Chapter 876

Usually, only the housekeeper ever went upstairs.

Claire tiptoed carefully, terrified of waking Rosalind.

She didn’t even dare turn on the lights, navigating the stairs solely by the glow of her phone screen.

She used to raid Noreen’s wine cellar all the time, so she knew the layout well enough to find her way in the dark.

Once inside the cellar, she flipped on the light, excited to pick out a good bottle.

Only to nearly jump out of her skin at the sight of a figure curled up on the sofa.

*A ghost!*

She almost screamed out loud.

Thankfully, she swallowed the scream right as she realized it was Noreen.

Noreen was in thin loungewear, her hair a loose, messy cascade.

Strands of hair obscured half her face, making her look undeniably creepy in the sudden light.

“I thought you were at the office working late,” Claire gasped, clutching her racing heart.

She glanced at the empty wine bottles littering the floor and raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on? Something on your mind?”

Noreen practically collapsed against Claire the moment she sat down.

Claire glanced down and saw the heavy flush of alcohol coloring Noreen’s cheeks.

She had clearly been drinking a lot.

“I don’t feel right,” Noreen slurred slightly, downing the last drops in her glass.

“Let me guess. The jerk Seth?” Claire poured herself a glass.

“Congratulations. You guessed it.”

Claire just sighed. “That’s not a good sign.”

“I know,” Noreen murmured.

“You know what?”

“I know it’s wrong,” Noreen’s voice cracked. He abandoned me. I

fought so hard to put myself net

tower. So why why am I starting

to waver because of him again?”

She looked at Claire, her eyes rimmed with red. “I’m so pathetic, aren’t I?”

Claire nodded. “Yes.”

Noreen slumped, her shoulders dropping in defeat.

“It feels like he’s playing games-always drifting close, then pulling away. If he didn’t care about me at all, I could just pretend none of this happened and we could go Our separate ways in peace.”

“But all this half-truth, half-illusion… what is it even for?”

Claire didn’t know exactly what had transpired between them recently, but she could see the sheer agony in Noreen’s eyes and hear it in her voice.

While mentally cursing Seth to hell and back, she comforted Noreen “Don’s “beat yourself up over it. There are plenty of fish in the sea. I’ll fine up ten gorgeous guys for you tomorrow.”

Noreen let out a weak, helpless laugh.

“I’m dead serious,” Claire insisted. “Your problem is that you haven’t dated enough.

That’s why you keep falling for that jerk Seth’s tricks.”

Noreen played along. “Fine. Just make sure they’re hot. I have standards.”

“Done.”

Seeing Noreen reach for another bottle, Claire quickly covered her hand. “Easy there. I think you’ve had enough.”

In her drunken state, Noreen couldn’t fight Claire. She relented, melting back into

the plush booth and staring blankly at the ceiling lights.

The profound exhaustion in her eyes made Claire’s heart ache.

Noreen threw her arm over her eyes, an indescribable wave of emotion rising in her chest.

She whispered to Claire, “Promise me something, okay? No matter what happens, remind me to stay sharp. Do not let me fall for him again.”

It took all of Claire’s strength to half-carry Noreen back to her room.

Noreen was so drunk she passed out the second she hit the mattress.

Claire felt sick to her stomach.

Her brilliant, badass best friend was being driven insane by that absolute bastard, Seth.

She was so furious!

If she ever ran into that jerk Seth again, she was going to tear him apart!