Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
While Leila was deep in thought, Sophie was blissfully unaware of the grown-ups’ concerns, joyfully engaging with other children by the sea, where they built sandcastles with great enthusiasm.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Sophie rushed over, clutching Leila’s hand with excitement sparkling in her eyes. “Look at my castle! Isn’t it beautiful? All the other kids think it’s awesome!”
Leila glanced up, genuinely surprised. Sophie had constructed a sandcastle remarkably similar to their villa in Burma. While not an exact replica, the resemblance was striking.
“You’re remarkable,” Leila praised Sophie, masking her astonishment as she stroked Sophie’s hair. “Do you remember what our house looks like?”
“Yes!” Sophie replied brightly. “When I was building, the image of our house just came to me.”
Leila couldn’t help feeling a swell of pride. She hadn’t expected Sophie to inherit her knack for craftsmanship.
“Do you enjoy making models?” Leila inquired.
Sophie frowned slightly and shook her head. “What do you like then?” Leila asked gently.
Again, Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry. Take your time. When you figure out what you like, just let me know. It’s fine even if you don’t,” Leila reassured Sophie, wanting her to feel no pressure. Sophie’s happiness was what mattered most.
Suddenly, their peaceful seaside ambiance was disrupted. Leila and Sophie turned to see the sandcastle Sophie had lovingly crafted crash into pieces. A chubby boy stood by the ruined castle, his chin lifted defiantly. “Don’t make ugly things like that. They’re annoying,” he declared.
Leila, taking Sophie’s hand, approached the boy calmly. “Did you destroy the sandcastle? Why would you do that to someone else’s hard work?” she questioned.
The boy replied with impatience, evidently underestimating Leila, “I didn’t like it, so I stomped on it. So what?”
Observing his rude demeanor, Leila felt no inclination to be polite anymore. With a deceptively sweet smile, she grabbed his collar. Despite Leila’s slight build, her grip was firm; her time studying abroad had included combat training.
The boy’s confidence waned as he struggled in vain. “Let go! Let me go!” he yelled.
No one intervened, having seen his actions clearly. Leila’s voice was icy. “When you learn some manners, I’ll let you go.”
The boy’s face flushed with frustration and imminent tears, but he ceased shouting. Leila set him down on the sand and nudged him. “Apologize to her.”
The boy glared up at Leila, his defiance still simmering. “Why?”
“It seems you need another lesson,” Leila remarked, her smile chilling.
He shrank back, his demeanor shifting. “I’m sorry,” he stammered.
Sophie responded curtly, “Why did you do it? Don’t ever behave so poorly again.”
The boy bowed his head, his arrogance dissipated, but then he suddenly smirked and shoved Sophie forcefully, causing her to fall onto the sandy beach. The boy, looking about six or seven, had surprisingly strong arms.
Sophie burst into tears from the pain. Leila’s heart ached for her daughter as she scooped her up immediately, checking her for injuries. The boy’s shove had left bruises.
On a harder surface, it could have been much worse. Anger and sympathy surged through Leila simultaneously.
Leila looked up, furious, and spotted the boy hiding behind a young woman. The woman looked to be in her early thirties; Leila couldn’t imagine her being the boy’s mother. The woman was pretty, with large, teary eyes that were captivating. Right now, she was staring straight at Leila, clearly unhappy.
Leila took a deep breath and walked over, Sophie still sobbing in her arms. Since the boy’s guardian was present, Leila wanted the boy to be disciplined. She had no intention of making a scene.
With a calm voice, Leila said to the woman, “Hi, I’m this little girl’s mom. Your son just destroyed my daughter’s sandcastle and pushed her down. He needs to apologize to my daughter, and you need to punish him. Despite his young age, he has acted like this. He’ll grow up to be a troublemaker if he keeps this up.”
The woman frowned. “I’m not his mother. I adopted him. Besides, Craig’s never been a bad kid. He’s not mischievous at all. I’m sure he had a reason for what he did.”
Leila smirked. So, this woman was one of those parents who indulged their kids and even justified their misdeeds? Leila’s tone turned icy.
“Plenty of people saw what happened. I’m not making this up. Look at the bruises on my daughter. Imagine if she’d fallen on something harder. If you’re not going to make him apologize and punish him, then don’t blame me if I take matters into my own hands and teach him a lesson myself!”
Leila’s bodyguards were positioned nearby. Sensing the tension escalating, they inched closer, forming a tight circle around the woman and Leila.
The woman’s face drained of color. Her voice rose sharply. “What’s the meaning of this? Are you trying to intimidate us with your numbers?”
Leila’s smile was icy. “You’re damn right,” she said, her voice hard. “I tried talking sense, but you wouldn’t listen. Now, we’re doing things my way.”
Fear washed over the woman and the boy. The boy’s face crumpled, and he began to sob uncontrollably. The woman’s jaw clenched, defiance still in her eyes.
