Chapter 38: A Midnight Confession

His... what?! Emily couldn't be sure whether Byron said this for the sake of their fake relationship, which was probably a moot point now that she had told her story in the newspaper... but he had never called her 'his girlfriend' before. She nearly tuned out the rest of the speech as her mind whirled, trying to understand this sudden turn of events.

To her surprise, she felt a blush of happiness infusing her face with fresh color. Meanwhile, Byron announced the opening of a new fund to help people suffering from depression.

"I have lived with depression for most of my life," he said, "but I wanted to hide it from everyone, even from myself. Now, a very insistent young woman has asked me to come forward, and I'm here to tell you we will try to overcome this illness together."

Many people gasped, not expecting such a revelation. The next moment, the hall was filled with deafening applause.

Emily heard Byron's voice whispering in her ear as they turned to leave the stage, "I reall