It was late January when Tessa returned from Noria. The law firm usually had its annual holiday week around this time, so all the staff members were on break.

She caught the flu on the day she returned from Noria. She fell quite ill, so she visited the hospital to get a shot. After that, she went back home and stayed in bed all day.

Michelle prepared her meals and delivered them to her.

A day before Michelle’s leave was scheduled to begin, she delivered lunch to Tessa as usual. Tessa coughed a couple of times and used a tissue to wipe her leaky nose. “Ms. Mercer, your break starts tomorrow. You should leave after finishing your tasks for the day.”

Michelle looked hesitant. “But you’re still sick, Tessa. Who’s going to take care of you if I leave?”

“It’s just the flu. It’s not a big deal.”

Michelle said, “Why don’t I send you back to the Yates residence? I’ll feel more at ease knowing that your family is taking care of you.”

Samuel had even called her a few days ago to ask when Tessa’s annual holiday would begin.

Tessa’s original plan had been to return to the Yates residence to spend time with her family when her annual holiday started. However, her flu was quite serious this time around. Considering how there was a child living there, and also the fact that Samuel was discharged from the hospital not too long ago, she had delayed her return in fear of spreading her sickness to them.

“I won’t be going back for now,” Tessa replied. “I’ll wait till I’m better.”

Michelle was rather worried about her. “So you’re going to be by yourself tomorrow? Why don’t you follow me home?”

Tessa shook her head. “Have you forgotten that Mrs. Wilson is staying with you, Ms. Mercer? What will I do if I spread my sickness to her?”

Michelle only recalled that Helen, who was old, sickly, and frail, was living with her after hearing Tessa’s words. If Helen caught Tessa’s flu, it might prove fatal for her. She scratched her head, mumbling, “Then…”

“Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.”

“Alright, then.”

After lunch was over, Michelle gave the entire apartment a thorough cleaning, making sure that the bedrooms and living room were spotless. She then made a trip to the grocery store to purchase some daily necessities.

After she was done, she cracked open the door to Tessa’s room. “Tessa, I’ve stocked up on some daily necessities. There’s fruit in the fridge, and your favorite snacks are on the coffee table in the living room.”

Tessa lay in bed, and only her head was visible from how she had wrapped

herself up in the blanket. “Okay, thanks for your hard work, Ms. Mercer.”

“I’ll be leaving now. Feel free to call me if anything comes up.”

“Alright. Enjoy your holiday, Ms. Mercer.”

“You too,” Michelle replied.

She was still worried about Tessa even after she left the area. She grabbed her phone and called Stephen Mr. Jacobson, Tessa is ill. Her fl@hasn’t gotten any better, even though she’s been resting footwo days since coming back from the hospital.

“She asked me to leave for my scheduled break, but I’m worried about her being alone.”

Stephen’s heart clenched. “How did she get sick?”

“I think she caught it from someone at the airport. She fell sick after getting

home,” Michelle replied.

“I understand.”

After ending the call, Stephen immediately dialed Henry’s number and told him about Tessa’s illness He asked Henry to ask his younger sister Sienna, to visit Tessa. When Sienna heard that Tessa had fallen ill, she called her immediately. “Tessa, why didn’t you tell me that you’re sick? Are you alone at home now?”

Tessa was still wrapped up in her blanket when she picked up the phone. Her voice was rough because of her illness. “Yeah. It’s just the flu. I’ll get better soon.”

“I want to visit you later. Is that convenient for you?”

“You don’t have to, Sienna. I got a shot from the hospital two days ago, and the doctor also gave me some medicine. I’ve been taking the meds for the last two days, so I should be well soon.

“I just took the medicine, so I’m getting ready to take a nap. When I wake up, I should be all better.”

“You don’t sound like you’ll be recovering soon based on how gravelly your voice is,” Sienna mentioned caringly. “I’ll bring my family doctor with me later and have her take a look at you.”

“There’s really no need for you to go through all that trouble,” said Tessa.

“Don’t worry about troubling me. Tessa.”

An hour later, Sienna rang Tessa’s doorbell. It didn’t take long before the sound of light footsteps resounded from within. Tessa felt like she was floating when she weakly walked over to the door and opened it.

sŵnovel

Sienna let out a surprised gasp when she laid eyes on Tessa’s pallid face. “Tessa,

what happened to you?”

Tessa answered breathily, “I’m fine.”

Quickly supporting Tessa’s weak body, Sienna said, “I brought my family doctor

with me. Let her have a look at you.”

“Okay.”