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.

heaved a long

during the incident because

the verge of tears, but she managed to force them back when she lowered her head to check the blood

and took a change of clothes before going

in the mirror before reaching a fair hand out to caress it

she recalled the fact that it was Samuel who had put her in

will never care about my state of being. He must be all

was leaning against his Maybach while puffing on a

cigarette butts were littered all

almost the break of dawn, but he had

gripped her phone tightly as

from my life entirely? No! I won’t allow

ran over to him. “We’ve found

Samuel ordered

man over to him, the man was already battered and

done to that woman?” Samuel lifted his gaze, a distant look

wasn’t someone he

off.” Samuel

of the bodyguards immediately

was being serious, the drunken man fell to his knees before Samuel while begging for mercy, “Please don’t chop my hands off! I’ll tell

“Speak.” Samuel looked intimidating.

overtook me when I saw a beautiful woman standing beside the road, but I didn’t

hand did you use to touch

man dared not answer

to reply.” Samuel’s exquisite jawline was tensed up

don’t! It’s this hand!” The

said, “How dare you lie? You touched

drunken man nearly fainted from

already made up your

Just when the drunken man was spacing out, the bodyguard chopped one of his hands off with a clean swipe

his mouth before his other hand was also

scum to a deserted place,” ordered Samuel with a

“Yes, Sir!”

bodyguards left, dragging the drunken man away with them, while the other