Chapter 79: "Wendy has already been released on bail."
Nicole's POV
I rushed over and knelt down, throwing my arms around Vera.
Her body was ice cold, blood still flowing from her chest.
"Vera!! Please, wake up!"
"Move! Move!" Doctors and nurses rushed in, forcefully pulling me away.
"Vera!" I reached out, trying to grab her, but a nurse blocked me.
"Miss, please step aside, we need to rescue the patient!"
"Prepare the operating room! Immediately!"
Vera was lifted onto a stretcher and rapidly wheeled into the operating room.
I wanted to follow, but my legs were too weak to stand. I could only kneel there in a daze, my hands still stained with Vera's blood.
I stared at my hands, my mind completely blank.
Suddenly, a burst of manic laughter rang out nearby.
"Hahaha! Nicole, seeing you in such pain makes me so happy!"
I jerked my head up.
Wendy sat on the floor at the other end of the corridor, her hair disheveled, her face covered in blood, her eyes flickering with a sick excitement.
"Look at you now!" Wendy laughed maniacally.
"Kneeling on the ground crying, like a trampled dog!"
I stared at her intently.
Beside her on the floor lay a dagger covered in blood.
People around stood far away, afraid she might go crazy again and kill someone with the knife.
A flame of rage burned in my chest.
I stood and slowly walked toward her, each step filled with oppressive intent.
She seemed startled by the vicious aura emanating from me, but soon her expression was once again colored with hatred.
"You think I'm afraid of you? Nicole, it's all because of you!" she shrieked.
"You stole my Shier, and Mother rejected me because of you! So I'm going to kill your loved ones too. I want you to suffer!"
I stood before her, expressionless, staring at her.
My rationality teetered on the edge of collapse.
Wendy was frightened by my gaze and shrank back, but still forced herself to keep laughing.
"Nicole, are you stupid?"
She taunted, "I killed your adoptive mother. Don't you hate me? Don't you want to kill me?"
"Come on! If you have the guts, kill me!" Wendy's voice grew increasingly hysterical.
Cathy, afraid I might do something out of control, immediately ran to my side and grabbed my arm tightly.
"Nicole! Don't be impulsive! I've already called the police. They'll be here soon!"
But I could no longer hear clearly what they were saying.
My ears were ringing, and all I could see was the knife on the ground.
I shook off Cathy's hand and quickly bent down to pick up the dagger.
"Nicole! Don't..."
I gripped the handle tightly and swung it toward Wendy.
Wendy screamed and raised her arm to block her face. The blade sliced across her forearm, and blood immediately gushed out.
Wendy clutched her arm, rolling on the ground in pain. "Ah! My hand!"
I threw the dagger to the ground and lunged at her with all my strength, my hands wrapping around her throat.
"Wendy, you deserve to die!" I said through gritted teeth.
Wendy's face instantly turned bright red. She struggled frantically, trying to pry my hands away.
Someone pulled me from behind.
"Back off! The police are here!"
Police officers rushed in and forcefully separated me from Wendy.
Several officers pinned me to the ground, but my body continued to resist.
"Let me go! I'm going to kill her!" I screamed hoarsely.
Wendy was handcuffed and dragged out.
I was still struggling, my throat gradually becoming hoarse. "I'm going to kill her! "
"Nicole! Stop shouting! Please!" Cathy desperately hugged me.
My voice grew quieter and quieter until I couldn't make a sound anymore.
Tears streamed down uncontrollably.
We walked to the operating room entrance. I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, burying my head in my knees.
I felt as if I had returned to three years ago, to that day when my adoptive father jumped from the stairs.
Back then, I had waited like this in the hospital corridor, waited for so long.
Until the doctor came out, shaking his head to announce the death.
I don't know how long passed, but the operating room light finally went out.
The doctor removed his mask and walked out.
I staggered to my feet, barely able to stand.
"Doctor, my adoptive mother, she..." I asked in a trembling voice.
"The knife didn't pierce her heart. The wound was deep but missed the major organs. The resuscitation was successful."
"However," the doctor continued, "the patient lost too much blood. Although we saved her, her bodily functions are rapidly declining."
"What does that mean?" My lips trembled.
"It means that although she's temporarily out of life-threatening danger, we don't know when she'll wake up."
My vision went dark, and my body swayed.
Cathy immediately steadied me. "Nicole!"
"That's impossible..." I shook my head.
"Nicole, don't worry. Vera will definitely wake up."
Cathy's comfort had no effect. My heart was already on the edge of despair.
Vera might very well become a vegetative state patient again, just like three years ago.
Vera was moved to the intensive care unit.
Through the glass, I watched her lying in the hospital bed, tubes all over her body.
I took out my phone to check the time, but the screen showed an unread text message.
It was a message Hodgson had sent a few hours ago.
It read: Nicole, I have to go abroad for personal matters. I'll be back soon.
I turned off the screen and leaned my head against the wall, sobbing continuously.
Now, Hodgson wasn't by my side, and Matthew and I had argued.
I suddenly realized I couldn't rely on anyone.
Even if Hodgson returned to the country, Vera wouldn't wake up...
I spent the next few days at the hospital in a daze.
Cathy stayed with me the whole time, but I couldn't eat or sleep. I just sat outside the monitoring room, staring at Vera.
On the third day, the doctor told me Vera had completely escaped life-threatening danger and could be transferred from the ICU to a regular ward.
Hearing this news, I finally perked up a little.
At least she still had hope of waking up.
Vera was transferred to a regular ward. I sat by her bed, holding her hand.
I sat for a long time, then suddenly remembered Wendy.
Three years of humiliation, plus today's incident. It was time to settle accounts with her properly.
I stood up and said to Cathy, "You stay here and look after Vera. I'm going to the police station."
Cathy looked at me with concern but didn't stop me.
I drove to the police station and found the officer in charge of the case.
"Where is Wendy Gerald now?"
The officer's expression was somewhat awkward.
"Wendy has already been released on bail."
I froze.
"What did you say?" I suspected I'd heard wrong.