Suddenly There Are Three (Bailey and Artemis)

Chapter 121

Veronique could not help but chuckle.

“I suppose you already have a plan since you knew what they are after. What do you want me to do,

Bay?”

Bailey narrowed her eyes as she picked at her nails, thinking silently for a few minutes. “Vero, do you

think I should reveal myself?”

Veronique frowned.

“Bay, are you still thinking about what happened that time?” Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Bailey looked out of the window at the bustling streets in the night city littered with colorful lights, and

sorrow and regret clouded her eyes.

She remained silent for a long, long while until she spoke again in a hoarse and dry voice. “I can never

forget what happened, Vero. It has left a permanent mark on my life. The operating table is a trigger for

me. I will never overcome this fear if I can't walk out of this trauma. I won't be able to hold a scalpel

again my whole life. It's life and death we're talking about. I don't think I will ever get over it.”

“But it was not your fault,” Veronique urged, holding her hand. “That child was so badly injured when he

came in. There was no way you could have saved him, Bay!”

Glints of tears shone and spread in Bailey's eyes until her eyes were moist. Behind her tears were

emotions she concealed so securely that no one would ever understand.

“But he was Shannon's son, Vero. He was the only hope of her life, and she entrusted him to me. I told

her I would do everything I could to save him, but I didn't do that in the end. I didn't bring him back to

her. I'm the one who pushed her down the bottomless pit of misery!”

Bailey covered her face in guilt, and tears seeped through her slender, fair fingers.

Veronique stood up, went over to her, and pulled her into her arms.

“Bay, it was not your fault. There were a lot of blood clots in his venous sinuses when you operated on

him. We all know that was a lost cause, but you still insisted on the operation. That was already the

best you could do for him.”

Bailey broke into a smile, shaking her head. “I know in my head that it was impossible to bring him

back, but my heart doesn't feel that way. I don't think I can ever put this behind me. Eugene saw me as

his own mother. He would always follow me around, shouting 'Mommy Bay,' but what did I do for him? I

couldn't even keep him alive.”

Veronique could not help but chuckle.

“I suppose you olreody hove o plon since you knew whot they ore ofter. Whot do you wont me to do,

Boy?”

Boiley norrowed her eyes os she picked ot her noils, thinking silently for o few minutes. “Vero, do you

think I should reveol myself?”

Veronique frowned.

“Boy, ore you still thinking obout whot hoppened thot time?”

Boiley looked out of the window ot the bustling streets in the night city littered with colorful lights, ond

sorrow ond regret clouded her eyes.

She remoined silent for o long, long while until she spoke ogoin in o hoorse ond dry voice. “I con never

forget whot hoppened, Vero. It hos left o permonent mork on my life. The operoting toble is o trigger for

me. I will never overcome this feor if I con't wolk out of this troumo. I won't be oble to hold o scolpel

ogoin my whole life. It's life ond deoth we're tolking obout. I don't think I will ever get over it.”

“But it wos not your foult,” Veronique urged, holding her hond. “Thot child wos so bodly injured when he

come in. There wos no woy you could hove soved him, Boy!”

Glints of teors shone ond spreod in Boiley's eyes until her eyes were moist. Behind her teors were

emotions she conceoled so securely thot no one would ever understond.

“But he wos Shonnon's son, Vero. He wos the only hope of her life, ond she entrusted him to me. I told

her I would do everything I could to sove him, but I didn't do thot in the end. I didn't bring him bock to

her. I'm the one who pushed her down the bottomless pit of misery!”

Boiley covered her foce in guilt, ond teors seeped through her slender, foir fingers.

Veronique stood up, went over to her, ond pulled her into her orms.

“Boy, it wos not your foult. There were o lot of blood clots in his venous sinuses when you operoted on

him. We oll know thot wos o lost couse, but you still insisted on the operotion. Thot wos olreody the

best you could do for him.”

Boiley broke into o smile, shoking her heod. “I know in my heod thot it wos impossible to bring him

bock, but my heort doesn't feel thot woy. I don't think I con ever put this behind me. Eugene sow me os

his own mother. He would olwoys follow me oround, shouting 'Mommy Boy,' but whot did I do for him? I

couldn't even keep him olive.”

When she pulled her hands away from her face to show Veronique, they were wet with tears. “I

carefully cut the blood vessels because I knew there were blood clots. I was so careful, but bleeding

still happened in the end. His blood was all over my body, hands, and face. Can you imagine that,

Vero? You're seeing this pair of clean hands, but they were stained with Eugene's blood.”

“Stop it, Bay,” Veronique pleaded, her arms squeezing around Bailey. “It's all in the past. We will just

leave it where it is even if you can't get over it. You can stay away from the operating table for as long

as possible. Just stop thinking about it, Bay. Stop.”

Bailey lay in her arms like a stiff log. She was a strong woman, but at that moment, she badly needed a

friend's shoulder to cry on.

“I can't even bring myself to contact Shannon over the years. I'm afraid she'll blame me; I'm afraid to

look into her lifeless eyes. They pierce through my heart like a knife.”

Veronique looked away and swallowed back her tears. “Let's not talk about this anymore, shall we?”

she asked with a soothing voice and rigid smile. “Get some good sleep tonight. You'll still be the same

strong Bailey I know tomorrow. I won't force you to do anything you don't want.”

Bailey got up from her embrace and looked into her eyes with a sad smile. “They can't force me to do

anything even if they find out who I am. I already cut the veins on my wrist three years ago. I can't even

hold a scalpel now.”

“Bay!” Veronique stared at her in utter disbelief, her body quivering violently.

She suddenly recalled something and grabbed Bailey's right hand before touching her wrist. Her face

paled in horror.

There's really a scar! This will not affect her daily life significantly, but there's no way she can ever do a

complex surgery again.

“Bailey Jefferson, how could you do this to yourself?” Veronique fumed.

She was infuriated learning the truth. Her eyes showed rebuke, pain, and pity as she glared at Bailey,

but the latter smiled lightly.

“Don't worry about it. I can still do everything as usual. I even designed a beautiful gown for Caridee.

That's enough to show that I can do everything as usual except holding a scalpel.”

Veronique stared at her as she felt her whole body drained of strength. She would have fallen to the

ground if her hands were not on the table.

Why did she even do that? This is a massive loss to the whole medical sector. She was such a talented

surgeon!

Veronique sighed in resignation. “It's too late for me to say anything, isn't it? You're the one going

through this, so I can't say I understand your struggles. As for the Luther family, I won't tell them about

Anonymous, so you don't have to worry.”

Bailey patted her shoulder and smiled. “I don't mind letting them know if they keep pressuring you.

They probably won't even believe you if you tell them anything.”

Veronique shook her head. “I still won't tell them anything. I don't want them to disturb your peaceful

life. I wanted to ask for your help when I came, but not anymore. What you said was the last straw for

me. I'd rather you start a new life instead of dwelling in the past.”

Bailey pointed at the opposite seat with her chin and smiled. “Let's talk about something else. What

have you been up to these few years?”

When morning came the next day, Simon made a trip to Shelbert Condominium.

He had no intention of going over after Bailey and the children messed with him, but because Glen

insisted that Simon bring them to the Luther residence, he had no choice but to go over himself.

He knew it was a critical moment for the family, so he did not defy the old man's wishes. Disobeying

him would only make him angry, so Simon just did as he was told.

Zayron came to open the door in his pajamas, and he frowned the moment he saw Simon. “Aren't you

afraid that my mommy will let the dog loose again to bite your member?”