Chapter 567

she was here, suffering the wrath of a wicked hangover, and these two decided to flaunt their love while she was out cold. Where was their conscience?

Clamping a hand over her mouth, she dashed for the bathroom and heaved a resounding “ugh” into the toilet.

Brielle arched an eyebrow. The timing of it all was a bit too perfect, as if Aubree was sickened by their display of affection.

Noticing Max’s darkening expression, Brielle quickly softened her tone, “Go back, I’ll take care of her.

She was alone over the holidays, and I’m worried.”

Once Max had left, Brielle grabbed a bottle of mineral water and headed for the bathroom.

With reddened eyes from retching, Aubree caught sight of Brielle in the mirror and hastily turned on the faucet to rinse away the mess. Then, she brushed her teeth with earnestness.

Once she was done, she covered her eyes with her hands. “Bri, do I look terrible?”

Brielle was at a loss for words. Everyone knew the unspoken moral standards, but once you were in the thick of it, was it really that simple to make the best decision? If emotions could be quantified and regulated, then the world wouldn’t be full of stories about love and loss.

Besides, Aubree and Andrew had met first. Just when it came to matters of the heart, the concept of first–come–first–served was rarely applicable.

“You don’t look terrible. Are you hungry? I can whip up some soup for you.”

Aubree shook her head, took the water Brielle offered, and gulped it down before pursing her lips. “Not hungry.”

She rubbed her eyes, feeling like a burden to Brielle, and cracked a weak smile. “It’s so late, you should sleep. The guest room’s always ready, and no one’s used it.”

Brielle’s eyes caught the pile of melatonin on the shelf, her brow furrowing. “Have you been having a lot of trouble sleeping?”

Aubree quickly stashed the medication back into the cabinet, her movements a tad frantic. “Not really, just keeping them on hand.”

Brielle wouldn’t stop Aubree from loving Andrew, but it pained her to see Aubree harming her health like this. “Max called Andrew earlier, and he’s with Tessa.”

Aubree stiffened, her face turning ashen. Knowing it herself was one thing, but hearing it from someone else was another.

She blinked her stinging eyes and mustered a faint smile. “Yeah, I heard Tessa’s been under the weather. Andrew’s always treated her like she’s made of glass. He’s bound to be by her side.”

10:56 However, all those times Aubree was sick, Andrew never once stayed with her.

Aubree was painfully aware that she was nothing more than a toy for him to play with when he felt lonely, Sometimes, he would toy with her as casually as one relieves themselves – a zipper down, a zipper up, and it was over without ever asking how she felt, like that time outside her apartment building.

Andrew had done this too many times to count, so much that Aubree couldn’t even remember them all.

She felt he had no respect for her, but she loved Andrew, and in love, she had already lost. Perhaps one day, he would remember her kindness, and maybe he would grow to love her. Aubree clung to that thought, those pathetic hopes that even she despised.

Brielle watched Aubree try to hold back her tears, and her heart felt as if it had been pricked. Having known Aubree for years, Brielle had always thought of her as someone bold in love and fierce in hate.

But after learning about her and Andrew, Brielle realized that all of Aubree’s outward spines turned into soft needles in his presence.

“Aubree, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Brielle had intended to be cruel, to make Aubree see Andrew’s coldness. But she forgot that Aubree had been at Andrew’s beck and call for years and was well acquainted with that man’s heartlessness.

Aubree shook her head, words failing her as her heart ached too much to speak.

Brielle knew Aubree probably wanted to be alone, “I’m going to bed. If you need to talk but don’t want to say it to my face, you can text me.” Her phone was fully charged, ready for a late–night chat.

Aubree’s eyes welled up instantly. What she wanted most was to wish Andrew a happy birthday. But when it came to Andrew, Aubree could no longer utter a word, so she closed her eyes and fluttered her eyelashes. “Mm.”

After Brielle retreated to the guest room, sleep eluded her. She was worried Aubree might do something drastic, perhaps take all those sleeping pills. So, at the slightest noise, she couldn’t help but stand by the door to listen, fearing she might hear the thud of a body hitting the floor.