All Too Late

Chapter 9 Emergency Contact

“That won’t be necessary. Old Mrs. Macari is in poor health, so it would be better if you don’t tell her, lest she worry for me,” Kathleen said.

“Have you been alone throughout the years?” Gemma hung her head low as she sat beside Kathleen.

“I suppose,” Kathleen replied.

“You suppose? What does that mean?” Gemma was confused.

Kathleen smiled ruefully.

Ever since marrying Samuel, she was mostly alone even though it seemed as if they lived together.

“Kathleen, you’re quite lucky. You at least have Old Mrs. Macari.” Gemma sounded depressed. “My brother and I are different. Neither of us was of legal age. Nobody wanted to adopt the both of us together, so we were forcefully separated when adopted by different families.”

“So that was what happened.” Kathleen pulled her lips into a thin line.

“Jeez, why am I even telling you this?” Gemma’s expression reverted to its former state. “I need to go to a night shift at the hospital later on. You take care.”

“It’s fine. I’ll leave after getting some rest.” Kathleen knew she shouldn’t have met up with Gemma, for both of them had varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Their parents’ passing had caused great hurt to their young and fragile hearts.

Because there were hurt that would never heal, these kinds of people had come to a tacit agreement to not meet up with each other.

Without meeting each other, they would never be forced to recall those painful memories.

“Kathleen!” Gemma sounded slightly exasperated, causing Kathleen to pause for a moment.

Realizing that she might have said that a little too loud, Gemma softened her tone. “It’s fine. This place is your home too. I have clean clothes in my room, so you can put them on after taking a shower. There’s still some oatmeal that I made last night in the kitchen. Have some after heating it.”

Gemma went to get changed as she spoke and was ready to leave after putting on her coat.

“Gemma, are you working in a hospital now?” asked Kathleen.

“I work as a nurse now.” Gemma didn’t look back. “Kathleen, I’ve already moved on, so it’s fine. It’s okay even if you have troubles that you can’t talk about to me. Just stay without worrying about anything else.”

She left after saying that.

a

knew both Gemma and her were dealt the heaviest blows during the incident because both of them had witnessed first-hand the horrible death of their

verge of tears, but she managed to force

and took a change of

showering, she checked on her belly in the mirror before reaching a fair hand out to caress it softly. “Do not fear, my baby. I will

she recalled the fact that it was Samuel who had put

He must be

road, Samuel was leaning against his

was chain-smoking, so cigarette butts were littered all over the ground around

of dawn, but

fingers gripped her phone tightly as his heart trembled

from my life entirely? No! I

him. “We’ve found the drunken man who

ordered in an aloof

the man was already battered

lifted his gaze, a distant look in

awake and was aware that Samuel wasn’t someone he

hand off.” Samuel didn’t

the bodyguards

fell to his knees before Samuel while begging for mercy,

“Speak.” Samuel looked intimidating.

beautiful woman standing beside the road, but I didn’t do anything

did you use to

man dared not

hands off since he doesn’t have the guts to reply.” Samuel’s exquisite

don’t! It’s this hand!” The drunken man raised his

“How dare you lie? You touched

man nearly fainted

already made up your

chopped one of his hands off with a

mouth before his other

deserted place,” ordered Samuel with a stern

“Yes, Sir!”

drunken man away with them, while the other bodyguards stayed behind to