When She Walks Away (Teresa) novel Chapter 224

Chapter 224

Wendy yelled at the department head over the phone, then forcefully hung up on him.

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She angrily tossed her phone onto the hospital bed, but when she turned to Teresa, her expression shifted to concern. Pulling Teresa into a hug, she said, “What a shitty boss. We’re quitting. Screw this job.”

Getting chewed out by the higher–ups was pretty much standard for doctors, and Teresa had gotten used to it ages ago.

But when Teresa saw how deeply Wendy cared, her eyes suddenly stung with tears she hadn’t expected.

At that moment, Teresa’s phone started ringing again.

Wendy assumed it was the hospital calling her back and snatched up the phone, ready to unleash her fury. But as soon as she glanced at the caller ID, her anger instantly faded.

She handed the phone over to Teresa. “It’s Yvonne.”

Teresa’s face fell at the mention of Yvonne.

Her heart skipped a beat, a wave of unease crashing over her.

‘Is Yvonne calling because she’s already found something out?‘ Teresa couldn’t help but wonder.

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Nervous and uneasy, Teresa picked up the call. “Hello, Yvonne.”

But instead of the worry she’d braced for, Yvonne sounded surprisingly calm. “Are you coming back to Sullivan Mansion for dinner tonight? Since I’m home today, I thought I’d make something for you. I remember you love rabbit and shrimp balls, so I’m planning to cook those.”

At Yvonne’s gentle words, Teresa felt her nose sting and, before she knew it, thick tears were rolling down her cheeks.

She bit down hard on her lip, terrified Yvonne would hear that she was crying.

Not hearing anything on the other end, Yvonne tentatively called out, “Teresa?”

Teresa took a deep breath and steadied herself before answering, lips pressed together. “Yvonne, I won’t be coming home tonight.”

Yvonne sounded instantly worried. “Is something wrong? Is work giving you trouble, or is someone picking on you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, Teresa replied. “I just have to work overtime.”

Yvonne’s tone grew gentle. “It’s been ages since you’ve come home. Your brother, Monica, and your parents all miss you—a lot. They’re always talking about you!”

Teresa choked back a sob, quickly covering her mouth to muffle it. Through clenched teeth, she managed, “Yvonne, I’ll come back in a couple of days. I need to go–the patient’s family is calling for me again.”

She didn’t even wait for Yvonne to say goodbye before hanging up, her heart pounding with urgency.

After hanging up, Teresa grabbed the apple Wendy had just peeled and brought it to her lips, munching absentmindedly,

She kept eating, but couldn’t hold back her tears–they just kept falling no matter what she did.

Seeing Teresa like this made Wendy’s heart twist painfully.

Teresa’s bruises hadn’t just stuck around overnight–they’d gotten even darker and more obvious.

No doubt about it, whoever hurt her really didn’t hold back.

After she finished munching on the apple, Teresa cleaned her hands with a tissue.

Finally, she turned back to pick up her phone.

After unlocking it, Teresa gave the police station a call.

After a short wait, a man’s voice finally answered. ‘Hello.

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12:24 AM

Chapter 224

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Teresa got straight to the point. “This is Teresa–I was the one who called the police a little after two last night. I wanted to ask, have you guys checked the cameras yet?”

There was a brief pause before the man replied, “We did, but there’s still no solid evidence. We can’t just go and arrest someone without proper proof.”

Teresa’s patience finally snapped. “You keep blaming the lack of evidence, but what about all these bruises on me, huh? How do you explain that?”

The officer answered, slow and dismissive, “Well, what if you’re the one who did that to yourself?”

Teresa exploded, practically screaming into the phone, “Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell would I beat myself up?”

The officer snorted, sarcasm thick in his voice. “If you’re not sick, then why are you even in the hospital?”

Teresa was so taken aback, she couldn’t cry anymore. She just let out a cold, hollow laugh–there was nothing left in her but exhaustion and bitter resignation.

She was done listening to the bullshit, so she just hung up the phone.

Teresa’s brows knitted with concern, and she hesitated, worry flickering in her g this.”

Teresa spent the whole day bedridden, unable to do much except stare at the ceiling and let time pass.

At least with Wendy by her side, her heart felt a little lighter, the loneliness not quite so suffocating.

Wendy picked up on her anxiety and quickly reassured her, “I’ll just stream from the bathroom here, that way I can stay close and won’t leave you alone.”

Only then did Teresa’s tense shoulders finally drop a bit, letting out a shaky breath.

She’d been up all night, jumping at every sound, her heart in her throat with every minute.

Tonight, she just wanted–needed–to not feel that kind of fear again.

Even with Wendy streaming just a few feet away in the bathroom, Teresa couldn’t shake off the creeping fear curling in her chest.

She stared at the hospital room door, every muscle tensed and her nerves stretched tight, half–expecting someone to burst in at any

second.

Meanwhile, Wendy had her livestream running in the bathroom, casually telling her viewers. “Sorry, no video update today—had some stuff come up.”

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Chapter 224

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On the other side of the stream, Leo lounged with a glass of red wine, idly swirling it between his fingers. After a leisurely sip, he let his gaze settle on the phone screen, a faint smile playing at his lips as he watched Wendy’s broadcast.

Just then, a barrage of scrolling comments flew by–one in particular popped out and grabbed his attention.

“Streamer, how many gifts do I gotta send for a night with you?”

Most streamers would have just ignored such a disgusting comment, but not Wendy. She looked right at it, then even sounded it out in a mocking tone, riding the joke for all it was worth.

After reading it, she flashed a playful smile and answered seriously, “So your name’s Troy, huh? I heard you’ve got some big beef with Charles here in Riverdale. Tell you what–if you can snatch away one of those major projects he’s sunk years and a mountain of cash into, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider meeting you offline. Who knows, I might even let you get close enough to catch my scent.”

When Leo heard Wendy make light of herself like that, he didn’t flinch or look disgusted. Instead, the corners of his lips tugged up in a faint, amused smile.

Maybe most people wouldn’t catch the deeper meaning in Wendy’s words, but Leo picked up on it instantly.

Charles was one of the top dogs in Riverdale–who would even dare go against him? Who possibly could?

With this reply, Wendy not only blocked the creep’s advances, but also gave him a subtle brush–off.

Still, saying it that way left her looking a bit too easy–like if someone really did manage it, she’d actually go along with it for real.

Thinking about it, Leo smirked and knocked back the rest of his wine in one go.

Then, he glanced down at Wendy’s face on the screen, let out a soft laugh, and said to himself, “Actually, I think I might give it a try.”

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