Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Shirley paused. "I did date Mr. Ford, but we broke up."

If she tried to get close to William again now, things probably wouldn't end well for her.

Only now did she realize how stupid it had been to lie and pretend to be Wendy. Someone like William would never put up with people causing trouble in front of him.

The thought actually made Shirley feel oddly relieved.

But since everything was back on track, she could just compete with Wendy out in the open.

At least she had the Moore family's background going for her, while Wendy was just an orphan nobody wanted.

"Useless." John didn't get the answer he wanted and walked off.

Lisa quickly stepped forward to help Shirley up, her voice full of concern. "Are you okay? You've gotten so thin. I made all your favorite dishes — come eat something."

"I'm fine, Mom." Shirley stood up.

She wondered whether William had found Ruby yet.

Since William already knew it was Wendy that night, why did he still need to check for the birthmark? That part didn't make sense to Shirley.

Meanwhile, Wendy's life had gotten back to normal. Around William, it was as if nothing had ever happened between them. When he occasionally came to the office for inspections, they treated each other like strangers. The news was full of stories about Evelyn and William's upcoming wedding, and Wendy threw herself entirely into her work.

So she wasn't expecting a call from Edward.

When Wendy arrived, Edward was standing anxiously at the door, looking out.

"What's going on?" Wendy asked.

Edward looked worn out — dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse. "Ms. Moore, I'm sorry to bother you, but you're the only one who can calm my wife down. I don't know what's happened, but she hasn't slept for two nights. She keeps saying she dreamed that Alice was killed."

"The doctor says she's on the verge of a mental breakdown. I've run out of options — I'm begging you to please help her."

Edward had noticed several times that Hannah responded differently to Wendy. With no other choice, he'd reached out, hoping Wendy might be able to help Hannah sleep.

"I'll do my best, Mr. Green. Please take me to see Mrs. Green." Hearing this, Wendy felt an unexpected wave of anxiety and worry.

She hadn't spent much time with Hannah, but she'd always felt a strange, natural closeness to her.

She had just stepped into the hotel suite when a cup came flying straight at her.

Wendy ducked quickly and looked up to see Hannah, hair tangled and face deathly pale, screaming, "Get out, all of you! You're all trying to hurt my child! Get out!"

"Get out!" Hannah clutched a doll and sobbed as if her heart were breaking.

Decades of longing for her daughter had clearly taken a devastating toll. She blamed herself every single day, and it had finally pushed her to the breaking point.

Wendy's eyes grew red. She was an orphan too. She didn't know why her birth parents had given her up, but she'd always dreamed of being there for them, taking care of them.

Life rarely works out perfectly. Hannah couldn't find her daughter, and Wendy couldn't find her birth parents.

Wendy sighed and stepped forward.

"Be careful, Ms. Moore," Marlowe said, wiping her tears. "Mrs. Green doesn't recognize anyone right now. She's been hitting anyone who gets close."

She'd watched Hannah get worse and worse these past few days, and there was nothing she could do.

Wendy gave Marlowe a reassuring look. "Could you go prepare some of Mrs. Green's favorite food for me?"

Hannah hadn't eaten properly in days — her cheeks were sunken.

Edward looked at Wendy with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Ms. Moore. Whatever you need, just say the word."

Whatever he could give her, he would.

"You're too kind, Mr. Green. Mrs. Green is a good friend of mine — of course I'd help. You haven't slept well these past few days either. Please go rest. I'll take care of Mrs. Green. Don't worry." Wendy said gently.

"Thank you." Edward thanked her again and left.

Hannah sat on the bed, hair loose and tangled, muttering about her child over and over.

Wendy walked over quietly. "Mrs. Green, are you tired? Why don't we get some sleep for a bit?"

The soft voice made Hannah pause for a moment. She looked up at Wendy with a blank, empty gaze, then turned back and patted the doll's back. "Go to sleep, baby. Mommy's right here watching. Nobody's going to take you away."

Wendy's expression tightened. Hannah was clearly in worse shape than the last time she'd seen her.

She was like a robot.

Thinking back to what Hannah had said about the birthmark last time, Wendy thought for a moment, then spoke.

"I know your child's name is Alice, right? And she has a red birthmark right here, doesn't she?"

Hannah's hand stopped patting the doll. She looked up at Wendy again. "You know — you know where she is, don't you?"

"I do," Wendy said gently.

Tears rolled down Hannah's face instantly. "Then can you tell me? I'm her mother. I love her so much. I would never hurt her."

Wendy's eyes stung, and she nearly cried herself. She reached up and tucked Hannah's messy hair behind her ear. "I can tell you — but I have one condition."

The moment she heard there was news about her child, Hannah sat up straight, her eyes suddenly alive again. "I'll do whatever you say."

"Then right now, you have to eat something and then go to sleep. Okay?"

Hannah tilted her head, as if thinking it over.

"Otherwise, when Alice sees you looking like this, she'll be upset. She'd want to see her mom healthy and happy." Wendy coaxed her gently.

Something got through to Hannah. She nodded hard. "You're right. I need to eat. I want to look my best when I see my daughter."

Wendy let out a long breath and called Marlowe in to set out a full spread of food.

She patiently fed Hannah and told her story after story. Hannah listened closely, and the moment she finished eating and lay down, she was asleep.

Marlowe was nearly in tears. She grabbed Wendy's hands. "Ms. Moore, I really don't know how to thank you. This is the first time Mrs. Green has fallen asleep on her own in days — and she was so calm."

Then Marlowe hesitated. "Ms. Moore, would you be able to come visit Mrs. Green more often? I can tell she really listens to you."

"Of course. I'm very fond of Mrs. Green too." Wendy watched Hannah's sleeping face, a quiet question forming in her mind.

She thought for a moment. "Marlowe, why don't you go rest for a bit too? I'll stay here until Mrs. Green wakes up — I'm worried she might get upset again if no one's here. You haven't had a proper rest in a long time either, have you?"

Marlowe sighed. Edward had only brought her along when he came to Novaria, and taking care of Hannah these past few days had completely worn her out. "I'll leave her in your hands then, Ms. Moore."

Wendy smiled and saw Marlowe out. Then she walked to Hannah's bedside, picked up a long strand of hair from her pillow, and slipped it into her pocket.