After Ashley left, Valerie broke down, sobbing until her chest ached. They’d been friends for years, but this was the first time Ashley had walked away with tears streaming down her face. Valerie’s mind spun—were they even still friends after this? What would her life look like if the one person she trusted most had really left her behind?

When the tears finally slowed, Valerie grabbed the glass of juice she’d poured for Ashley earlier and downed it in one go. It wasn’t cold anymore, ...