---- Chapter 277 Liam froze. "So you're just going to disappear and let them talk all the trash they want? That's only going to make it worse." Wendy let out a quiet breath. "What choice do I have? If I end up disrupting the hospital or putting other patients at risk because of all this noise, then it's just not worth it." "So you agreed to leave?" Her hand paused as she was packing. "Yeah. I did.

It's the only thing Ican do right now." She clearly wasn't happy about it, and Liam could see it all over her face. Then again, who in her shoes would be happy? He set down the lab results and stood up. "No way. This isn't how we handle this. I'm going to talk to Dr. Hendrix." Wendy stopped him. "It's not his fault. He's just trying to protect the hospital. And honestly, even if you go, it won't change anything .

Right now, this is the best solution we've got." "There has to be another way," he said firmly. "I'll talk to him. You shouldn't have to be the one backing down just because people don't know the truth. I'll figure something out. You shouldn't be forced into anything you don't want to do." ---- Before she could stop him, he was out the door. Wendy sighed and let him go. Liam would hit a wall and come back soon enough. She turned back to her desk and continued packing.

Most of the files were Margaret's pathology reports and notes from the recent symposium. While she was sorting through them, the door suddenly opened. Wendy didn't even look up. She forced a light tone into her voice and said, "Let me guess-no luck. You can't win against this kind of mob. Sometimes it's smarter to step back." But the person at the door didn't answer. She looked up, puzzled, only to see that it wasn't Liam standing there. Her breath caught, and her expression darkened instantly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sharply. Jenna stepped closer to the desk, her head wrapped in bandages. Her face looked pale and drawn. She said, "Wendy, I just wanted to thank you. James told me it was you who saved me yesterday." The pitiful sincerity in her tone felt so out of place that it threw Wendy off for a second. But then it hit her-someone else was probably outside the door.

---- Sure enough, when Wendy glanced toward the polished tiles on the wall, she saw a faint reflection -a shadow standing just outside. Who else could it be but James? Wendy lowered her eyes and calmly went back to packing. " You don't need to thank me. Just remember to apologize to Ethan once you're discharged." Jenna bit her lip, but her eyes flashed cold for a split second. Then she said gently, "I will. But... can you forgive me for what happened?

I didn't mean for any of this-" Wendy stopped moving. Jenna knew exactly how to push her buttons. Just one sentence, and she hit a nerve. "Didn't mean to?" Wendy's tone sharpened. "What kind of ' accident! makes people think Ethan would ever do something like that? And what kind of 'accident' lets you stand by, saying nothing, while James chewed him out over something he never even did?" Jenna didn't try to argue back-she didn't have to.

All she needed was for James to hear Wendy snapping like this. That was the whole point. Her eyes welled with tears, her voice cracking just enough to sound believable. "I know... It's all my fault. I really messed up, and I hurt Ethan. Probably more than I can ever fix." ---- "And what do you want me to do with that?" Wendy shot back, her voice like ice. "Just apologize to him. Let him know he didn't do anything wrong. I don't need your sob story." Her tone was sharp, laced with fury.

She didn't give Jenna a chance to respond. "If you've got nothing else to say, get out. You don't belong here."