Their talk didn’t lead anywhere—just more distance. Ashley finally decided to leave Valerie alone. She didn’t feel safe staying in the same space when Valerie’s emotions were all over the place.

Ashley let herself cry as she made her way down to the ground floor. Her chest felt tight, and she hated every second of this mess. Last night, when Arthur told her about Valerie’s situation, Ashley had already felt that gnawing discomfort building inside.

Her gut had been right all along: ...