“Before I took him in, he was living on the streets. He hasn’t lived comfortably with me for long. Yet, here he is, inadvertently crossing your precious daughter. I figure I have to yield. You wealthy individuals always have things your way and bully others without facing any consequences.”
Saying this, the woman shoved the boy forward. “Go on and apologize to her.”
The boy shook his head violently, his eyes wide with terror. “No! They’ll kill me! This girl said she’d throw me into the ocean to feed the sharks! That’s why I pushed her!”
The woman and the boy, in perfect unison, shifted all the blame onto Leila and Sophie.
“Mommy, I didn’t say that at all! I didn’t!” Sophie protested, her voice bright and angry. Leila wrapped her arms around Sophie, offering comfort and reassurance. “I was right with you just now. I heard everything. You didn’t say that at all. He’s making it up.”
It was hard to believe a kid that young could lie so blatantly. Just then, someone in the crowd recognized the woman. “Hey, isn’t that Jenny Patterson, the philanthropist?” someone said. “Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding here.”
“It is her! There’s no way she’d do something like that; she’s done so much good and taken in all these homeless kids.”
“I think you should just let it go. Don’t be so harsh on them.”
Leila was taken aback. She hadn’t expected the woman to be a philanthropist. Jenny looked young and well-off, but Leila had never heard of the Pattersons. They didn’t seem to be one of the big, influential families. A few nosy people even started snapping photos with their phones.
Sophie clung to Leila’s neck, terrified by the commotion. “Mommy, let’s go home,” Sophie whimpered. “I’m scared.”
Leila patted Sophie’s back reassuringly. “It’s okay, honey. Mommy’s got this.”
The recognition from the crowd seemed to inflate Jenny’s ego. She lifted her chin slightly, a smug look on her face. She looked down her nose at Leila. “I know you rich folks think you can bully anyone you want,” Jenny said haughtily. “I’m willing to let this go if you apologize to Craig. Then we can forget this ever happened.”
Leila’s anger flared even hotter. Taking a deep breath, she set Sophie down and pointed at the ruined sandcastle. “My daughter was playing happily over there just a minute ago. There was no issue between her and Craig. He just walked over and stomped all over her sandcastle for no reason. Plenty of people saw it. I didn’t slander him. So, what do you think we should do about this?”
Leila’s voice was firm, each word laced with controlled fury. Jenny’s face flushed with embarrassment. She looked down at Craig, silently urging him to explain himself.
Craig rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. He quickly concocted an excuse. “Everyone’s supposed to build their own sandcastle for the competition. But that little girl got her mom to help her! That’s cheating! I wouldn’t stand for it, so I wrecked it,” he declared, his voice defiant. He said it with such conviction that it almost sounded believable.
“I built this one all by myself. My mommy’s is way better than this one,” Sophie piped up.
Jenny walked to inspect the demolished sandcastle. Then she turned back to Craig, a smile spreading across her face. She ruffled his hair affectionately. “Good job, sweetie. We can’t let people cheat. Imagine learning to cheat at such a young age! What will she be like when she grows up?”
Leila’s voice crackled with fury. “Miss Patterson, do you have proof that my daughter cheated? There were tons of people on the beach! Everyone saw Sophie build that sandcastle herself. There were other kids around!”
Jenny planted her hands on her hips, her voice dripping with indignation.
“What? Are you calling me a liar? Accusing me of slander? Everyone in Halstead knows I’m as honest as the day is long. I’d never accuse someone falsely. Folks, just look at this sandcastle. It’s a masterpiece! Her daughter’s barely out of diapers. There’s no way she could’ve built this on her own!”
The crowd gathered closer, murmuring in agreement. Some people remembered seeing Sophie working on the sandcastle, but now they weren’t so sure.
Maybe Leila had lent a hand when no one was looking. A few brave kids tried to speak up for Sophie, but their parents quickly shushed them. Nobody wanted to get on Jenny’s bad side.
With no one contradicting her, Jenny grew even more smug. She sneered at Leila. “Well? Any more excuses up your sleeve? Sure, it might’ve been a bit rough stomping on your daughter’s sandcastle, but he did it to teach her a lesson about lying. You don’t have to thank him, but threatening him or trying to throw him into the ocean? How could you be this mean?”
“Craig, what do you think we should do to them?” Jenny asked Craig.
Craig puffed out his chest, sounding just as snobby as Jenny. “They should kneel down and apologize to me. I’m a very forgiving person.”
Even though Craig was just a kid, anyone could see the meanness in his eyes.
Leila had initially thought Jenny was decent, given her reputation as a philanthropist who had adopted many children. Perhaps Jenny was merely defending Craig. But Leila soon revised her opinion. It seemed implausible that a woman of Jenny’s character could guide any child well.
Leila felt an unsettling notion-Jenny and Craig were pretty much the same, malicious to the core. Their fundamental values were twisted.
Leila regarded Jenny and Craig with an icy stare, unblinking.