Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Casting a sweeping glance around the room, Leila signed resolutely, making it clear that she wouldn’t mind cooperating with an investigation if there was any doubt about the authenticity of this recording. She was ready to have the police scrutinize every piece of it.
Rachel was at a loss for words. She glanced at Sarah, the air thick with tension.
Sarah, overcome with shock and panic, stepped out from behind Rachel and delivered a stinging slap to Leila. “You lying bitch! None of this is real! Leila, you’ve really outdone yourself, haven’t you? How could you stoop so low?”
Leila staggered, nearly losing her footing from the impact.
Cradling her reddened cheek, Leila faced Sarah with resolute eyes and had her phone articulate her thoughts with the text-to-speech function. “Stoop low? I learned that from the best. If you hadn’t resorted to such tactics, I wouldn’t have either. This is your own doing. You have no one else to blame. If you don’t want secrets exposed, don’t create them.”
Sarah, quivering with fury, attempted to justify herself. “It wasn’t me! The video’s a fake! Leila must have paid someone to mimic my voice!”
Yet, Sarah’s voice faltered as she noticed Landon nearby.
Others might be in the dark, but Landon knew the truth.
Amidst the online backlash, Leila had become reclusive. She lacked the time and means to hire a voice impersonator.
Moreover, Landon already had proof that Sarah’s fall was an accident.
Yet, Sarah refused to give up. She had endured so much just to bring Leila down, and now this cunning Leila had managed to flip the script.
With the unmistakable proof of Leila’s innocence, Sarah’s subsequent words of defense fell on deaf ears.
A comparison between the recording and the video made it evident: Sarah had attempted to shove Leila but ended up losing her balance and falling.
Even with the truth revealed, Leila received no apologies.
To them, Leila was merely an insignificant mute, nothing without the backing of the Kensington family. And now, with her tense relationship with Landon, most assumed Landon sided with Sarah.
Someone attempted to lighten the mood with a grin. “Okay, let’s settle down. It was all just a big misunderstanding. Miss Miller probably just stumbled, and it looked like Mrs. Kensington pushed her down. Now that we’ve cleared that up, perhaps Miss Miller could apologize. It’s not the end of the world.”
Sarah, visibly upset, gestured to her forehead. “I’m the one who got hurt! I’m the real victim here, while she’s perfectly fine! Why on earth should I apologize?”
The mediator persisted, saying, “You’ve got a point, Miss Miller. You have indeed suffered enough. Let’s put this behind us now.”
Leila witnessed the unfolding events and could only sense the irony. Was she to be bullied simply because she was perceived as weak and vulnerable? When the details were murky, everyone was quick to point fingers at her, using the confusion as a pretext to vent their spite.
Now, with her innocence established, they were advising her to dismiss the ordeal and avoid causing a stir.
But Leila was not ready to yield.
Before Leila could respond, a distinct female voice intervened. “It’s easy for you to say. Imagine enduring what Leila has. She was tormented online, singled out in public, and judged constantly. Would you still manage to be so forgiving?”
Leila turned, startled. Rachel’s defense was unexpected.
Sarah was visibly taken aback and stamped her foot in frustration. “Rachel, what’s the meaning of this? Aren’t we friends? Has that little bitch deceived you as well?”
Rachel avoided Sarah’s gaze, her expression icy. “I stand with the truth. You claimed Leila was tormenting you, which led me to disrupt my own birthday celebration to support you. Yet, it turns out she was innocent, the victim here. If you despise her, I’ll join you, but you manipulated me against her. Do you truly consider me a friend?”
Sarah faltered, guilt shimmering in her eyes. She attempted a justification. “Rachel, you’re my friend. Remember the day I intervened? Without me, you would have been harassed. Have you forgotten that?”
Rachel paused, uncertain, but then firmed her stance. She took out two invitations. “You argue Leila used a counterfeit invitation to crash the event, but what about her husband? Why would he need to resort to such tactics? I entrusted all three invitations to you, not knowing you would change them into fakes and dispatch them to Leila and her husband. This was supposed to be a celebration, my celebration. A true friend wouldn’t have stirred chaos today.”
“But… You!” Sarah gasped, feeling the weight of the condemning glares surrounding her.
Ever since her disfigurement, Sarah had grown acutely sensitive. She had always carried herself with pride. Now, under the scrutinizing gazes of others, she found herself consumed by overthinking. Why were they staring at her like that? Were they ridiculing her? What reason did they have to mock her? She would never be at fault. The one at fault should be Leila.
As the whispers grew louder, Sarah’s complexion turned ashen, and she staggered, eventually collapsing onto the floor.
The crowd gasped in shock. Amidst the chaos, Rachel couldn’t just stand by and promptly called for help, urging someone to rush Sarah to the hospital.
Leila spotted Landon among those concerned onlookers by Sarah’s side and wasn’t surprised. She pondered whether he would hold a grudge against her for shaming Sarah in public, but she realized it no longer mattered. She had cleared her name and could finally move out from under the same roof as Landon.
