Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
In the past five years, Shirley had resorted to physical punishment only once, a beating so severe that Leila had feared for her life. It had taken Leila over a month to heal from that ordeal, and now history seemed poised to repeat itself.
With a heavy heart, Leila bowed her head, resigned to her fate. Her inability to speak due to her damaged vocal cords, coupled with the lack of any child in the picture, meant she would never truly be embraced by the Kensington family. The cane was swiftly delivered to Shirley, who lifted it high, the cane cutting through the air with a menacing swish.
Leila tensed, bracing for the agony to follow. However, a cry rang out, and the cane clattered to the ground and snapped in two. Leila’s eyes flew open, and she was met with the sight of Landon in the hallway, his grip firm around Shirley’s arm.
“Why are you hitting her?” Landon demanded, his voice tinged with unmistakable anger.
“She was flirting with another guy right in front of me! I’m just teaching her a lesson!” Shirley retorted, her tone dripping with self-justification.
Leila felt her heart sink deeper. Landon’s trust in her had always been shaky, and now with Shirley’s groundless accusations, she was scared he might truly turn against her. But to her amazement, Landon said, “Brent was merely inquiring about her response regarding the offer. Don’t make false accusations against Leila.”
Leila looked up at Landon, wide-eyed with surprise. How did he know that? She hadn’t told Landon about the job offer from the Hayes family, but it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to find out. Moreover, Landon was aware that Brent had stopped by earlier just for a brief chat. Perhaps Gilbert had informed him.
As Leila remained lost in her thoughts, Landon’s gaze landed on her. “Aren’t you going to stand up?” he asked.
Snapping back to reality, Leila unsteadily rose to her feet, supporting herself on her knees. After kneeling for so long, her entire body felt stiff and numb, nearly causing her to stumble as she stood up. Landon quickly stepped forward to catch her.
“Stop pretending… You’ve never been this delicate when Landon wasn’t around!” Shirley scoffed from the sidelines, showing no remorse for punishing Leila.
“Has this happened before?” Landon asked Shirley, his gaze piercing.
Feeling cornered, Shirley instinctively took a step back. “If I don’t discipline her, how will she ever learn?”
Sensing Landon’s mounting disapproval, Shirley swiftly changed the subject. “You’re home early today. Why don’t you stay for dinner?”
Landon remained silent, his expression darkening. Leila leaned against Landon for support, gradually regaining her strength. Just as she was about to step away from him, he drew her in closer, embracing her tightly. “Can you walk? Or do you need me to carry you?” Landon inquired worriedly.
Leila shook her head quickly. She desperately wanted to keep the fact that Shirley had forced her to kneel in the hall a secret. She feared causing any strife between Landon and his mother. Thus, she had suffered in silence many times before, never once confiding in Landon. Landon’s sudden appearance this time had already set Shirley on edge, worrying Leila. If he were to carry her, what would his family think?
Despite her objections, Landon scooped her up in his arms without a second thought. He strode past the servants with a determined air, carrying Leila directly into the living room. All eyes were on them. Leila’s face flushed as she pressed it against Landon’s chest. She had never been this close to Landon right here before, and seeing this made Shirley’s face turn dark.
“Sit down and eat already. You aren’t kids. Stop the theatrics with all this carrying,” Shirley muttered under her breath, annoyance lacing her tone. “But she was ill here before, and I wasn’t here to care for her,” Landon countered, recalling a different concern. During that period, Landon was swamped with crucial projects, practically living in his office for weeks. It was only later that he learned of Leila’s illness during her stay here.
Shirley’s features tightened at his words, her gaze shifting to Leila with a veiled, threatening look. It wasn’t just any illness. It was when Leila had fallen pregnant, and Shirley had coerced her into an abortion. Landon remained oblivious to the truth.
“Ah, she wasn’t really sick back then. I made sure she received the best care,” Shirley remarked, her voice laced with a probing undertone as she observed Leila’s reaction intently. After a brief, tense silence, Leila nodded and managed a weak smile.
Leila chuckled bitterly at herself. What could she possibly say to Landon now? Shirley had explicitly forbidden her from having children with Landon and even expressed a desire for her to divorce Landon soon, claiming it was for Roderick’s sake. How could she reveal her past pregnancy and abortion?
“Really?” Landon’s face remained impassive, betraying no emotion, and he refrained from asking further questions. He simply took a seat.
