All Too Late

Chapter 436

Chapter 436 Go Our Separate Ways
Gemma kept herself locked in her room during the day.
 
Kathleen prepared some food and sent it to her, but Gemma left it untouched.
Kathleen had no choice but to wait.
When it was evening, Kathleen was worried that something would happen to Gemma, so she knocked on the latter’s door. “Gem, I’m coming in.”
Then, she used the key to unlock the door.
It was pitch-dark in the room with the curtains drawn.
Kathleen turned on the light and scanned the room but could not find Gemma.
The former was stunned for a moment before making her way to the bathroom.
Only then did she find Gemma sitting in the bathtub filled with cold water.
“Gem, you’ll get sick.” Walking over, Kathleen squatted down next to Gemma. “Come out first.”
She reached out to touch Gemma, whose skin was icy cold and wet.
“Gem, you can’t be like this because of a man.” Kathleen cupped Gemma’s face with her hands. “It’s really not worth it. It’s his business that he wants to repay his mentor. You don’t have to punish yourself like this.”
Gemma remained sitting quietly with her knees to her chest inside the bathtub.
Kathleen drained the cold water from the bathtub and wrapped Gemma in a bath towel.
“Can you not be like this, Gem?” Tears welled up in Kathleen’s eyes.
Saying nothing, Gemma sat quietly in the bathtub. Kathleen could not do anything about it.
The doorbell rang all of a sudden.
Kathleen knitted her brows.
If it were Samuel, he would have entered the house instead of ringing the doorbell. Who will it be?
“Gem, I’ll go have a look.” Kathleen ran some warm water in the bathtub and added, “While you warm up your body first.”
Gemma said nothing.
Kathleen then got up and went downstairs to get the door.
Richard was seen standing at the door.
Still wearing his outfit from the day before, Richard looked worried. “Is Gem—”
Kathleen cut him off coldly, “She’s not okay.”
“I…” Richard faltered.
“If you want to see her, I’ll ask her first,” said Kathleen.
Richard did not expect that Kathleen would let him see Gemma.
“Richard, it’s not that I don’t blame you. I just think it’s necessary for you to clarify this matter with her. You should finish what you started.” There was a standoffish look in Kathleen’s eyes.
Richard stiffened. “Are you asking me to break up with her?”
“What else can it be?” Kathleen gave him a stern look. “Do you want her to wait? A woman doesn’t have much time to waste! You know she wants to get married, to live a stable life, but you can’t give her what she wants, so what makes you think you can cling to her!”
Richard was bereft of speech.
He took a deep breath before relenting. “If this is what she wants, I’ll accept it.”
Kathleen’s eyes glinted with emotions as she turned to head upstairs to see Gemma.
When she entered the bathroom, she saw that the water in the bathtub had overflowed.
Turning off the water faucet, she said gently, “Richard is here. He wants to see you.”
Gemma did not move an inch.
Kathleen sighed. “All right. I’ll ask him to leave.”
Gemma suddenly said, “I’ll see him.”
Kathleen was stunned for a moment. “Gem, don’t force yourself if you don’t want to do it.”
“It’s okay. Get him to come up here.” Gemma’s voice was hoarse.
“I’ll help you dry your body first.” Kathleen took off her clothes and wiped her body dry before putting a clean bathrobe on her.
Afterward, Kathleen helped Gemma out of the bathtub, led the latter to the bed, and wrapped her with the blanket.
Gemma’s body gradually got warm.
Only then did Kathleen go to see Richard, who was standing by the stairs on the first floor.
A tall and sturdy man was standing next to him.
It was Samuel.
“I brought dinner.” Samuel’s voice was calm.
Kathleen nodded at him before looking at Richard. “You may go up.”
“Thanks.” Richard walked upstairs.
Kathleen frowned.
“Won’t you follow him?” Samuel asked.
“They’re both adults. They have their own ways to solve things. It’s personal. I shouldn’t interfere.”
Samuel held her hand. “Let’s have something to eat first.”
Kathleen nodded.
She looked down at Samuel’s hand that was holding hers and saw that he was wearing a ring.
“It doesn’t seem like this is the latest style,” Kathleen commented, feeling curious.
“I bought it when we got married. I’ve been keeping it,” Samuel explained.
Kathleen was puzzled. “It looks quite ordinary. Did I pick it myself?”
Samuel froze.
It was not wrong to say that Kathleen was the one who picked the ring.
At that time, he was impatient, so Kathleen had picked a low-key and cheap ring.
“Since you are wearing the old one, I will also wear the old one,” Kathleen said.
“I don’t know where I kept yours.” Samuel held her hand tightly, feeling guilty deep down.
Kathleen gazed at his eyes, knowing that he was clearly lying.
However, she did not bother to expose his lies as it was sometimes better to be ignorant.
Richard came to Gemma’s room, and she was sitting on the bed motionlessly.
She was like a doll that was left to the mercy of others.
Richard rarely saw her like that.
Gemma had always been a gentle and quiet person, but she would not be so silent and lifeless.
“Gem, are you okay?” Richard’s voice was deep.
Gemma slowly looked up at him without any emotions in her eyes. “Richard, how’s Miley doing?”
Richard froze for a moment. “She’s fine, but her legs are injured, so she needs some time to rest and recover.”
Gemma questioned, “What’s the point of lying to me? My colleague texted me telling me that her legs were broken. She can never stand up again.”
Richard shot her a helpless look.
“You’ve been taking care of her because of your mentor. Now that her legs are broken, that’s all the more reason for you to take care of her. Richard, I can’t keep on waiting for you. Do you get it?”
“Are you breaking up with me?” Richard asked in a hoarse voice.
Gemma nodded. “Yes.”
Richard’s face turned pale. “Have you made up your mind?”
“Yes.” Gemma took a deep breath. “I’d thought about it for a day. Richard, I’ve been waiting for you all these years, but you’ve let me down. I can no longer waste my time on you. Let’s go our separate ways.”
Richard clenched his fists. “Even if I ask you to give me some time?”
Gemma shook her head. “No. To give you a little more time is to stab myself with a knife. Richard, you can’t be so cruel. I’ve sacrificed too much. I can’t accept that you care more about another woman instead of me, so let’s break up.”
Richard’s hands started trembling uncontrollably. “Gem…”
“Richard, it’s been almost seven years.” Gemma looked up at the ceiling, tears rolling down her cheeks. “How many seven years can a woman have?”
Richard stood rooted to the spot.
“We’re breaking up. That’s all I have to say. I’ll go to your house to pack up my stuff in a few days. I’m done talking. You may leave.” Gemma began to chase him out.
She did not want to see Richard anymore.
The sight of him made her heart and every part of her ache.
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