<h4>Chapter 184: Best Friend</h4>


    Eve was helping Cassey with her homework when the doorbell rang.


    She hadn’t been expecting anyone, but when she opened the door, surprise flickered across her face.


    "Oh wow!" she gasped, her eyes immediatelynding on Dn. "You’re walking!"


    But her initial excitement was short-lived.


    Something was off.


    The boy she had known to be full of life, always grinning ear to ear, was now standing in front of her, looking defeated. His eyes were red-rimmed, his shoulders tense.


    Cammy stood beside him, her usual confident aura reced by something weary and fragile. Even their nanny, who was normallyposed, looked uneasy.


    Eve’s smile faltered.


    "Uhm... ce in, please," she said, stepping aside.


    The three of them hurried inside, moving as if carrying a weight too heavy to bear any longer.


    Eve barely had time to close the door before the nanny lingered behind, her voice hushed as she turned to her. "What happened?" she whispered, but her concern wasn’t quiet enough—Cammy heard her.


    Taking a deep breath, Cammy steadied herself before speaking. "Can I leave Dn here with Cassey for a little while? I need to talk to you... in my apartment."


    Eve’s brows knitted together, worry flickering across her face. She shifted her gaze toward Dn, observing the way his expression softened—just a little—at the sight of Cassey. Even in his sadness, there wasfort in her presence.


    That was enough for Eve to nod.


    "Of course," she said, her voice gentle. "Anything you need."


    Cammy crouched in front of her son, brushing a hand over his hair. "Dn, sweetheart," she said softly. "Auntie Eve and I are going to cook in our apartment. Let’s eat lunch together. Would you be okay staying here with Cassey for a little while?"


    Dn nodded, his voice quiet and detached. "Sure, Mommy."


    Eve turned to her daughter, who was practically bouncing with excitement. "Can we y?" Cassey asked, her wide eyes pleading.


    Eve sighed, shaking her head. "You still have homework, youngdy."


    Cassey pouted. "We can finish it tomorrow?"


    Eve nced at Dn again. He needed this—needed something to lift him, even if only for a short while. She sighed in defeat.


    "Alright," she relented, crossing her arms. "But—no running around, no chasing games, and absolutely no mischief." She gave them both a stern look. "Dn just got his crutches today. Just because he can walk doesn’t mean he should be running and jumping around like monkeys. Understood?"


    "Understood, Ma’am!" Cassey chirped, throwing a yful salute.


    Despite everything, Dn cracked the tiniest of smiles.


    And in that small, fleeting moment, Eve knew—whatever had happened today... it had shaken them to the core.


    But at least, in this apartment, in this small moment, Dn had found a sliver of peace.


    Eve held back her questions until they reached Cammy’s apartment, sensing the heaviness in the air, the unspoken weight pressing down on her friend.


    But the moment they stepped inside, Cammy copsed.


    She didn’t just fall—she slumped to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been violently cut. And then came the wail.


    A raw, soul-shattering wail that ripped through the silence like a jagged de.


    Eve froze.


    She had seen Cammy cry before—had seen her shed silent tears, had witnessed her hold back sobs with a clenched jaw and a forced smile.


    But this?


    This was something else. This was pure, unfiltered agony.


    Heart hammering, Eve snapped out of her daze and dropped to the floor beside her, hands immediately rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Oh, God—Cammy!" she gasped. "What happened? Is it Dn? Is it his leg? Tell me it’s not his leg!"


    Panic wed at her as horrible scenarios flooded her mind. Was his recovery a lie? Did the doctor give them bad news? Was the progress just an illusion?


    Cammy violently shook her head, but her sobs only grew harder, louder—like a dam that had finally burst after holding back too much for too long.


    Eve let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, but the relief was short-lived.


    Because if it wasn’t Dn’s leg, then what on earth had broken Cammy like this?


    Without another word, Eve pulled her into a crushing embrace, holding her as tightly as she could, as if she could somehow piece her back together just by holding her close.


    "Cry it out, girl," Eve murmured, voice soft but firm. "Let it all out. I’m here. I don’t know what happened, but I promise you—whatever it is, you are not alone. I am with you a hundred percent. Always."


    And as Cammy sobbed against her, clutching her like she was the only thing keeping her afloat, Eve knew—whatever had happened tonight had wrecked her.


    And she wouldn’t rest until she knew who or what had done this to her best friend.


    ’Best friend...’


    The words echoed in Eve’s mind, but somehow, they felt too small—too insignificant to describe what Cammy truly meant to her.


    Cammy wasn’t just a friend.


    She was family.


    The sister she had never had. She’s the first friend that she opened up to in a long time.


    When she ran away from Harry, she had lost everything—her friends, her neighbors, and every so-called friend who had once imed to care about her.


    And now, as Cammy sat there—crumbling, breaking, shattering—Eve knew one thing for certain.


    She wasn’t going to let her go through this alone.


    Slowly, Cammy’s sobs began to quiet, her trembling breaths growing steadier.


    Eve saw her chance.


    "Hold on, let me get you some water," she said gently, squeezing Cammy’s shoulder before standing up.


    She strode to the kitchen, grabbing a ss and filling it with water. On her way back, she snatched a pack of wet wipes from the counter, knowing Cammy would need them too.


    Returning to her side, she knelt in front of her and offered the ss. "Here, drink this."


    Cammy took it with shaky hands and downed it in one go, as if hoping it would wash away the pain still lodged in her throat.


    Eve set the wipes down and reached for her hand. "Come on," she coaxed, pulling her gently to her feet. "Let’s sit on the couch. Tell me what happened."


    Cammy nodded weakly, allowing Eve to guide her. But just as they took their first step—


    *Ding dong*


    The doorbell rang.


    Both women froze, turning their heads toward the door in unison.


    A frown tugged at Eve’s lips as she nced at Cammy, whose tear-streaked face mirrored the same expression of uncertainty.


    ’Who could possibly be here now?’ Eve thought.