Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Sarah was determined not to be bested by a woman like Leila.
“Shut up!” Sarah yelled, having long lost her cool.
Brent inhaled sharply before announcing, “I was willing to let you maintain some dignity, but that’s no longer an option. We’re calling the police. You’re clearly involved.”
“Stop spouting lies!” Sarah snapped, her voice tinged with panic.
Sarah had hoped that someone would come to her defense. But as she scanned the room, only silence greeted her. Those who had previously hesitated to confront her now viewed her with contempt.
Sarah’s overt obsession with Landon had caused her to neglect her old friends. Now, as she looked into their faces, all she saw were their hostile eyes.
Sarah suddenly felt like the loneliest person on Earth. A sense of being utterly lost began to creep over her. Was all this turmoil really worth it, all for making things difficult for Leila?
“What’s going on here?” Landon, having just ended his conversation with Jerome, nudged Jerome over as they approached.
At that moment, Brent, who had just finished his report to the police, replied without even looking up, his tone icy. “You might want to ask Sarah what she’s been up to. She just lost it and attacked Leila. And the worst part? She kept aiming for Leila’s belly. She must have known that Leila is pregnant. Landon, do you really want to defend someone that cruel?”
With Sarah looking both guilty and lost, Landon could see Brent wasn’t exaggerating.
Yet, Landon’s concern honed in on Sarah’s deliberate targeting of Leila’s belly. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes. Who had told Sarah about Leila’s pregnancy?
Perhaps Sarah thought the child was his. Or had someone intentionally misled Sarah?
Pondering this, Landon’s gaze shifted back to Jerome.
Jerome understood Landon’s meaningful look and coughed in Brent’s direction. “Tell the police to leave. Let them know nothing is happening here. We will take our leave.”
Brent grew visibly anxious. “Grandpa, Leila’s hurt like this. Aren’t we going to do something?”
Jerome looked at Leila with a mix of guilt and concern. “It’s not that we do nothing. It’s just not the right time. We will talk about it when we get back.”
Leila smiled reassuringly at Jerome, signaling her understanding and trust in his judgment. Jerome was no fool. It seemed Landon had presented something advantageous to the Hayes family, something Jerome couldn’t easily refuse, or perhaps Landon had uncovered something that could potentially threaten Brent.
Involving the Hayes family in her own troubles already filled Leila with regret.
Leila gently pulled at Brent’s sleeve, trying to calm his anger. She gestured that Jerome must have his own reasons and considerations, and expressed her desire to leave as the day’s events had really exhausted her. Expressing her gratitude for their standing up for her, she suggested Brent take Jerome for a checkup since Jerome seemed unwell.
Brent, silent in the face of Leila’s persistence, chose not to say anything further.
Before leaving, Brent shot a disapproving glance at Sarah. Leaning close to Leila, he whispered, “Sarah’s plans have backfired twice now. She is desperate and might try to do something to you again. Please be extra careful.”
Leila gave a faint smile. She appreciated his concern for her well-being.
As the Hayes family departed with Leila, Landon’s eyes followed them intently.
Beside Landon, Sarah was still fuming. “Landon, why did you let Leila go so easily? Look at what she did to me.” Sarah pointed at the faint red marks on her wrist, her voice thick with frustration.
Landon finally glanced at her, his patience wearing thin. “You have caused all this trouble. I managed to convince them not to hold you accountable. What more do you want?”
Sarah was stunned for a moment, and then tears welled up in her eyes, her expression full of hurt. “I’ve already said this has nothing to do with me. It was Leila who offended Boris, not me. Others are spreading rumors at my banquet. What am I supposed to do?”
Landon’s expression twisted into a sneer as he exposed Sarah’s lies. “Oh, it has nothing to do with you? Spare me your lies. I know you’ve been in constant touch with Boris lately. I would prefer not to intervene as long as you two kept things under control. Even at this point, you still lied to me?”
Sarah’s expression faltered, realizing her lies couldn’t hold up under Landon’s scrutiny. But that didn’t faze her. She felt she had nothing to worry about. Landon’s intervention seemingly suggested his reluctance to see her punished by the Hayes family for her own actions.
Confident in Landon’s apparent feelings for her, Sarah decided to slander Leila, saying, “It’s all Leila’s fault. She used her pregnancy as an excuse to stick by your side. When you weren’t around, she insulted me and even accused me of interfering in your relationship. I was furious, so I teamed up with Boris. I didn’t know Boris would manipulate things to frame Leila and Jerome like this. I only agreed to involve him.”
Landon chose not to expose Sarah’s lame lies. Instead, he fixed her with a sharp gaze. “Who told you about Leila’s pregnancy? I specifically told everyone in the household not to tell you. How did this information get leaked to you?”
