Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Leila’s face went pale. She hadn’t anticipated that Sarah would be so bold. The scene quickly descended into chaos.
Despite having brought plenty of bodyguards, Leila found herself overwhelmed by the sheer number of these people.
Soon, someone seized the opportunity to approach Leila and grabbed her by the hair, aiming to drag her to the floor.
Leila struggled to free herself from the attacker’s grip and ended up on the floor. Though her injured legs made movement difficult, her self-defense training allowed her to dismantle several attackers despite the disadvantage.
The situation was spiraling out of control. To ensure guests’ privacy, there were no security cameras in the No. 1 private room.
The crowd acted out for different reasons. Having been fooled by Sarah’s account, some were convinced Leila was a mistress and acted out impulsively. Some simply loathed mistresses, discarding the need to figure out the truth. Some just saw this as a chance to express their own malice.
What incited them most was Sarah’s claim that both the Miller and Payne families would remember their favors if they acted out against Leila. The crowd felt emboldened, believing they had nothing to fear.
Liza managed to break free and threw herself on top of Leila, taking several blows on Leila’s behalf. Trembling with pain, Liza said, “Leila, hurry up and leave. My phone was snatched away, and I can’t call the police.”
Despite her fury, Leila’s face remained cold, and she could only sit awkwardly in her wheelchair. With Liza’s help, they finally reached the door.
Suddenly, a shout rang out, “That mistress is trying to leave!” The crowd shifted their focus and surged toward the door.
Sarah flashed a malicious smile and snapped, “Let’s tear off that shameless woman’s clothes and make her infamous! Let’s see if she dares to act like a mistress in the future.”
Her words instantly gained the onlookers’ support. They eyed Leila with predatory intent. Human nature was easily swayed by such a display.
Leila’s hands and feet turned icy. Realizing she couldn’t escape, she attempted to push Liza away. “Hurry and call the police when you get outside. Leave me behind. My leg is injured, and I can’t run. It’s better if you call for help rather than dragging me along.”
As Leila spoke, someone grabbed her hand, and others rushed to seize her remaining arm.
Liza, eyes wide with fear and anger, finally managed to flee. Leila was right. She couldn’t run away with Leila in this chaos.
Despite Leila’s efforts to struggle, all she could do was watch as a pair of rough hands grabbed her collar. Just as her collar was about to be torn, someone suddenly charged in and delivered a powerful kick. “Stop!” he shouted.
The crowd fell silent immediately.
Leila remained in shock, tears streaming down her face. Errol’s furious gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Sarah, who was hiding behind them.
Sarah’s face turned pale upon seeing Errol arrive with his men. She bit her lip and stepped forward with a feigned look of distress.
“Errol, tell me. Did this woman seduce you first? What’s special about her? She’s a liar and a mistress. She has a history of seducing engaged men or even married men. Don’t be deceived by her.”
Errol took a deep breath and asked, “Did you gather all these people?”
Sarah replied with reluctance, “Not exactly. People just got curious over her shameless actions. Putting her in her place is justified.”
The butler chimed in, eager to impress Sarah and Errol. “Mr. Payne, this is for you and your fianc?e. It’s best to avoid anything going wrong at this juncture, given your upcoming wedding. That shameless woman’s actions have caused your fianc?e distress and even some weight loss. She’s been crying every night over this.”
Sarah nodded, putting on a distressed look.
Leila composed herself and shot a cold glare at the hypocritical Sarah. “Errol, tell them who I am,” she said icily.
Errol clenched his fists, his anger directed at Sarah. “Leila is not a mistress. She has no inappropriate relationship with me. She is the owner of this auction house and my superior. I am the director of this auction house solely because she appointed me. Sarah, are you trying to get fired?”
Sarah’s eyes widened, and her voice rose with agitation. “What are you saying? You’re the eldest son of the Payne family. Why would you need a job from Leila? Leila isn’t favored in the Nixon family. How could she possibly run such a large auction house?”
Errol’s frown deepened, his patience wearing thin. “Whether Leila is favored or not has no bearing on her ability to manage an auction house. Sarah, Leila didn’t intend to hold you accountable for your actions at first. But you crossed a line. I won’t defend you.”
Sarah’s body shook with anger, but her tone remained defiant. “What do you mean? What can Leila possibly do to me? Someone like her isn’t capable of doing anything at all. Errol, you’re my fianc?. You can’t just leave me alone. You once said you must marry me and you can only marry me.”
Errol’s lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to retort, but he seemed to think better of it and closed his eyes, helpless and pained.
Leila noticed something was wrong. Did Sarah have something on Errol? But it didn’t matter now.
Those who had called for violence had fled when noting Errol’s arrival. The people Sarah had brought were now under the control of Errol’s men.
