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.
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