Chapter 228

When Victoria arrived at the hospital, a crowd had gathered outside, all pointing and staring at the rooftop. Some were frantically taking pictures with their phones, and the firefighters had already set up an inflatable cushion.

Looking up, Victoria saw the person standing on the edge of the roof.

"Wendy!" Victoria was stunned, her heart clenched tightly, and without hesitation, she rushed into the building.

She sprinted up the stairs, breathless by the time she reached the rooftop. Seeing the police, she quickly explained, "I'm her friend, please let me through."

After confirming her identity, the police let her pass. Victoria ran over and saw Wendy's mother, Carol, was also there.

"What are you doing? Get down here right now!" Carol tried to maintain a facade of calm, but her trembling hands betrayed her panic, and her face was pale.

Wendy stood motionless at the edge of the roof, her figure so frail it seemed a gust of wind could knock her over.

She stared blankly into the distance, ignoring Carol's shouts, as if those cruel words could no longer hurt her.

"Wendy!" Carol couldn't hold back any longer and yelled, "You useless thing, get down here! Who do you think you are, trying to jump off a building? Don't want to come down? Fine, jump then! Even your dad doesn't want you, what's the point of living? If you're going to jump, just do it already!"

The firefighters and police behind her were shocked, "Ma'am! You can't provoke her right now..."

Before they could finish, Carol cut them off harshly, "Why should I care if she lives or dies? She should have disappeared from this world a long time ago! My life has been miserable because of her!"

She was about to continue her tirade when someone suddenly shoved her from behind.

Carol, wearing high heels, stumbled and nearly fell.

"Shut your mouth!" Victoria's eyes were wide with anger, her eyes red, glaring at Carol, "Wendy is such a good girl! If you want to die, then jump! If not, get out of the way!"

"This is a family matter, what does it have to do with you?"

"Get out of the way!" Victoria shouted again.

If the situation weren't so critical, Victoria would have loved to give her a piece of her mind.

She stepped past Carol and walked towards Wendy at the edge of the roof, "Wendy!"

Wendy, who had been unresponsive, slowly turned her head at the sound of Victoria's voice.

"Victoria." She called out softly, her eyes instantly filling with tears, "Victoria, why did you take so long?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm late." Victoria cautiously took a step forward, but Wendy, crying, shook her head, "Don't come any closer."

The police behind her quickly pulled Victoria back, whispering, "Don't go too close, it might agitate her."

Victoria stopped and reached out her hand, "Wendy, come over here, it's too dangerous over there. Let's talk over here, okay?"

"They're cursing me, saying I deserve this. Yeah, I deserve this. I don't even deserve to be alive."

Victoria couldn't understand where the bright, confident Wendy she first met at Starry Studio Gallery had gone.

Back then, she was positive, optimistic, and cheerful, as beautiful as a flower, with a stubborn streak. But how had she become so despondent and hopeless in just a few months?

Victoria's heart ached, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

She choked out, "Wendy! Let them say whatever they want. You can live however you want! Don't worry about what others think!"

Wendy's face was streaked with tears, and she kept repeating, "Victoria, why did you take so long? Why?"

Victoria, desperate, took a few more steps forward. "Wendy, this is my fault. I promise, I'll stay by your side from now on, okay? Please come down."

Wendy looked at her and gave a sorrowful smile. "Victoria, I really like you. Working with you these past few months has been the happiest time of my life. But why did you only show up now?"

She kept looking at Victoria, smiling and shaking her head. "Why?"

"No, no, Wendy, don't!"

Victoria sensed something was wrong and, disregarding the danger, lunged forward. "Wendy!"

Wendy closed her eyes slowly, her body leaning back.

"Wendy!"

Victoria's fingertips brushed against her, desperately trying to grab hold, but it was in vain.

People behind her rushed to hold Victoria back. "Don't go!"

"No, no!"

Victoria watched helplessly as Wendy fell before her eyes.

Wendy looked at her, a relieved smile on her lips.

She whispered, "Goodbye, Victoria."

Victoria sat on the rooftop, curled up into a small ball, her eyes vacant and hollow, her trembling pupils revealing her inner turmoil.

Wendy had jumped, right in front of her.

She hadn't been able to catch her, even though she was so close. If she had just reached out a little further, maybe she could have saved her, but it was too late.

If she had been faster, if she had noticed Wendy's despair sooner.

These thoughts haunted her mind, swirling endlessly.

When William arrived at the rooftop, he saw a devastated Victoria.

The police were talking to her, but Victoria seemed not to hear, her eyes blank and her face as pale as a sheet.

He strode over, signaling to the police that he would handle it, then knelt down, his gaze fixed on Victoria, and called softly, "Victoria?"

Victoria's thoughts were a tangled mess, but that familiar voice managed to pierce through the fog and reach her ears.

She looked up dazedly, her eyes gradually focusing. When she saw it was him, she grabbed his arm, her voice trembling and tearful. "Wendy jumped. What do I do? I didn't catch her, I didn't save her."

She was so lost and helpless, like a child who had lost their way.

William's lips pressed into a tight line, and he pulled her closer, his eyes full of concern. "She's not dead."

"What did you say?" Victoria couldn't believe it, confirming each word.

"The inflatable cushion caught her."

It took Victoria a moment to process this, and she let out a long breath, her body going limp as she leaned against William, her forehead resting on his chest, murmuring, "She's okay, thank goodness, she's okay."

As she spoke, her voice choked up, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand. "You know, she jumped right in front of me. If something had happened to her, I would never forgive myself."

Even though Wendy had narrowly escaped, the harrowing scene would forever be an indelible shadow in her life.

"I know." William's brow furrowed, and he gently hugged her.

He had been in the area on business and had witnessed the whole ordeal.

At this moment, he was more worried about Victoria than Wendy.

For years, Victoria had always seemed strong, having faced life's ups and downs too early. But in reality, she wasn't as invincible as others thought.

On the contrary, she had just learned to hide her vulnerability, suppressing her emotions.

Victoria took a long time to calm down and slowly stood up, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Thank you," she said softly.

William looked down, his expression becoming distant and cold. "No need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same."

Victoria understood.

He was subtly telling her he was there for her only because of the situation today, and he didn't want her to get the wrong idea about his intentions.