The meal passed in quietness and without incident, perhaps eased somewhat since Shirley dared not make things difficult for Leila at the moment, given the recent topic. After they had eaten, Leila subtly signaled Landon with a few discreet hand gestures. This issue hadn’t even crossed her mind before returning to this place. She asked Landon whether she could fetch and repair the teapot that Roderick had broken before his demise.
Without hesitation, Landon nodded. “I’ll come with you to pick it up shortly.”
Leila felt a surge of relief and a touch of comfort wash over her. That teapot had been Roderick’s favorite. Unfortunately, he had accidentally broken it when his hands shook uncontrollably during his illness. At that time, Leila hadn’t considered repairing the teapot for him, but now, having resumed her antique restoration work, the teapot sprang to mind.
Roderick’s study was situated in a smaller structure behind the main house. Despite his long absence, his belongings remained untouched. Landon escorted Leila there but chose to stay outside. “I’ll wait here at the door.” Leila acknowledged with a nod and entered Roderick’s study. She recalled precisely where Roderick stored the teapot and swiftly located it.
Clutching the box that contained the teapot, Leila lingered instead of departing immediately. Gazing around the familiar room, she felt a prickling in her nose as tears began to cloud her vision. Memories of Roderick teaching her various lessons in this room flooded back. She reminisced about hiding under the desk to overhear his discussions with visitors.
This study was a cherished part of Leila’s childhood. The last lengthy discussion she had with Roderick before her marriage to Landon occurred right here. Back then, Roderick had said, “I’m not asking Landon to look after you, but for you to look after him. He’s stubborn, dislikes socializing, and keeps his thoughts to himself. You were the only one he ever opened up to when he was younger.”
At that time, Leila had responded with a resolute nod, assuring Roderick she would diligently care for Landon. However, as time passed, Leila realized that Landon’s openness with her stemmed not from a special bond, but because she was mute and unable to divulge his secrets. Following their marriage, both Landon and Shirley ostracized Leila, eroding her confidence in her capacity to care for Landon.
Roderick’s tasking her with taking care of Landon weighed heavily on Leila. She thought perhaps she should give it another shot and not rush into divorcing Landon. Leila herself wasn’t sure of her decision. She dried her tears and left the study, clutching the box.
Upon returning to the living room, Melinda approached Leila with a warm smile. “Did you go get Roderick’s stuff?” Indifferent to what they had taken, Melinda smiled at Leila. “Why not stay over tonight, Leila? We could hit the shops tomorrow. Stay in my room. We can chat into the night!”
Melinda and Shirley were usually aligned against Leila. This unexpected warmth from Melinda definitely raised suspicions. Leila hesitated to agree, but the situation was too awkward to outright decline, so she instinctively sought Landon’s intervention. That was when she remembered Landon probably wouldn’t bother with such matters.
Landon bluntly denied. “She’s going home with me tonight.” Leila was momentarily stunned, and Melinda appeared surprised as well. Perhaps Melinda hadn’t anticipated Landon, who normally disregarded Leila, to now stand up for her.
“That’s okay, then. Let’s plan to shop together tomorrow!” Melinda stepped back, offering Leila a reassuring smile. “I’ll come by to get you tomorrow!” Unable to refuse this time, Leila simply nodded.
Leila returned to the car with Landon. As they drove off, he turned to her. “You’re just mute, not incapacitated. You do have all your limbs, right?” Leila’s eyes widened as she stared at him.
“If my mom punishes you by making you kneel, why don’t you just run away? Why not fight back? How could you just submit to her like that? Was she holding you at gunpoint or threatening you with a knife? If you refused to kneel, would she really have the bodyguards force you?” Landon’s voice carried a tone of impatience and frustration as he bombarded her with questions.
Leila gazed at him, her expression one of sheer amazement, as if she had never known him. Landon was actually encouraging her to resist Shirley’s bullying!
Landon continued, “If something like this ever happens again, run and call me, understand?” Leila nodded vigorously, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Today felt surreal to her. Landon was being incredibly supportive.
Landon asked, “Has she ever treated you this way before? How many times has it happened? When? What exactly did she do to you?”
When Landon posed his questions, Leila was tempted to reveal everything to him. She remembered how she was kneeling, diligently scrubbing the mansion’s floor when Shirley passed by and “accidentally” stepped on her hand. That was just one of many instances.
Previously, Leila believed that her obedience might eventually win Shirley over. However, she soon realized Shirley targeted her specifically because of her submissive nature.