As Leila signaled, someone moved to restrain Sarah. “Errol is right. He can’t protect you this time. Sarah, I hold a grudge against you and will never forget what you’ve done to me. I didn’t expect you to come looking for me so eagerly. Do you think I won’t dare to retaliate?”
Sarah struggled, her eyes betraying a deep sense of unease. She continued shouting, trying to bolster her confidence, “Who do you think you are, Leila? I don’t believe you can actually rise above me. You’re just a piece of garbage. You always have been, and you still are.”
Liza hurried back, her face flushed with anger. “Leila, she’s so noisy!”
Leila responded coldly, “Then make sure she stays quiet forever. I find it noisy as well.”
Sarah’s legs went limp, and she nearly collapsed to the floor. The bodyguard dragged Sarah out. Her scolding echoed through the room long after she had left.
The private room fell silent. Leila touched the wounds on her body, her eyes dim with pain.
Errol knelt before Leila. His handsome face was etched with pain and guilt. “Leila, it’s my fault. It’s all my fault. You can scold me if you want. How could I have been so careless and unwittingly let you suffer so much? If I hadn’t arrived in time, I don’t know what might have happened. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Errol slapped himself in frustration, cursing as he did. “Errol…” Leila grabbed his hand, stopping him from harming himself.
Errol looked up, meeting her round eyes.
“I don’t blame you. As I said before, you could have enjoyed your life as the eldest son of the Payne family. I appreciate your dedication to this auction house. If it weren’t for you, this auction house wouldn’t have become the biggest in Avalon. You’ve managed it well, and I should be thankful.”
“But…” Leila shifted her tone, saying coldly, “I need to make something clear today. I don’t understand why you’re in love with Sarah. As you can see, there is an irreconcilable conflict between Sarah and me.
You must choose between her and the auction house. Of course, if you choose to leave the auction house, I will still provide you with an honorarium.”
Errol’s eyes quivered slightly, and his throat felt incredibly bitter. He already knew what choice to make, but he couldn’t bring himself to act.
Errol lowered his head awkwardly, avoiding Leila’s gaze. “I can’t break the engagement with Sarah. I’m sorry.”
Leila released her grip on Errol’s wrist. She wasn’t angry, just confused. What had happened between Sarah and Errol? Errol was not a fool. He must have investigated what kind of person Sarah was. Since he didn’t want to disclose any more, Leila decided not to probe.
“Please help me choose a new director. Errol, this won’t affect our friendship, but I need to warn you in advance.” Leila spoke coldly. “This time, I won’t let Sarah get away easily.”
Leila didn’t choose to go home, concerned her daughter might worry about her upon seeing her in this state. The car that escorted Sarah arrived first. Even at this point, Sarah was still cursing.
Liza, standing beside Leila, said angrily, “Such arrogance even now! Leila, do you need me to frighten her a bit?”
“Nah. Just stand by and watch the show unfold. I will have someone else handle Sarah,” Leila replied, smiling as she looked at an approaching car.
The approaching car slowly came to a halt, and Courtney stepped out with a pale face. As soon as she got out, her hands were restrained, and she was brought before Leila like a criminal.
“You… Leila!” Resentment flashed through Courtney’s eyes at the sight of Leila.
“It’s been a while.” Leila’s smile broadened. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to meet you again under such circumstances.”
“You scheming bitch! What did you do to Stan? Did you threaten him? I don’t believe he’d give up on me like this!” Courtney snapped.
Courtney’s reaction didn’t surprise Leila; she had prepared for this moment. The moment Courtney’s words hung in the air, she played the phone recording.
Courtney’s heart sank upon hearing Stan’s swift shift in stance in less than minutes, indicating he wasn’t troubled at all when deciding to surrender her to Leila.
Courtney first gave a self-mocking smile, and then the overwhelming disappointment and sorrow brought tears to her eyes. She muttered to herself, “Stan, how could you do this to me after five whole years of handling things for you? You know Leila hates my guts and will definitely torture me, yet you still sent me to her. How can you be so ruthless?”
Leila didn’t want to hear Courtney’s complaints, so she turned to Liza, “Lock Courtney and Sarah in the same room. They must be watched closely. Don’t grant them any chance to team up. Don’t feed them until the day after tomorrow.”
Liza frowned. “Leila, Sarah is such a vicious woman and even tried to assault you about…”
“Liza!” Leila interrupted, displeasure flashing in her eyes. “Sarah’s behavior is indeed shameful, but we can’t stoop to her level. There are many ways to punish her. We don’t need to use the lowest and most disgusting one.”
Liza nodded, guilt in her expression. “I see… I wasn’t thinking clearly just now.”
Leila rubbed her temples and said, “Anyway, I need to go back as soon as possible; we are expecting guests today. As for Sarah and Courtney, besides not giving them food or drinks, make sure they aren’t too comfortable.”