A shiver ran down Sarah’s spine as she realized her slip-up.
She hastily fumbled for an excuse. “I could tell from the way Leila looked that she was pregnant.”
Although Landon’s face remained unchanged, his gaze turned cold. “You have let me down. I’ve treated you well with complete trust, and yet you conspired with others to deceive me.”
Suddenly, Landon seized Sarah’s wrist. “You are still lying to me even now. What are you planning to do next? Take my life?”
Sarah was startled by Landon’s sudden outburst, her heart racing with fear and distress. Landon was right-he had always been so good to her, yet she couldn’t shake off the haunting sense of insecurity, leading her to conspire with others and deceive him.
Sarah pondered the situation. Telling Landon the truth about who had told her about Leila’s pregnancy wouldn’t harm her anyway. Plus, Melinda was insignificant. Angering Landon just to cover up for Melinda was certainly not worthwhile.
Taking a deep breath, Sarah finally told the truth. “It was Melinda who told me. That day, when you took Leila out somewhere, I coincidentally ran into Melinda. Melinda mentioned that you kept Leila close because she was pregnant. I naturally assumed it was your child. Landon, I know you care for me, but knowing Leila is carrying your child makes me feel insecure. She could use the child to win you back in the future. What could I do then?”
The second half of Sarah’s speech was lost on Landon as he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and lightheadedness wash over him, accompanied by a familiar headache.
Landon struggled to maintain his balance as he looked around, noticing the world seemed to warp and distort before his eyes. Having known Sarah’s schemes all along, her current concerned expression disgusted and unsettled him.
Ignoring her, Landon pushed Sarah away and stumbled through the bustling crowd. His mind was focused on finding Leila.
But Landon was the one who had pushed Leila away earlier. How could she possibly appear again?
At this point, Leila had already settled into the car, sitting beside Jerome.
As the engine hummed to life, the distant wail of an ambulance drifted in through the window.
Leila frowned, her gaze drifting toward the sound.
Just then, Jerome let out a soft sigh and said, “You have always kept things to yourself. I know about your situation with Landon.”
Leila’s surprise was evident as she turned to look at Jerome. She gestured to ask whether it was Landon who told him about this.
Jerome didn’t respond directly but continued gently, “I also know that Brent was ready to step in, thinking he could help you get revenge by pushing for a divorce. I stopped him. Leila, please understand. I’m not heartless. This is a matter between you and your husband. Brent, as an outsider, shouldn’t be meddling.”
Leila nodded understandingly.
When Leila first heard Irene’s plan, she felt it was inappropriate. She subtly and directly expressed her rejection of Brent’s help.
However, at that time, Brent harbored strong animosity toward Landon and was adamant about proceeding with the plan.
Leila felt continuing to refuse might embarrass Brent, so she gave up expressing her reservations.
Seeing Leila in such a vulnerable state made Jerome’s guilt intensify. “Don’t fret. I owe Roderick my life, and Roderick owes you his. This is our debt to repay. The Hayes family will always stand by you. As long as I’m breathing, I won’t let anyone harm you.”
Leila’s eyes filled with tears, deeply moved by his words. She gestured that she really appreciated Jerome’s kindness toward her and hoped he could take good care of himself, enjoying a merry life in stable condition.
Jerome smiled warmly. “Don’t worry. I’m still in good health. I had sensed something was amiss with my daughter, so I took precautions. The medication she tried on me didn’t affect me. The doctor assures me I will recover after some rest.”
Leila felt a wave of relief wash over her upon hearing this.
Elsewhere, in a panic, Sarah quickly arranged for someone to take Landon to the hospital. When she turned around, she saw several men in suits.
The reason for Landon’s sudden fainting hit Sarah immediately.
When no one was paying attention, Sarah made her way to the room on the top floor of the hotel.
Sarah burst into the room, tossing her bag angrily onto the floor. “You promised those drugs wouldn’t harm Landon!”
Behind the screen, a tall man loomed, idly smoking by the window.
At the sound of Sarah’s inquiries, the man turned slowly, a chill smile playing on his lips. “Miss Miller, are you really starting with questions for me? Well, I have one for you. Answer me. Why did today’s plan not unfold as we arranged? More importantly, you failed. Can you explain that?”
Sarah’s spirits plummeted, her eyes clouding with guilt, her confidence slipping away. “My plan today was much like yours. It’s just that luck was on Leila’s side. How could I know that old man from the Hayes family had been pretending to be sick all the while? It’s not my fault. Who could have anticipated that?”
“Crack!” A sharp noise echoed as the man violently slammed a cup onto the floor, shattering it.