Chapter 211

Carol was already trying to shoo Victoria and Diana away, and with Wendy worried about Carol's depression, even if they wanted to stand up for her, it would be pointless if she didn't cooperate.

As they walked out of the hospital room, Diana grew increasingly frustrated, gritting her teeth. "Hasn't she had enough of this misery? We're clearly trying to help her, can't she just be strong for once?"

Victoria was in a foul mood too. Seeing Wendy's condition made her think of herself.

Although Nora hadn't physically abused her when she was young, the long-term mental torment and suffocating oppression had nearly driven her to the brink of collapse. If Alvin hadn't come back, she might not have escaped the fate of being forced to sacrifice by Nora.

In comparison, how much better off was she really?

Just then, Diana spoke up, "Victoria, look over there. Isn't that Samuel?"

Victoria followed her gaze and saw Samuel, indeed. He was talking to a doctor, looking focused and serious.

In the few days since she last saw him, he seemed to have lost weight, with a faint stubble on his chin and a tired look on his face.

After the doctor gave some instructions and left, Samuel turned around and his eyes met Victoria's. He paused for a moment before walking over to her.

"Victoria, what are you doing here?" Samuel's voice was hoarse and low, filled with obvious fatigue.

"Wendy's in the hospital. I came to see her. What about you?"

"It's my dad." His voice carried a hint of bitterness, and he forced a wry smile. "He's pretty sick."

Victoria was taken aback and quickly asked, "What did the doctor say?"

"We've contacted a specialist team from Harborview City. The surgery is scheduled for next month."

Diana, sensing the need for privacy, quietly stepped back to give Victoria and Samuel some space.

Victoria was shocked by the news. No wonder Samuel had been out of touch these past few days-this was what had been going on!

A deep sense of guilt welled up inside her. As his girlfriend, she hadn't been there for him during such a critical time. "Samuel, I..."

"Samuel!"

A clear voice called out from the other end of the hallway. It was Hannah.

She waved at him with a bright smile. "Mr. Brown is looking for you."

Samuel's expression changed instantly. He looked at Victoria first, hurriedly explaining, "I didn't ask her to come."

Seeing Hannah, Victoria understood a bit more. She nodded. "I get it."

She continued, "Mr. and Mrs. Brown both like her. With her here, you can be more at ease."

Samuel should have been pleased with Victoria's understanding, but his feelings were complicated. A subtle, indescribable sense of loss crept into his heart.

He had already taken leave from school, managing the company for Elmer while also taking care of him at the hospital. He was utterly exhausted, with no energy left for sadness.

Victoria spoke softly, "With Ms. Wright here, I won't go visit your father now. Call me when the time is right."

She didn't want Samuel to be caught between her and his parents.

Samuel gazed at her for a moment, then slowly looked away and nodded. "I'll head back now. I'll contact you later."

"Samuel." Victoria called out to him, biting her lip with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I didn't know until now."

He shook his head with a bitter smile. "How could this be your fault? It just happened recently."

He raised his hand as if to touch her cheek but stopped midway and slowly lowered it. "You have your entrance exams in two weeks. I might not be able to be there with you."

"It's okay. I'm confident. Just take care of Mr. Brown."

She had been spending all her time outside of work studying. With her strong foundation and Samuel's previous tutoring, she was well-prepared for the exams.

She didn't want to burden him with her issues. He had enough on his plate.

Samuel looked at her silently for a long time before sighing. "Alright, I'll go now."

"Okay." Watching him walk away, Victoria felt a pang of heartache.

He seemed to have lost a lot of weight. The once confident and spirited Samuel now looked so worn and defeated.

A bad feeling rose in Victoria's heart. She felt that the distance between her and Samuel was growing.

Her brows furrowed with a hint of worry.

Diana came over and patted her shoulder. "Victoria, don't overthink it. I heard from a friend that Elmer's been unwell for a long time. He delayed going to the hospital, and now it's serious. Samuel must feel really guilty for not taking better care of him."

Victoria nodded. "I understand."

Seeing that Victoria was preoccupied, Diana didn't press the matter further.

The next day, at dawn, Victoria hurried to the hospital.

She went straight upstairs to find Tony and ask about Nora's condition.

Despite her deep-seated resentment towards Nora, as a daughter, she couldn't completely abandon her.

Tony informed her that Nora was stalling, neither agreeing to the surgery nor clearly refusing it.

But her health was deteriorating, and she couldn't afford to delay much longer. The hospital had no choice but to ask Victoria to try and persuade her.

"Let her be," Victoria said, surprisingly calm. "She doesn't want Bobby to lose his health because of her. But Bobby's Medical Parole was granted for the transplant surgery. If he doesn't get it, he'll be sent back to prison. That's why she's stuck. If I were the donor, I'd probably be on the operating table by now."

Tony sighed helplessly. For now, they could only wait. "I'll try to contact Bobby and have him talk to her."

Victoria didn't say much more. Asking someone to give up their health for another was a form of moral coercion, even among family.

So, whatever Nora and Bobby decided was their business.

The she went to visit Wendy's room, only to be told by a nurse that Wendy had already been discharged.

Victoria felt a surge of anxiety and quickly took out her phone to call Wendy.

"This line is currently busy. Please try your call again shortly."

Victoria's heart raced. She tried again, but it was still busy.

She called Diana, asking her to find a way to contact Wendy.

After making those arrangements, she headed to Elmer's room.

She knocked gently, and after a moment, the door opened to reveal Hannah.

Hannah's eyes flickered as she looked Victoria up and down. A woman as striking as Victoria was hard to forget, especially since she was the girlfriend of the man Hannah admired.

Victoria hadn't expected her to be there. After a brief pause, she nodded slightly and said softly, "I'm here to see Mr. Brown."