Chapter 121
Veronique could not help but chuckle.
“I suppose you already have a n 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?”
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 ovee 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 ovee 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
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.”
Baileyy 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 me 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
“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 red at Bailey,
but thetter 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!
Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.
Veronique sighed in resignation. “It''s toote 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 thest 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?”