Her Tears Are His Weakness novel Chapter 165

"Your past…" Samantha murmured.

When she counted the months, she and Layla had only known each other for half a year at most.

Throughout their friendship, Layla had always been like a closed book, rarely volunteering details about her life before they met. Samantha respected that privacy and never pressed for answers.

But fragments had surfaced over time, piecing together a vague picture of Layla's background.

She'd dropped out of school early, thrust into the workforce to survive. A life of hardship, endured alone—no one to care, no one to ask.

Samantha often saw Layla forced to drink glass after glass while trying to sell the wine to clients until she collapsed in a drunken stupor.

Sometimes she'd find Layla passed out in the break room. Other times, slumped against bathroom stalls or hallway floors—any surface became a bed when she was drunk.

Men would leer as they walked past Layla. Whenever Samantha spotted her like that, she'd drag Layla to the dressing room for safety. Over time, these rescues forged a real friendship between them.

Then came the day Samantha witnessed Layla's mother cornering her by the club's side entrance, palm outstretched demanding money.

Layla looked helpless—she had nothing left to give.

Her mother suddenly burst into loud sobs, wailing hysterically. "If I don't get the money, your father will beat me to death! You want to see me die, don't you? You'll be happy when I'm gone, so no one will ask you for money!"

The shrill cries shattered the evening's calm. Passersby turned to stare as Layla's face twisted with helpless anguish. Finally, she shoved every last bill from her pocket into her mother's hands.

Wiping her tears, the woman immediately composed herself and walked away without so much of a backward glance. It was as if the emotional outburst had never happened.

Under the dim streetlights, Layla stood frozen, watching her mother's retreating figure. She waited and hoped for even a single glance back. However, the woman simply hailed a cab and disappeared into the night.

Samantha's heart ached, imagining Layla's devastation and crushing disappointment.

That night, Samantha insisted on treating Layla to late-night snacks. Just a simple meal of slider and bread, but it became the foundation of their unshakable bond.