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 7
I didn't reach out to Joshua for the next three days.I went to the crematorium alone. Margaret's broken body was put in the furnace, and when it was done, all that was left fit in a small box.She used to talk about seeing the ocean someday, but with a shop to run and Joshua always tied up, it just never happened.So I made a snap decision, took her urn, and spent a few days by the beach. When I got home, I saw a pair of shoes by the door that definitely weren't mine. My stomach sank, and I quickly entered the code to open the door."Oh, Rue, you're back," Sophie said.She was wearing my slippers, my apron around her waist, and my loungewear, like she belonged there."Josh ran out to grab something. He'll be back shortly. Why don't you sit on the couch for a bit?" Her eyes were dripping with mockery and fake sympathy.I carefully placed Margaret's urn down, then slapped Sophie hard across the face."You're the other woman, yet you show up here acting like you belong. Are you
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 8
I thought Joshua would agree instantly, but to my surprise, he just scowled. "What's your deal? Do you think pushing me away is going to make me care? It's not going to work on me."I almost laughed out of frustration at how confident he was.I couldn't care less to explain, and honestly, I wasn't about to stick around for another second with this trashy duo. I grabbed my suitcase and got ready to head out again.After stepping out of the living room, I saw Sophie holding the urn I brought back, staring at it with curiosity."Put that down!" I barked, yanking it out of her hands.Something flashed in her eyes, and she suddenly dropped to the floor.Before I could even check if the urn was fine, Joshua slapped me across the face in a blind rage. He hit me so hard that my vision blurred, and my ears started ringing.He stared at his hand, clearly shocked, then quickly rushed over to check on me. "I got too heated, Ruby. Are you okay?"He reached out to help me up, but I pushed h
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 9
"You're not going to sign it? Fine. I'll just file for divorce then," I said.I got up and grabbed my suitcase, ready to leave.Joshua stepped in front of me. "What's that supposed to mean? Why are you being so harsh? Are you really going to divorce me?"We were pulling at each other in the hallway when the elevator doors suddenly slid open. Mrs. Zeller hurried out with a bag in her hands. When she saw me, she quickly shoved it into my arms."I almost forgot about this. This is some bacon Margaret cured a while ago. She said you loved it. She kept losing track of time, so she gave it to me and asked me to hold onto it for her."I felt my eyes tearing up as I gripped the heavy bag.Joshua overheard and looked relieved. Then, he sneered. "See? I knew you were lying. My mom can still make bacon, so she's clearly fine. "Thanks, Mrs. Zeller. Once again, you've shown me how low some people will go!"Mrs. Zeller spat at him like he was something disgusting. "You heartless jerk! Don't
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 10
It must've finally sunk in for Joshua overnight because the next day, he tracked me down through someone. He looked like he hadn't slept, his dark hair now streaked with silver, his eyes full of regret.His voice was rough like he'd been carrying a weight for too long. "I never thought any of this was real, Rue. I talked to Louis, and it turns out, I really did get Mom killed. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"He looked completely shattered, but I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy.I kept my face neutral and dug the knife in deeper. "You didn't just kill Margaret. You actually flushed her ashes down the toilet yourself. Joshua, you're disgusting."His eyes went wide, and it seemed like everything from the day before came rushing back to him. He stared at his hands in disbelief and started slapping himself, over and over."Mom! It's my fault! It's all my fault! How could I have done something so insane? What kind of son am I?"Joshua buried his face in his hands and cried his heart out.I
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 11
The divorce went smoothly. If anyone deserved the blame, it was Joshua and Sophie for their blatant behavior.They weren't even trying to be discreet at Sophie's place, and pretty much everyone assumed they were a couple. Some people even heard Joshua call her "babe".Then, the whole mess about how Joshua indirectly caused Margaret's death for Sophie's sake blew up online, and suddenly, the two of them were being slammed by just about everyone.Since I was in the right, I won the lawsuit, got the divorce decree I'd been waiting for, and cut all ties with Joshua. I inherited the money Margaret had spent her whole life saving.Instead of wasting it, I used it to start a small business. I didn't get wildly rich but had made enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life. Maybe Margaret was looking out for me from up above.After the divorce, I barely heard anything about Joshua. The only thing I knew was that he got fired for negligence and messing up at work. All that passion he
