Chapter 27 : What should I do?

In the school infirmary, a woman with a lab coat was sitting behind her desk. Her hand was busy tidying up documents, but her mind was wandering around.

Victoria was snapped out of her daze when she felt her phone vibrating in her lab coat pocket. She heaved a sigh as she dug out her phone. However, upon seeing the caller ID, a soft smile crept into her face.

She pressed the answer button eagerly. "Hello?"

"Hi. Are you busy right now?" The voice from the other side was warm and friendly.

"No. Just about to go home. The school is over, so I can leave for our appointment right now."

"About that…" The other person's voice sounded guilty. "I am afraid we have to postpone our dinner to another time. I am very sorry, Victoria. Something came up at the office and it needed to be handled by me personally. I don't think I can make it today."

Victoria's smile faded as the light on her eyes dimmed. But in the next moment, she was smiling as she answered in a light voice. "Is that so? Then it can't be helped. Is it about that new project of yours?"

"Yes. I heard there is some ambiguity in the agreement and the investors demanded me to explain it myself."

"You should have just left those tasks to the manager. With your position, there is no need for you to come yourself." Victoria pouted sulkily.

She could hear the other person's laugh heartily. The laugh seemed to have infected Victoria since she could not help but laugh as well.

"You are right, but I put a lot of effort into this project. I prefer not letting another person handle it if I can help it myself."

"I get it, I get it. It's a big and meaningful project and blah blah. It's just you are putting too much burden on yourself sometimes. You have to learn to depend on another person or your body won't be able to handle it."

"You sounded like a legitimate doctor for once."

"What do you mean 'for once'?! I was and always am a legitimate doctor, alright?" Victoria feigned an angry voice, making the person on the other side laugh once again.

"Hahaha. Sorry, I am just teasing you. Don't worry, I know my limits well. Besides, what's there to be worried about when I get a legitimate doctor as my best friend?"

Victoria put on a helpless expression. "Don't come crying to me if anything happens to you later. You only remember having a best friend when it suits your needs."

"Are you sulking? Come on, don't be angry! The next dinner is on me! Promise!"

"Hmph. I can't sense your sincerity."

"Then how about I bring you that wine you like so much? Coincidentally, the winery sent me a bottle a week ago."

Victoria beamed instantly. "Make it two bottles and I'll call it even!"

"Now you are robbing me in broad daylight," The other person groaned jokingly. "Haha. I am glad you are easy to please like always. I'll bring them later."

"Score! Today is my lucky day!!" Victoria clenched her fist as she shrieked cheerfully. However, a moment later, her expression turned gloomy. "No, it's still not such a lucky day, after all."

"Hmm? What's wrong? You sounded pretty down. Did something happen?"

Victoria heaved a sigh as she remembered her encounter with Eirlys. She knew that being a teenager was complicated and a rough phase in life, but that girl had it particularly harsher than anyone. She only met her a few days ago, but she couldn't help but worry about her.

"Hey. This may sound abrupt, but have you ever imagined how your life would be if you have no one by your side?"

"Well, that was abrupt. Are we switching into a philosophical topic right now?" said the other person with a playful tone.

"Be serious! I am asking this not because I am bored!" said Victoria, a little bit upset.

"Haha. Sorry, sorry. Are you having that thought because of your work environment?"

Victoria gasped in astonishment. "How did you know? Are you spying on me?" She said while glancing around warily.

"You don't have to look around. I could tell that much about you since we had known each other long enough."

"You ARE spying on me! How do you know I was looking around just now?!"

"Anyway..." The person on the other side ignored her rambling and quickly moved on. "I can't say I ever have experienced or imagined myself being in that position. I always have my siblings with me, and I have you as well."

Victoria was silent as she drowned in her thoughts. She remembered her first meeting with Eirlys. She was panting and clutching her head as she walked shakily into the infirmary. Her face was very pale, and her expression looked painful and bitter as if she had just witnessed the most heart-breaking moment in her life.

Seeing a young girl making that face, somehow made Victoria's heart uneasy as she wondered what happened to her. After examining her body, she was shocked. Not only did she catch a high fever, but her limbs were also covered in bruises, and there was a dry wound on her forehead. There were also some old scars etched on her skin. Those scars appeared old, and they shouldn't have hurt anymore, but…

Victoria bit her lip. She could feel a burning feeling in her stomach, and her heart wrenched for that girl. Such a young and delicate girl… Who would do such a thing to her?

After Eirlys regained her consciousness, she talked to her for the first time. Victoria's first impression of her was not that favorable. She seemed mature but childish at the same time. Furthermore, she had these cold and numb eyes and kept being cynical about everything. Not cute at all.

At that time, Victoria just brushed it off as her not being in her right mind due to fever, but after witnessing a horrible sight of her desk, Victoria sensed that her behavior and attitude might be because of this.

Later, she found out about her origin from a teacher named Mrs. Gabrielle. She complained a lot about that child's behavior, but honestly, Victoria didn't pay attention to her rant and only responded perfunctorily. Half of it because she couldn't stand to hear those words coming from her mouth. She was a teacher, how could she say that about her student? Another half was because her mind was filled with the thought of Eirlys and how hurt she must feel to hear those words thrown to her face.

And it's not only Mrs. Gabrielle. Every teacher, every student, who stared at her weirdly for asking questions about Eirlys had this judging and indignant look in their eyes. Even an adult like Victoria was overwhelmed with it, let alone a young girl like Eirlys?

Then, she met her again in the counseling room, and she couldn't suppress her apprehension anymore. Eirlys explained that nothing happened with Mr. Gilbert, but she clearly saw the red marks on Eirlys's neck, and it took every bit of her willpower not to let her anger and anguish shown in her face. Compared to her, Eirlys's eyes were as calm as a lake. Victoria didn't know whether she should have been relieved or upset at her lack of response.

When Victoria asked her about her parents, she had the same expression on her face. She was calm and indifferent about it. There wasn't a single ripple in her eyes, as if nothing could ever disturb her. It proved that Eirlys was not your average teenager, but somehow Victoria couldn't bring herself to be glad about it.

Doesn't that mean she used to be treated like that as well?

Faced with those kinds of treatments every day, how could a person bear it? How could Eirlys act as nothing happened? If it was her… she might have gone crazy by now.

"Victoria? Are you still there?"

Once again, Victoria snapped out of her thoughts. There was a heavy feeling on her chest ever since she found out about Eirlys's past, and she didn't know how to clear it away. This sense of helplessness was suffocating.

"Yes. I'm here." Victoria replied weakly, still overwhelmed by her thoughts.

"Are you alright? Perhaps you are tired from working too hard? Mind your own advice and take better care of yourself, Miss Legitimate Doctor." said the other person worriedly.

Victoria didn't retort this time. She was drowned in various inexplicable feelings. In fact, she was seriously thinking about it up until the moment she got a call. What could she do to help her? From the look of things, Eirlys clearly discouraged her from doing anything, even warned Victoria to stay away from her. Victoria was distraught and had the sudden urge to vent it all out.

With a voice full of agony, she didn't hesitate as she asked, "Tell me, Alex. What should I do?"