Yet, there was something far more pressing she needed to address.
Leila sought out Rachel, greeting her with a soft, reassuring smile. She had chosen a gentle female voice to articulate her messages with the text-to-speech function. “Thank you, Rachel. I really didn’t expect you to speak up for me like that.”
At this, Rachel snapped out of her lingering distress and became somewhat awkward, realizing she had jumped to conclusions without bothering to learn the truth.
Rachel turned away slightly, stating, “I wasn’t really defending you, to be honest. I was just trying to be fair. Also, I realized I got the wrong idea about you today, and for that, I owe you an apology. But let’s be clear, that doesn’t mean we’re friends now.”
Undeterred, Leila’s smile only widened. After a brief pause, she typed thoughtfully, “I assure you, your mother’s clothes are safe with me. As someone who restores antiques for a living, I promise I can return them to you just as they were. Or, if you’d prefer, I can even refresh them with a new twist.”
Rachel’s demeanor softened, her eyes reflecting a mix of anticipation and nostalgia. She gently shook her head. “Actually, the condition of my mother’s clothes isn’t my concern. What matters is that they still carry the scent of my mom. As long as I look at them, I see her in them, just as she was.”
As Rachel’s words trailed off, tinged with sorrow, Leila felt a pang of empathy. She struggled to find the right words, wishing only to convey her understanding and support. After a brief pause, she finally finished choosing the right words. “Your mom must have been kind and wonderful, which clearly reflects in how nice you are.”
“Am I nice?” Rachel gave Leila a look of disbelief.
“You’re the first person who has ever said that. I guess Sarah was right about you being sweet-talking, even if it doesn’t come naturally to you. You don’t need to flatter me. I’m not easily deceived.”
Leila simply shook her head, her smile unwavering. She quickly typed down her reply. “No, I mean it sincerely. I think you’re an incredible person, and you’re dedicated to your friends. It’s not just me. Hayden mentioned the same thing.”
“Hayden?” A trace of anxiety crept into Rachel’s voice. “What else did he say?”
Leila’s brow furrowed as she recalled, “He also said you’re a talented kid, especially skilled at restoring antiques. It’s just a shame you lack focus, but if you can train yourself, you’d make an excellent apprentice for him.”
“Really?” Rachel’s eyes welled up with tears.
The Simpson family, scholars for generations, had never been wealthy. Instead, they had built a legacy of connections, respect, and moral integrity.
Rachel and her father shared a stubborn streak and an inability to yield, while her mother had been a remarkable woman.
Rachel had never met anyone as gentle as her mother, like a calming body of water. Tragically, Rachel’s mother died when Rachel was just a child, leaving her with only faint memories and a profound sense of loss.
As Rachel matured, she grew increasingly introverted, surrounding herself with only a handful of friends.
Although many appeared amiable at first, most secretly ridiculed her, branding her as pretentious and haughty. They even whispered that she had a quick temper. Consequently, Rachel developed a distaste for social gatherings and parties.
One evening, while walking home, Rachel was accosted by a group of thugs.
Fortunately, someone had called the police in time, and Sarah, who was nearby, came to Rachel’s aid.
This incident led Rachel to consider Sarah a friend. However, she belatedly realized her judgment was flawed.
Agreeing to this birthday party was yet another mistake Rachel had committed.
Rachel had always preferred intimate family gatherings, but Sarah had insisted so persistently that Rachel finally conceded.
Little did Rachel know she was merely a pawn in Sarah’s plans from beginning to end.
As Rachel’s eyes brimmed with tears, Leila’s heart raced, wondering if her words had struck a nerve.
Leila waved her hand before Rachel’s eyes, seeking her focus, and continued typing fervently. “I’ll be honest. I envy you. You must have been raised with such care and love. It’s probably why you trust people so easily, even if it means getting hurt. But my life’s been different. I’ve had no parents, no real family of my own. The Kensington family took me in, and I was fortunate for that. As a child, Roderick was my protector, and as I grew, Landon stood by me. Yet, despite this, I know I’ll never truly be a part of their family, and one day I’ll have to leave.”
Rachel dabbed at her tears and gazed at Leila, her eyes filled with empathy. “There are so many rumors swirling around. Landon is your husband, but rumors say he’s entangled with Sarah. I mistakenly thought you were the one causing trouble between them.”
Leila averted her gaze, her eyes clouding with sorrow. “It’s alright. I don’t hold any grudges. The Kensington family has shown me kindness, something I’ll carry with me forever.”
Rachel, still young and intuitive, felt a deeper turmoil beneath the surface. “Only kindness?” she probed gently.
Meanwhile, Landon, having settled matters with Sarah, rushed back and spotted Rachel and Leila in conversation.
From afar, Landon mistook the scene, thinking Rachel was harassing Leila, and hastened his steps toward them.