Suddenly There Are Three (Bailey and Artemis) novel Chapter 681

Chapter 681 Slapping Her Own Face

The couple before her had not only failed to provide her with the warmth of a family, but they also mercilessly stabbed her when she was already feeling lonely from the lack of kinship, leaving her bleeding profusely.

Although she had outgrown the age of craving for a mother and father's love, being rejected by her own birth mother was a difficult pill to swallow for anyone.

No matter how strong she was, their repeated infliction of pain inevitably left a gulf between them.

Bailey was no saint, and she couldn't remain unaffected in the face of their actions.

Though she claimed not to care, deep down, she still felt uncomfortable that her biological parents had chosen to forsake her yet again.

Recently, she had noticed a change in Waverly's attitude toward her, but what did it matter?

Is she offering me a carrot after hitting me with a stick? Moreover, Waverly had not merely struck her with a stick. The woman had pierced the very core of her heart, leaving her to despair over the dwindling hope of ever experiencing maternal love.

From the moment Waverly chose to keep Zoey as her daughter and obstructed Bailey's return to the Shurmer family, any semblance of a mother-daughter relationship vanished.

“Bay...” Steven hesitated as he approached her. “I know you're hurt and don't want to face us, but parents and children are bound together by blood. We must have accumulated countless ties in past lives to be so closely related in this one. Please forgive us. We were truly wrong.”

Having said this, he quickly nudged his wife, urging her to continue.

Waverly pursed her lips and walked to the bedside, slowly crouching down.

She wanted to grasp her daughter's wrist, but she stopped herself upon seeing Bailey's cold gaze.

“I'm sorry. I was foolish for favoring my adopted daughter over you and hurting you deeply. I'm unworthy of being a mother.”

With that, she began to slap herself in the face repeatedly.

For a time, the large hospital room echoed with the sounds of slaps.

Zeke couldn't bear to watch and turned his head away.

Steven wanted to stop her but ultimately decided against it.

Bailey watched the aristocratic lady slapping herself with a heavy heart.

There was a time when she, too, yearned for her mother's affection, but this woman, who should have been her support, had ended up hurting her deeply.

How can I forgive her for hurting me so?

Since Bailey couldn't bring herself to forgive Waverly, she could only treat the latter with indifference.

“Mommy, she is our elder, after all. Isn't it wrong to let her slap herself in front of us?”

At that, Bailey hesitated for a moment.

Looking at her own daughter in her arms, Bailey said, “Stop hitting yourself. Some wounds can't be healed in a day or two.”

Those words gave Waverly hope.

Wounds would eventually heal with time, and perhaps one day, their mother-daughter relationship could be renewed.

The slapping stopped.

Waverly looked at her daughter with a face full of surprise and joy, but seeing the latter's still frigid demeanor, she turned to her husband. “Steven, did you see that? Our daughter spoke to me. She spoke to me!”

Steven placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, nodding solemnly. “Yes, she spoke to you. That means we still have a chance to heal her wounds and warm her heart.”

He then turned to Bailey and said, “I've decided to call a press conference to announce Zoey's expulsion from the Shurmer family and restore your position as the legitimate daughter of the Shurmer family. Bay, what do you say?”

Bailey coldly asked, “Are you merely expelling her from the Shurmer family? She has committed so many crimes that she should be punished severely by the law. Let me be clear. I want her in prison.”

“Ah...” Steven seemed somewhat troubled.

He had made a promise to Sofie to let go of Zoey.

If he failed to keep his word, the madwoman would undoubtedly expose the identity of Bailey as the leader of the Saviors.

He was no longer afraid of the Shurmer family being implicated, but rather, he was worried about his daughter being harmed.

The Saviors had made many enemies, and as its leader, Bailey had countless adversaries. If her true identity were exposed, she would never know peace.

His daughter had suffered for so many years, and now that she had finally found some semblance of peace, how could he stand idly by and watch her fall into danger again, living a life in fear and apprehension?

“Bay, can you spare her life? I've already expelled her from the Shurmer family,” Steven implored.

Bailey laughed softly, her face tight with tension and her eyes cold.

“If you care for her so much, why expel her from the family? Keep her. I don't care for the identity of the Shurmer family's legitimate daughter. Let her have it.”

“Bay...” Steven decided to bite his tongue in the end.

He wanted to tell his daughter about Sofie's threats, but upon remembering her warning, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

“You needn't worry about my feelings. You never truly regarded me as your daughter anyway. You may spare her, but I won't.”

Steven wanted to say more, but Zeke stopped him.

Steven wanted to say more, but Zeke stopped him.

“Bay seems weak. Let's save any further discussion for later.”

Steven reluctantly agreed, swallowing his words upon catching his son's signal.

“All right, rest well. I'll hold a press conference this afternoon to announce the matter.”

Bailey didn't respond, completely disregarding the matter.

Their decision not to punish Zoey only confirmed Bailey's surmise that they valued their adopted daughter more than their own flesh and blood.

She had no choice but to accept this cruel fact.

After their parents left, Zeke furrowed his brows, saying, “I can't help but feel they're keeping something from me. Since they've decided to expel Zoey from the family, there's no reason to refuse to send her to the police.”

Bailey dismissed his concerns. “It doesn't concern me. I no longer wish to be the legitimate daughter of the Shurmer family. I just want to be Artemis' wife. If you truly care for me, help me win him back. He seems to not want me anymore.”

Zeke couldn't help but laugh. “You're overthinking it. He values you more than his own life.”

“But he didn't come in to see me. He hung up on me, and he left without looking back. I'm so pitiful and fragile, and he won't even come in to comfort me. All I want now is a shoulder to lean on.”

Zeke shook his head. Seeing her tearful eyes, he offered, “You can lean on me.”

“No, I want Artemis. Help me win him back.”

“When I came in earlier, I heard Susan's suggestion. It seems good. Why not give it a try? I reckon if you get too close to Raiden, your man won't be able to sit still.”

Bailey was rendered speechless.

“By the way, the Hoffman family has sent Philip to Hallsbay to personally apologize to the Shurmer family for Juliana's miscarriage,” Zeke added.

Bailey narrowed her eyes slightly, a flicker of doubt passing through her gaze.

As far as she knew, Philip was an old fox, single-mindedly desiring to become the Hoffman family's head.

Will he risk coming to Hallsbay to apologize to Zeke? Isn't he afraid that Zeke would kill him?

“His motive for coming to Hallsbay must be more than just that. When he arrives, have some people keep an eye on him.”

“All right.”

At a certain farmhouse, Sofie leaned against a fence in the outskirts as she answered her phone.

“When will you arrive in Hallsbay? It's dangerous here, so you must hurry and get me out of here!”