Bella emphasized again, this time with a sharper edge to her tone, "It has nothing to do with me. If you're curious why she's resigning, ask her."
Ethan seemed to realize he had overstepped. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant… I just—"
Before he could finish, Bella cut him off. "It's fine. I'd probably think the same way if I were in your shoes. Just let Lana know that if there's no serious personal reason, she doesn't need to quit this job."
With that, she walked straight into the locker room, feeling like everything was spiraling out of control lately.
What frustrated her most wasn't Ethan's questions but Lana's behavior. Lana now acted as if she were terrified of Bella, practically hiding every time they crossed paths.
If Bella hadn't already discussed things with Dominic, she might have started to believe he had actually done something to Lana.
Lana had gone from blatantly bullying her to slipping seamlessly into the role of a "victim", soaking up sympathy from everyone around her.
Now, everyone believed Lana was quitting because of pressure from Bella's powerful boyfriend, Dominic. Naturally, Bella had become the target of their resentment.
For a moment, Bella felt completely drained. Even in the cramped confines of the emergency department, she couldn't escape these petty power plays.
Where could she possibly find some peace?
That night, she was on the night shift. Thankfully, there were no patients requiring special attention, so, during the quiet hours, she settled into the break room to rest.
The hospital was eerily silent, with the only sound being the wind howling against the windows. It was like something out of a ghost story. Most people would find it hard to sleep in such an atmosphere.
Despite all her years in this field, for the first time, Bella found herself unable to close her eyes in the early morning hours.
She pulled out her phone, but it was as silent as the world around her. Dominic's name sat quietly in her contact list as if it would never light up again.
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