Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Shirley nearly lost her footing in shock. She whirled around to face Melinda, her eyes blazing with fury. “Melinda, how dare you lie to me!” she barked.
Melinda’s eyes welled up with tears as she hurried to defend herself. “I never intended to lie to you. It’s all Leila’s doing. Everything was about to be resolved. If she hadn’t sought justice for the Hayes family, none of this would have happened. Furthermore, I was on the verge of firing my incompetent cousin. This mess is truly Leila’s doing.”
Even at this point, Melinda continued to blame Leila.
“What you’re saying makes no sense,” Landon scoffed. “Following that logic, I’m to blame as well, since I informed Dean about your cousin’s misdeeds. Should I now kneel and accept punishment?”
“No! I mean… That’s not what I mean!” Melinda stammered, shaking her head vigorously.
Shirley took a deep breath and gently grasped Landon’s hand, still attempting to justify her actions. “Landon, I did this for your benefit. I’ve noticed Leila’s been causing you distress, and I’m aware that you two are considering divorce. Moreover, Leila should have stayed out of it this time. If she had remained out of the fray, I wouldn’t have targeted her. She’s always been a troublemaker. Now, with things having escalated to this point, why not just end your marriage?”
Landon forcefully shook off Shirley’s hand, his expression icy. Despite Shirley being his mother, he did not soften his biting sarcasm. “Mom, are you really doing this for me, or is it just your ego at play? You’ve always felt that my marriage to Leila was a blow to your prestige.
You’ve never liked her, and now, you seize this opportunity to lash out at her. You had her attacked like this, not realizing that’s illegal? There were other ways to handle this, but you had to use my name to soothe your conscience. Did you ever stop to consider how I’d feel? Did you even think about me at all?”
Caught off guard by Landon’s confrontation, Shirley found herself speechless, her eyes wide with a deeply hurt expression. “What are you implying, you ungrateful child? Is it wrong for me to look out for you? Fine. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered worrying over you or caring for you at all! Would that make you happy?”
Expecting him to console her, Shirley was met instead with Landon’s cold dismissal as he carefully picked Leila up from the floor.
While carrying Leila in his arms, Landon didn’t spare his mother another glance.
His voice was frosty as he spoke before leaving. “I’d be much better off if you just left me alone.”
Shirley’s gaze followed him as he walked away, and a flush of anger colored her cheeks.
With a swift motion, Shirley turned and hurled the vase from the table to the floor in a fit of rage.
Melinda, the one who had stirred the pot, was taken aback by the turn of events.
As Melinda caught sight of Shirley’s seething expression, she approached cautiously, trying to offer some solace. “Don’t hold it against Landon. It’s probably Leila, filling his ears with nonsense about you. That’s got to be why he’s acting this way.
Remember, you’re his mom. He truly cares for you.”
A wave of sadness washed over Shirley. “The way he looked at me… it’s as if he doesn’t want me in his life at all anymore,” she murmured.
A flicker of cunning sparked in Melinda’s eyes. “Honestly, he was out of line today. You’ve always wanted what’s best for him, yet he can’t see that and treats you this way! If Dean had been in his place, he certainly wouldn’t have treated you like this.”
Shirley paused, her tears subsiding as she regarded Melinda with a puzzled look. “Isn’t Dean on the brink of divorcing you? And yet you still defend him?”
Melinda managed a sheepish grin. “Dean and I are tangled up in some misunderstandings, but we’re still together. I’m not ready to walk away from him. I need your support. Think about your granddaughter. She’s still so young. What would become of her if I left?”
Shirley rubbed her temples, her voice cold and threatening. “I’ll help you this time, but if you get Dean into trouble again, you can’t blame me for what comes next.”
Melinda quickly nodded, her expression one of complete submission. “I promise I’ll heed your advice.”
Shirley exhaled softly, her gaze shifting to the doorway, her eyes darkening. “You know, you’re right. Dean would never treat me this way. Landon may be my brightest child, but his sharpness makes him difficult to manage. He has never been as compliant as Dean, even since he was a boy.”
Melinda sensed her words had struck a chord with Shirley. A subtle smile of triumph played on her lips.
