Chapter 9

"Just look at yourselves. How ridiculous you all are." Wendy pushed past the people in front of her and walked over to the hospital bed. She gently caressed Ethan. Ethan had woken up at some point, though no one had noticed. He didn't cry or make a fuss. He just stared at Wendy with teary eyes. He said, "Mommy, please don't be mad at Auntie Jenna, okay? Don't let her go to jail. I'll be good. I won't cry or make a fuss, and I won't eat fried chicken anymore. Just please let Auntie Jenna go." Every word from James and her parents paled in comparison to just a single phrase from Ethan. In an instant, Wendy felt a chill in her heart. She never expected Ethan's first words after waking up to be a plea for Jenna. Wendy said, "Ethan, don't be upset about all this. Once you're feeling better, I'll…" Ethan cut her off. "Mommy! Why do you always have to go against Auntie Jenna? Why don't you like her? She's so nice. Why do you insist on making her leave us? "Auntie Jenna was the one who stayed up all night taking care of me. When I needed you the most, it was Auntie Jenna who was there with me and Daddy. She'd never hurt me." Wendy was momentarily stunned, staring at Ethan as if she were looking at a stranger. Just then, security entered. A nurse instinctively felt that something was amiss, and she promptly instructed the guard to escort Chris and Mary out. They continued to argue and shout outside the door, and tears immediately welled up in Ethan's eyes. "You can throw a tantrum if you want, but are you really going to ignore Ethan too?" James questioned? Wendy withdrew her gaze and stood up from the bedside, picking up the shattered phone. "I can let Jenna off the hook. James, as long as you sign the divorce papers, I'll have the hospital drop the case." She turned her back to the hospital bed. If even Ethan was standing against her, then there truly was no point in fighting any longer. James stared at her, saying nothing. Wendy walked out without waiting for a response. Yet, as she reached the door, she heard Ethan's weak but happy voice. "That's great, Daddy! You're going to marry Auntie Jenna, right?" Despite the pain in her heart, she left without caring about James's response. ... For the entire day, Wendy didn't allow herself to think about any of those troubling matters. Only once in a while, when she heard the voice of a child, the image of Ethan lying in that hospital bed flickered through her mind. But it was nothing more than a passing thought. She knew Ethan didn't need her anymore. Inside the interrogation room of the police station, Jenna cried. "I swear, I didn't do anything like that!" The officers were clearly exhausted. They had heard the same line over and over. One of them stood up and said, "Just detain her for now." Without solid evidence, Jenna could only be held for a maximum of 48 hours. Those 48 hours were the police's last chance to gather proof. For Jenna, two days were so torturous. However, she had barely sat down in the holding cell when an officer returned. "Someone has posted bail for you. The hospital is also dropping the charges. You're free to go." When Jenna got out, she immediately said, "Mom, Dad, I don't know why Wendy is accusing me, but I really didn't do anything." "Sweetheart, we know you've been wronged. Don't worry, it was James and Ethan who convinced Wendy. She won't press charges against you anymore," Mary said, looking at her with concern. On the way home, Mary brought up Wendy again. "I heard James agreed to divorce her, so she told the hospital to drop the case. Who knows what kind of game Wendy is playing now?" Jenna was excited, a smile blooming across her face. "Wendy's really willing to let James go?" Mary snorted. "I think she's just playing hard to get. I'm a woman as well. I know exactly what's going on in her mind." … That night, after making her rounds, Wendy stopped by Ethan's ward to check on him. Just as she was about to return to her office, a sudden call came in from the emergency department. "Dr. Sanders, we have a suicide attempt. Someone overdosed. The ambulance has picked them up and is en route. Please prepare to receive the patient." "Understood." She closed the door to the ward and hurried toward the front entrance to wait. The ambulance screeched to a halt, and the patient was rushed out on a stretcher. Wendy darted forward to begin emergency treatment, but was abruptly yanked back. "Wendy, get out of the way! Don't pretend you care enough to save Jenna. I want another doctor!" Mary's shouting was so sudden and intense that Wendy flinched. She frowned and replied coldly, "If you don't want her to die, then step aside." Mary stood her ground, blocking her. "I want another doctor." Wendy said, "I'm the only attending doctor in the emergency department right now. You can wait if you want. At the same time, you can also make arrangements with the funeral home." "If anything happens to Jenna, I won't let you off the hook." Mary threatened. Without saying a word, the nurse pulled Mary aside. Wendy rushed to the stretcher, running alongside it while quickly diagnosing Jenna's condition. No matter how much hatred she harbored toward Jenna, Wendy knew her responsibility came first. Even without Mary's biased warnings, Wendy would never slack off in her duties. When they finally reached the emergency room, Wendy instructed, "The patient is still somewhat conscious. Let's proceed with the gastric lavage, prepare saline, and..." As she issued the orders, Jenna suddenly grabbed her. "Wendy, it's my fault that you and James fought. I swear, there's nothing between me and James. Please, don't divorce him. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it with my life." The weak voice came through, tinged with guilt and regret, as Jenna seemed to hint that her suicide attempt was all because of Wendy. Above the mask, Wendy's eyes swept over her with disdain, not bothering to acknowledge her words. She simply shook off Jenna's hand and motioned for the nurse to start the IV. While the gastric lavage was underway, James, who was still in the hospital, heard the news and rushed over. He stood outside the glass window, his brows furrowed deeply as he observed the situation inside. Mary cried. "It's all because Jenna feels guilty. She thought she ruined your relationship with Wendy, so she tried to take her own life." James clenched his hand at his side slowly, a deep concern flickering in his eyes. "Mom, don't worry. I just spoke to the nurse. Jenna was brought in on time, and she didn't take too many pills. She just needs a gastric lavage and some observation. She'll be fine." Mary nodded, letting out a sigh as she looked at him. "Jenna's still so young, and her life has been so hard. James, I'm glad you care about her. Otherwise, Jenna would be so pitiful." Seeing the concern on James's face, Mary felt a sense of satisfaction in her heart. James replied, "Don't worry, Jenna is Wendy's sister. I'll take care of her. We're family, so there's no need to be so formal." Meanwhile, the Jenna they pitied so dearly was enduring the torment of induced vomiting. She was disheveled, yet a flicker of triumph danced in her heart. She had seen James through the glass window, and she had seen the worry and pain in his eyes. If she hadn't overheard the nurse calling her a mistress and learned that Wendy would be on duty tonight, she wouldn't have resorted to this ruse of self-injury. She knew that Wendy was just trying to scare James with the threat of divorce, so she decided to turn that threat into reality.