?Chapter 1080:


    Dolores’ eyes widened in genuine surprise before she let out a defeated chuckle. “Linsey, you’re beingpletely unfair right now.”


    “Absolutely I am. The question is whether you can stand to keep lying to my face.” Linsey’s lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout, her expression the picture of wounded betrayal.


    Linsey’s sideways nces became impossible to miss, her obvious attempts at reading Dolores’ reactions turning into a persistent study.


    The constant scrutiny left Dolores with nowhere to hide.


    All at once, the mncholy that had settled like a stone in Dolores’ chest simply evaporated. There was no point in wasting precious energy mourning what had never truly been hers. This realization brought instant rity to her muddled thoughts.


    A gentle exhale escaped her lips, and genuine relief bloomed across her features. “Linsey, I ran into Dustin and Joanne this morning. They were browsing jewelry together at one of the upscale stores, with Dustin’s mother chaperoning the whole affair.”


    Dolores recounted her morning encounter with surprisingposure. Even before she finished that first revtion, Linsey’s eyebrows drew together in a subtle frown. Sympathy and concern flickered unmistakably in her gaze as she looked at her friend.


    Continuing with steady calm, Doloresid out the entire scene, including how the Wade family had essentially arranged for Joanne to serve as Dustin’spanion for his birthday celebration.


    By the time she finished, Linsey had pieced together the painful picture. Dustin had never breathed a word about any birthday dinner to Dolores. From her vantage point, she had witnessed her boyfriend sharing intimate moments with another woman right there in public view. What made it worse was that Dolores had spent weeks secretly nning a romantic surprise for his special day.


    Tragically, Dustin had already filled that precious time slot without giving her a second thought.


    Beyond that betrayal, their recent rtionship had been reduced to secret meetings, while Hester made her disapproval crystal clear at every turn.


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    A weary sigh escaped Dolores’ lips. “I used to have unshakeable faith in what Dustin and I shared, but it’s strange how quickly everything crumbled once doubt crept in. The moment I considered walking away, holding on became impossible.”


    A shuddering breath escaped her lips, moisture gathering in her eyes as Dolores gazed at Linsey. Her voice emerged hoarse and fractured, each word catching on barely restrained sobs. “Linsey, I’m really tired.” The confession broke something inside Dolores, and soft sniffles began to escape despite her efforts to contain them.


    Days of umted stress crashed over her like a wave, the weight so crushing she could barely draw breath.


    Linsey’s heart lurched. Without hesitation, she guided Dolores to an empty corner and pulled her into a fierce embrace.


    Dolores had believed she could maintain herposure, but the moment Linsey’s warmth enveloped her and that familiar,forting scent filled her senses, her carefully constructed walls crumbled.


    Her teeth sank into her lower lip as tears spilled over, though she fought to muffle her sobs and avoid drawing curious stares from passersby.


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