Chapter 227

Victoria immediately called back.

But the phone rang for what felt like forever without anyone picking up.

Starting to panic, Victoria turned to a colleague. "Hey, have you heard from Wendy lately?"

The colleague shook her head. "I sent her a few texts, but her replies were super short. It seemed like she didn't want to talk, so I stopped trying."

Victoria's face grew serious. After dialing four more times, someone finally answered.

Victoria instantly recognized Carol's voice. "Mrs. Clark, where's Wendy?"

"She's not feeling well. She's resting in her room."

"Is she still sick? Should I take her to the hospital..."

Before she could finish, Carol cut her off, "Do you have any other business?"

"Wendy won't be coming to work for a while. She needs to rest at home. I've already informed her supervisors. You guys shouldn't visit her either. I don't want her to be disturbed. That's all."

The call ended abruptly.

Victoria stared at her phone, her brows furrowing tightly. "I need to check on her."

After handing off her work to a colleague, she rushed to Wendy's house as fast as she could.

It was a charming, secluded little house, peaceful and elegant.

"I can't just barge in. Wait here for a bit," Victoria muttered to herself.

She hid behind a row of bushes, her eyes fixed on the house across the street.

Before long, a graceful middle-aged woman emerged from the house. It was Carol, talking on her phone, her expression alternating between happiness and shyness.

Victoria watched her drive away before quickly running over.

She rang the doorbell, but after a while, there was still no response.

Victoria was full of suspicion. 'Could she not be home?'

But she immediately dismissed the thought, 'She has nowhere else to go.'

Unwilling to give up, Victoria circled the house and finally found an open kitchen window.

Without hesitation, she climbed through the window.

Once inside the kitchen, Victoria was stunned, and then a wave of intense anger surged through her.

"How could anyone do this?"

On the kitchen floor, Wendy lay unconscious, her face flushed, her body burning with fever.

In just a few days, her once round face got so thin it was hard to recognize, her chin sharp.

What was even more infuriating was the collar around her neck, attached to a six-foot chain.

This meant Wendy's movements were restricted to just six feet!

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. Though Nora wasn't great, she had never treated her like this.

But Wendy's mother, Carol, didn't even see her as human, treating her like an animal.

Wendy was burning with fever, and Victoria couldn't afford to waste a moment. She frantically tried to remove the collar but found it locked. She needed a key.

Desperately searching the house, she couldn't find the key. Fortunately, she spotted a pair of pliers in the corner. With great effort, she used them to roughly cut the collar off.

Though Wendy was slender, she was unconscious and limp, making it difficult for Victoria to lift her. After a few steps, she was already out of breath, her arms trembling.

Finally managing to get Wendy to the door, Victoria hailed a cab and urged the driver to hurry to the hospital.

Victoria had planned to call the police, but they found her first.

"Breaking and entering?" Victoria exclaimed.

"Yes, and the homeowner reported a lot of important items missing."

Victoria was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You seriously believe what she said? This is outright extortion!"

And so, Victoria was taken to the police station.

With surveillance footage clearly showing her climbing through the window, the evidence was undeniable.

Sitting in the police station, feeling helpless, Victoria suddenly saw a familiar figure.

It was William!

Victoria quickly turned her head, pretending not to see him.

At the same time, the police chief personally escorted him to the door. William also avoided eye contact.

"Mr. Scott, thank you for your cooperation."

"No problem." William turned and left.

Seeing him leave like that, Victoria felt a mix of emotions but also a sense of relief.

After they had laid everything out, Victoria felt it was best for both of them to cut ties completely. It was the right choice for both of them.

For now, she had to admit, William handled it well.

The police chief came in a while later, glancing at Victoria as he walked in. He called over the officer in charge and whispered a few instructions.

Victoria sat alone, listening to Carol's lawyer's aggressive questioning and the mounting accusations, remaining silent.

She knew that until she saw her own lawyer, saying anything could make things worse.

As for hiring a lawyer, Victoria was determined to apply for legal aid.

She didn't want to make a big scene. If it blew up, Wendy would be the one most hurt. If it left her with any psychological scars, it would be terrible.

Unexpectedly, the police worked quickly, following the clues to find Wendy. Soon, the abuse she suffered at Carol's hands came to light.

There was no hiding it now. The story made the news, causing an immediate uproar in the community. People were outraged, condemning such vile behavior.

Soon, Carol and her husband's identities were exposed, and people online began to remark.

[Carol looks so polished, but how could she be so cruel to her own daughter? She's a wolf in sheep's clothing!]

[That man is no better. Cheating on his wife and neglecting his family. Scum!]

But some people turned their criticism towards Wendy.

[Look at Wendy, her face swollen, smelling bad. She doesn't look like a lady at all.]

[She's so weak. Her own parents abuse her, and she doesn't fight back? I think she's an idiot.]

[Exactly. Being treated like that and not fighting back, she might as well be dead.]

These malicious comments, like daggers, flooded the internet.

Seeing this, Victoria gritted her teeth in anger. "Wendy is the victim here. How can they blame her? Don't they have any compassion?" She had only one thought: Wendy must not see these hurtful words.

Just then, the hospital called. "Come quickly! Wendy Clark's in trouble!"