#Chapter 275: Valid

Audrey Tina quickly wiped her face, trying to hide her tears, but it was too late. I had already seen everything. “I’m not crying,” she whispered, but her voice cracked halfway through and betrayed everything. “Okay, maybe… Yes. I am. A little. Just... just don’t look at me right now, okay?” But I didn’t turn away. How could I turn away from my friend when she was crying? I sat down beside her, wrapping one arm around her trembling shoulders. “Tina, what’s going on? Is everything alright? Too much champagne?” She hesitated, swallowing hard. “I—I thought I could handle it,” she choked out. “Being... just being me, you know? But I can’t even do that right.” I tilted my head, watching her as she looked away, staring out into the darkness beyond the courtyard. “What happened?” She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. Only something tight and sad. “Avis’s friend, Sarah—she, um, she was really nice. So, so nice. But she... she made it clear that