Chapter 35

That night, I couldn't tell if it was sudden trust or just gratitude for saving her life.

Either way, Lally and I ended up talking a lot, like she was finally letting out everything she'd been holding in for years.

I just listened quietly, ordered some takeout, got us some light food, and after we ate a bit, it was already past 11 PM, almost midnight.

The hospital doc had already checked her out, and everything seemed fine. They suggested she rest for a few days. Lally told me to go home, saying she was okay and felt a bit awkward with me hanging around the hospital. I agreed.

I also called Benjamin to let him know Lally had woken up and was doing okay for now. He told me to go home and rest, and said he'd have someone from the team come over to keep an eye on things.

Before I left, I had a quick word with the nurse on duty, left my number, and asked them to call me if anything came up with Lally.

By the time I got home, it was already 1 AM. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, thinking about everything that had happened to Lally.

Was Lally wrong? No, she wasn't. With everything she'd been through, how could she just abandon it all and start fresh?

Was Duke wrong? Yeah, he was. He shouldn't have gotten into drugs or done all those bad things. But was it entirely his fault? How much had he suffered over the years?

When he was still a child, he could confidently say to Lally, "I'll take care of you, I'll support you through school, we won't leave each other, we'll rely on each other to survive..."

Fate had a funny way of messing with people, and it was not always about right or wrong.

I thought for a moment and opened Facebook. Zoey should be asleep by now, so I left her a message: [Zoey, when you see this tomorrow, please reply. We're holding off on publishing the report for now. Lally's situation is really complicated, and a simple anti-drug article won't do it justice. I'll explain everything to you in detail tomorrow. Let's make this the headline article for the monthly magazine.]

I thought of another topic: [Is the orphanage from twenty years ago still around?]

It wasn't just Lally and Duke who faced such tragic fates; there were many unfortunate children, some of whom might have died young. The person in charge of that orphanage needed to be held accountable; we couldn't simply let it pass!

Unexpectedly, Zoey replied right away: [Okay, Mrs. Smith, I'll hold off and wait for your new content. How's Lally doing? Are you at the hospital? Have you eaten? Do you want me to bring you something? My mom cooked a lot of food today.]

Nancy: [Thanks, I've eaten. Lally's awake and doing okay. I came back for now and will head to the hospital early tomorrow to see her. You should get some rest.]

Zoey: [Okay, Mrs. Smith.]

I smiled a bit. Zoey is really thoughtful. I felt a warmth in my heart as I touched the blanket she gave me and sent a message: [Zoey.]

Zoey: [What's up, Mrs. Smith?]

Nancy: [The blanket is really warm. I love it. Thank you.]

Zoey: [Mrs. Smith, good night.]

Nancy: [Good night, Zoey.]

The next day, I woke up early, got ready, and drove to the hospital.

Lally's outpouring last night, along with a whole night's rest, should have helped her recover quite a bit. Today, I wanted to ask her directly about Alan's case, why she gave false testimony in court, and how much she knew about the truth of the case.

Maybe it was because of Alan, but I always felt a pang of sympathy whenever the orphanage came up. Alan didn't talk much about it, but his childhood there must've been rough. For Lally, if she wasn't too deep in this mess, I'd do everything I could to help her get back on her feet.

She'd been through enough already.

The first bit of light in her life had turned into a shadow, so I wanted to open a window for her to let in some new sunlight.

I parked in the hospital garage, didn't head upstairs right away, and went to the entrance to grab some breakfast for her.

But when I got to her room, it was empty. The bed was neatly made, with some money and a note on top.

It read: [Nancy, this is Lally. Thank you for saving me and for listening to my stories last night. Last night was probably the bravest I've ever been, facing my past and myself. There are still some things I didn't talk about. I don't want to remember them, and I don't want to hurt you. But it's all in the past, so it doesn't matter if I talk about it or not. I checked out this morning and paid the hospital fees. You've helped me enough, and I can't let you spend more money.]

I quickly asked the nurse on duty, but she didn't know much. She said she saw Lally in the room around 6 AM.

I checked the time; it was 8:30 AM.

She couldn't have gone far. I rushed to the security office and described Lally's height, clothing, and appearance, asking if they'd seen her.

The security guard said there were too many people coming and going every morning to remember.

I had no choice but to call Benjamin for help. "Benjamin, Lally checked out early this morning and left. Can you help me find out where she lives?"

"When did this happen?"

"Around 6 AM. I went up at 8:30, so about an hour and a half ago."

"She can't have gone far. Hold on, I'll ask a colleague at the registration office."

On the other end, Benjamin called a colleague at the registration office, asking for Lally's address. The officer said they could only find her address from a few years ago, but that place had been demolished, and they couldn't find her current address.

I suddenly thought of the Entertainment Club. Maybe her colleagues there would know where she lived.

Benjamin hung up and quickly contacted Billy at the Entertainment Club, asking me to wait for news.

Sure enough, not long after, Benjamin called back with an address near Elm Street in Silverlight City.

I checked the map; it wasn't far, about a ten-minute drive. I grabbed the breakfast and rushed to the parking lot, driving off.

This time, unlike with Tammy, I quickly found her place following the address. It was an old neighborhood, probably about ten years old, with the highest building being six stories.

Her address was Unit 3, fourth floor, apartment 402.

I knocked on the door, hoping someone would answer.

Soon, I heard footsteps inside, and I felt a surge of joy.

Lally opened the door. I glanced inside and saw that she seemed to be packing things. Was she planning to move?

"Nancy, why are you here?"

Lally's eyes lit up, then quickly dimmed and she said, "Of course, how could you not find me... Come in."