Latest chapter
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 11
The divorce went smoothly. If anyone deserved the blame, it was Joshua and Sophie for their blatant behavior.They weren't even trying to be discreet at Sophie's place, and pretty much everyone assumed they were a couple. Some people even heard Joshua call her "babe".Then, the whole mess about how Joshua indirectly caused Margaret's death for Sophie's sake blew up online, and suddenly, the two of them were being slammed by just about everyone.Since I was in the right, I won the lawsuit, got the divorce decree I'd been waiting for, and cut all ties with Joshua. I inherited the money Margaret had spent her whole life saving.Instead of wasting it, I used it to start a small business. I didn't get wildly rich but had made enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life. Maybe Margaret was looking out for me from up above.After the divorce, I barely heard anything about Joshua. The only thing I knew was that he got fired for negligence and messing up at work. All that passion he
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 10
It must've finally sunk in for Joshua overnight because the next day, he tracked me down through someone. He looked like he hadn't slept, his dark hair now streaked with silver, his eyes full of regret.His voice was rough like he'd been carrying a weight for too long. "I never thought any of this was real, Rue. I talked to Louis, and it turns out, I really did get Mom killed. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"He looked completely shattered, but I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy.I kept my face neutral and dug the knife in deeper. "You didn't just kill Margaret. You actually flushed her ashes down the toilet yourself. Joshua, you're disgusting."His eyes went wide, and it seemed like everything from the day before came rushing back to him. He stared at his hands in disbelief and started slapping himself, over and over."Mom! It's my fault! It's all my fault! How could I have done something so insane? What kind of son am I?"Joshua buried his face in his hands and cried his heart out.I
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 9
"You're not going to sign it? Fine. I'll just file for divorce then," I said.I got up and grabbed my suitcase, ready to leave.Joshua stepped in front of me. "What's that supposed to mean? Why are you being so harsh? Are you really going to divorce me?"We were pulling at each other in the hallway when the elevator doors suddenly slid open. Mrs. Zeller hurried out with a bag in her hands. When she saw me, she quickly shoved it into my arms."I almost forgot about this. This is some bacon Margaret cured a while ago. She said you loved it. She kept losing track of time, so she gave it to me and asked me to hold onto it for her."I felt my eyes tearing up as I gripped the heavy bag.Joshua overheard and looked relieved. Then, he sneered. "See? I knew you were lying. My mom can still make bacon, so she's clearly fine. "Thanks, Mrs. Zeller. Once again, you've shown me how low some people will go!"Mrs. Zeller spat at him like he was something disgusting. "You heartless jerk! Don't
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 8
I thought Joshua would agree instantly, but to my surprise, he just scowled. "What's your deal? Do you think pushing me away is going to make me care? It's not going to work on me."I almost laughed out of frustration at how confident he was.I couldn't care less to explain, and honestly, I wasn't about to stick around for another second with this trashy duo. I grabbed my suitcase and got ready to head out again.After stepping out of the living room, I saw Sophie holding the urn I brought back, staring at it with curiosity."Put that down!" I barked, yanking it out of her hands.Something flashed in her eyes, and she suddenly dropped to the floor.Before I could even check if the urn was fine, Joshua slapped me across the face in a blind rage. He hit me so hard that my vision blurred, and my ears started ringing.He stared at his hand, clearly shocked, then quickly rushed over to check on me. "I got too heated, Ruby. Are you okay?"He reached out to help me up, but I pushed h
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 7