Rumor had it that when Melinda first joined the family, her fiery spirit had made her well-respected, and even Shirley was cautious around her. Unlike Melinda, who always avoided conflict, Leila became an easy target for Shirley’s torment.
Yet, Leila wondered what Landon could actually do if she shared her previous sufferings with him. Would he confront his own mother, Shirley, on her behalf? Realistically, she knew a mother-son bond wouldn’t break easily, certainly not over her.
After a moment’s consideration, Leila dismissed the idea, gesturing that it wasn’t that serious in an attempt to reassure him.
Landon eyed Leila skeptically but chose not to push the matter.
The following day, Landon stayed away from the office to visit a project site. He mentioned he’d be back by noon and told Leila there was no need to bring him lunch. This left Leila alone at home, waiting for Melinda’s arrival.
In the morning, a sleek Lincoln slowly pulled up to the villa’s gate. Emerging from the car were not only Melinda but Shirley as well. Displaying her usual arrogance as if the previous day’s events had never occurred, Shirley addressed Leila haughtily, “Come on, Leila. Let’s go shopping for some clothes. It’s a good opportunity for you to update your wardrobe, so you won’t embarrass the Kensington family.”
“Shirley, Leila is incredibly sensible. She knows her boundaries perfectly. Whatever you ask of her, she does without question. How could she possibly disobey you?” Melinda interjected, her voice echoing the same disdain.
This was their usual tactic, ganging up on Leila. Over time, Leila had grown accustomed to their strategy. She slung her bag over her shoulder and trailed behind them. However, once they arrived at the mall, Leila quickly became nothing more than a pack mule, burdened with all their shopping bags.
It became clear they had urged her along merely to handle the bags, given her inability to protest. She was expected to carry anything they tossed her way. As the bags piled up, they became increasingly burdensome. Leila’s knees, already aching from kneeling the day before, began to throb with renewed intensity.
Then, Landon’s words echoed in Leila’s mind. She was just mute, not incapacitated. She could stand up to Shirley’s and Melinda’s bullying!
When Shirley and Melinda nonchalantly walked into another upscale shop and dumped the bags at Leila’s feet once again, Leila reached her breaking point. With a resonant thud, Leila let the shopping bags drop to the floor, her expression one of serene defiance as she met Shirley’s gaze unflinchingly.
“You’re starting to resist, huh?” Shirley snapped, her finger jabbing in Leila’s direction. “Pick those up!”
But Leila turned a deaf ear and strode confidently out of the store. She could call Gilbert for a ride. There was no need to endure any more of their company.
“Stop right there! I’m talking to you!” Shirley likely hadn’t anticipated Leila putting up any resistance. It took her a few moments before she reached out to grab Leila by the arm. However, by then, Leila had already left the store. Shirley hurried after Leila, but just as she did, a woman in a flamboyant pink fluffy dress rushed out from the side and collided with her. The impact caused the woman’s juice to spill all over Shirley.
“Ah!” Suddenly, Shirley was left standing there, unable to pursue Leila any further. Her outfit was drenched, and the juice adorned her neckline, leaving her looking quite disheveled.
“What’s wrong with you? Can’t you watch where you’re going?” Without waiting for Shirley to speak, the woman immediately accused her.
“How dare you accuse me?” Shirley’s anger flared. “Are you blind?”
Melinda quickly came to Shirley’s side. “Do you realize how costly her outfit is? You better apologize right now!”
Leila, watching from a distance, found herself pausing to observe the unfolding drama. Now, the focus had shifted away from her. The woman in the pink dress stood her ground fiercely. Despite Shirley’s and Melinda’s argument, she dominated the confrontation.
“Do you know who I am? Are those eyes of yours just for show? If you’ve got cataracts, you should see a doctor soon. Since you can afford to shop here, surely you can afford the treatment, right? Or perhaps you’re just an old widow whose children have abandoned you? It’s reckless to let someone like you who can barely see wander about. And you, so malicious, you probably don’t even have kids!”
The woman in pink berated Shirley and swiftly turned her fury toward Melinda, striking deep and causing both of their faces to flush with anger.
Suddenly, another woman’s voice cut through the tension. “Cicely? Why are you out here?” The speaker was Sarah, clutching a stylish handbag. Today, however, she traded her usual glamorous attire for a conservative long dress.
Sarah eyed the woman in pink with surprise. “Cicely, what are you doing here?”