Meanwhile, Leila was reeling from pain and dizzy. Landon, without gentleness, shoved her into the car.
Leila’s pain intensified, draining the color from her face as she began to shake.
Edgar noticed Leila’s dire state and was about to intervene, but he hesitated when he caught sight of Landon’s icy glare.
“Leila, even if they had beaten you to death today, you wouldn’t have turned to me for help, would you?” Landon’s voice was tense, his dark eyes alight with a fierce anger he couldn’t suppress.
Landon snatched Leila’s phone and pressed the power button forcefully three times. Just then, his phone began to ring.
Landon had set up a special emergency contact feature on Leila’s phone, knowing she might face trouble and be unable to speak. He had designated himself as her emergency contact.
Leila avoided Landon’s gaze, unable to formulate a response.
She never intended to reach out to him, not even to seek his assistance. Considering their impending divorce, what was the point in disturbing him once more?
“You don’t want to talk to me, huh?” Landon’s irritation flared as Leila deliberately turned away.
Landon leaned forward abruptly, seizing her chin with a forceful grip.
Overwhelmed by pain, Leila barely clung to consciousness. She weakly attempted to push his hand away but lacked the strength. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, landing on Landon’s hand with warmth.
The sight of Leila sobbing so intensely momentarily softened Landon’s stern expression.
Leila parted her lips, attempting to speak, but only managed to produce faint whimpers along with muffled words.
Landon was taken aback and leaned in closer.
Leila clasped his hand, her voice cracking as she whispered, “Landon… Landon.”
Rooted to the spot for a moment, Landon then swept Leila into his arms, slammed the car door, and commanded Edgar, “Drive to the hospital, now!”
When Leila came to the Kensington family as a child, she had called Landon in that tone.
Initially, Landon felt little warmth toward Leila, who had unexpectedly entered his life.
However, as time passed, he recognized his initial judgment had been mistaken.
Landon, always lousy at communication and explaining his thoughts, only stepped in to defend Leila when she was bullied, a way he deemed as making amends.
In gratitude, Leila struggled to articulate “Landon” despite her impaired vocal cords.
Landon, concerned for her well-being, had lashed out, though his words were harsh, “You don’t have to strain yourself to make me happy. Do you realize how harsh your voice sounds?”
Leila, stung by his words, turned away, and Landon caught a glimpse of the tears streaking down her face.
At that time, Landon almost ran after her to apologize, but something held him back. Perhaps, he reasoned, it was better if Leila kept her distance from someone like him.
From that day forward, Landon never heard Leila call him “Landon” in that tone again. Instead, she observed him with wide, wary eyes, reminiscent of a scared deer.
Landon struggled to grasp Leila’s thoughts and concluded that she must be frightened of him.
Later on, Roderick decided to pass the leadership of the Kensington family to Landon.
This responsibility meant Landon would have even less free time. A person in such a high position could not afford to show any weakness.
At that time, Landon was still youthful and inexperienced, barely able to fend for himself, much less protect anyone else. Hidden enemies lurked, ready to pounce at the first sign of a slip-up, eager to bring him down.
During that period, Landon grew increasingly weary and detached, suspecting everyone of having hidden agendas. His bond with Leila only worsened.
Whenever Leila furrowed her brow, Landon couldn’t help but think she saw him as some kind of unpredictable monster.
Later, Linsey introduced Ethan into Leila’s life.
Landon, observing as a man, could see the feelings Ethan harbored for her. Linsey had noticed that as well. However, Leila, ever blind to such matters, remained in the dark.
The situation came to a head when Roderick presented Landon with two choices. Either Landon would marry Leila or vow to protect her as a brother for the rest of his life.
Landon chose to marry Leila. He couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go. Perhaps Leila was disappointed in him because of his decision. The bright, cheerful girl Leila once was seemed to disappear almost instantly, replaced by someone more cautious and visibly saddened.
Deep inside, Landon agonized over whether marrying him was such a terrible fate for Leila. He had harbored this question for a long time, yet he never mustered the courage to voice it.
Irritated and craving a cigarette, Landon glanced down at the sleeping Leila in his arms and restrained himself.
When Leila woke up, her entire body ached.