I didn't reach out to Joshua for the next three days.I went to the crematorium alone. Margaret's broken body was put in the furnace, and when it was done, all that was left fit in a small box.She used to talk about seeing the ocean someday, but with a shop to run and Joshua always tied up, it just never happened.So I made a snap decision, took her urn, and spent a few days by the beach. When I got home, I saw a pair of shoes by the door that definitely weren't mine. My stomach sank, and I quickly entered the code to open the door."Oh, Rue, you're back," Sophie said.She was wearing my slippers, my apron around her waist, and my loungewear, like she belonged there."Josh ran out to grab something. He'll be back shortly. Why don't you sit on the couch for a bit?" Her eyes were dripping with mockery and fake sympathy.I carefully placed Margaret's urn down, then slapped Sophie hard across the face."You're the other woman, yet you show up here acting like you belong. Are you
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 6
I could tell what Louis was about to say. He was biased against me, but I couldn't really blame him. We barely hung out, and everything he knew about me came from Joshua.Ever since Sophie showed up, Joshua had been feeling drained whenever he talked to me."Ruby, can you stop making such a big deal out of this?"Ruby, there's nothing going on with Sophie and me. You're just being paranoid."Ruby, you're seriously wearing me out. Can you try to be a little more understanding, like Sophie?"I kept getting disappointed over and over, and I started to wonder if maybe I was the one in the wrong. If he was that harsh with me, there was no way he'd say anything good about me to his friends.I went through Margaret's texts again, reading each one carefully. When I reached the part where she said, "I'm all for you getting a divorce from him", I broke down and started crying.That left no doubt in my mind.Even Margaret could see that Joshua and I were done. So, why should I keep draggi
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 5
Louis and his teammates rushed to grab the high-pressure hoses, ready to fight the flames. But when they reached the base of the apartment building, they stopped dead, their faces pale with shock.They were too late.I knelt beside Margaret's body, my face heavy with grief. Her blood was all over me, but I paid it no mind. She'd jumped from the 17th floor, so there was no way her body could've stayed intact.I could see the fear in everyone's eyes, but the moment I realized the mangled mess on the ground was Margaret—always the one to greet me with a warm smile—I just couldn't find the strength to get up.Louis didn't know what to say. Margaret had always been so kind to them when she was around. At Christmas, she'd make roast turkey for them, and in the summer, she'd whip up sorbets to help them beat the heat.She always used to say that since Joshua and Bernard were firefighters, that meant all firefighters were like family to her. But it was these same "family" members who blin
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 4
I immediately looked up, and what I saw nearly made my heart stop. Margaret must've gotten overwhelmed by the smoke and climbed over the balcony.Luckily, there was a narrow ledge outside, which was about four inches wide. Somehow, she managed to stand on it, but being 17 stories up, one wrong step could send her falling to her death.My hands were soaked in sweat.Suddenly, I got a message on my phone. I checked it, and to my surprise, it was from Margaret."It's been forever, Rue, and I still haven't heard any fire trucks. I don't think I can hang on much longer. The pain from the burns is unbearable. I can't even imagine what Bernard went through."You've been visiting me all this time, but that useless son of mine, Joshua, barely even stops by. I knew something was going on between you two."I actually looked into it. His first love returned, right? You never really talk to me about your problems, sweetheart. If I'd known earlier, I would've taken care of that jerk for you. I
Burn Our Relationship to a Crisp Chapter 3
"Ruby, you're looking for Josh, right?" Louis asked. "This address is actually Mrs. Scott's place. I asked him about it, and he said she knows about the fire hazards, so there's no need to worry."Let me guess. You two had a fight, so you called in a false alarm, right? Look, Ruby. I'm not trying to lecture you, but sometimes, guys just need space."Don't be too controlling. Even if Josh did something wrong, wishing anything bad on Mrs. Scott isn't right—"I took a deep breath and interrupted his endless rant, "I don't care where Joshua is right now! I need the rest of your team here immediately to put out the fire! Margaret's life is at risk, Louis! This isn't a joke!"I'd always been nice to these people because of Joshua and had never raised my voice at them.Louis was shocked by my outburst and started to panic. "Come on, Ruby. You're just calling to find Josh, aren't you?""I don't give a damn about Joshua right now! Get over here fast, or Margaret won't make it!"I heard h
