Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Catching Lacey’s approving nod, Leila rushed to Elma’s side, enveloping her in a tight embrace.
“Oh, Elma…” Leila sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t scare me like that again. Are you alright? You gave me such a fright.”
Elma’s condition had always been delicate, and Leila had dedicated her life to bettering Elma’s health. Yet, the growth-inhibiting drugs inflicted by Cara had left unseen scars, and the side effects would only manifest as Elma grew older. The future was uncertain, and the terrifying prospect of teetering on the edge of a precipice loomed large.
All Leila wanted was for Elma to live a normal, healthy life, but that dream seemed to slip further away with each passing day. The thought of Elma’s uncertain future sent a fresh wave of grief washing over Leila, and her sobs intensified.
Elma, weak as she was, reached up with her tiny hand to wipe away Leila’s tears. “Mommy, don’t cry,” she whispered, her voice small and frail. “I’m sorry for causing you worries. I feel better now. My chest hurt a little just now, but it’s gone now. Please don’t cry.”
Leila choked back her tears and turned to Lacey, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Lacey, I… I don’t know how to thank you,” she stammered, her voice thick with emotion.
Lacey’s arms were crossed tightly over her chest, and a sneer curled her lips as she listened to Leila’s heartfelt thanks. “You really know how to put on a good show,” Lacey spat, her voice dripping with venom. “All this performance of motherly love… It’s sickening. I have examined your daughter, and I know what you’ve done to her.”
“Just drop the affectionate act.”
Leila stared at Lacey, stunned. “Miss Payne, what are you talking about?”
Most of the guests had departed, but a few curious onlookers remained, their ears perked at the escalating confrontation.
Lacey’s voice rose, cutting through the tense silence. “Am I lying, Leila? Then explain why your daughter is much older than she looks. You’ve been drugging her, haven’t you? You did something to stunt her growth. If you truly loved Elma, you wouldn’t have done this to her. Those drugs make her organs fail, and she won’t live to see twenty.”
Lacey’s words hit Leila like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened in shock, not in anger, but in deep sorrow and despair. Was her precious Elma truly destined to die so young? The thought was unbearable.
Overwhelmed by grief, Leila couldn’t even muster a response to Lacey’s accusations. Lacey interpreted Leila’s silence as an admission of guilt. “If I hadn’t been a doctor and hadn’t figured it out, would you have just continued poisoning your own child?” Lacey sneered. “This little girl means nothing to me, yet even I feel sorry for her. What kind of monster hurts a child, let alone their own flesh and blood? You’re no better than the devil himself!”
Lacey’s cruel words echoed in Leila’s ears. Clutching Elma tightly, Leila sobbed, “Elma, what are we going to do?”
Elma squirmed in her mother’s arms, anxiety gripping her small heart. She longed to raise her voice and tell the world that Lacey was talking nonsense. The culprit behind all those drugs was that evil Cara, not Leila.
All these years, Leila had desperately tried to protect Elma from further harm, keeping the truth of Elma’s condition a closely guarded secret. Only her family and Clayton were privy to the truth. Not even Leila’s closest friends knew.
The onlookers gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief at Lacey’s shocking revelation. “Oh my god, could it be true?” one whispered.
“But Leila adores her children!”
“What a farce! People can put on a good act. I always suspected she wasn’t as sweet as she seemed.”
“But why would Leila do such a thing?”
“Haven’t you heard? Apparently, Elma isn’t Leila’s biological daughter. She’s Landon’s child with another woman. Leila only pretends to be a loving mother, but she’s actually mistreating Elma. And Elma, bless her heart, still thinks Leila is her real mom.”
“Someone should do something to help that poor child. I’d take her in myself if I could.”
Their words dripped with pity, but they held no genuine concern for Elma. They were simply relishing the fact that they had found dirt on Leila.
“That’s not true!” Sophie exclaimed, her voice filled with irritation. “Elma is my sister!”
Someone pulled Sophie aside, wearing a sympathetic expression.
“Sophie, honey, if Elma is really your sister, why was she given those drugs? If your mother didn’t do it, who did?”
Sophie felt a surge of anxiety, but she remembered Leila’s warning not to tell anyone about how Cara had mistreated Elma. She didn’t want to cause Elma any more pain.
“It wasn’t my mom, I swear,” Sophie stated, her voice shaky.
“Why are you trying to convince her otherwise?” someone else interjected, their voice sharp. “She’s fifteen years old. She knows what’s going on. Maybe she even helped her mother do it.”
Sophie’s eyes filled with tears, and she shouted, “Shut up!” Her outburst startled the gossiping bystanders, and they quickly fell silent.
Lacey didn’t waste any time. She grabbed her phone, ready to call the police. It didn’t matter whether Elma was Leila’s daughter or whether Leila had abused Elma. Once the police were involved, the media would have a field day with the story. By then, Leila wouldn’t be able to escape the scandal unless she could explain what had happened to Elma.
Lacey was convinced her suspicions were correct. In her eyes, Leila was a vicious woman. Since Leila had hurt her own husband for money, she was capable of anything.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Just as Lacey was about to dial the number, a young yet commanding voice stopped her. Calvin had arrived, flanked by a medical team and a group of bodyguards. The chaotic scene quickly calmed down.
Lacey was momentarily stunned when she saw Calvin’s face. He looked just like a miniature version of Landon. Despite being only eight years old, Calvin had an air of nobility about him. His delicate features and cold demeanor radiated an aura of authority, and his gaze held the same intensity as Landon’s.
Calvin calmly took charge, his gaze settling on Lacey with an icy intensity. “Miss Payne, while I appreciate your supposed concern for my sister, making baseless accusations without any evidence could have legal consequences.”
Lacey, jolted back to the present, scoffed at his thinly veiled threat. She lowered herself slightly to meet Calvin’s gaze. “I’m not spreading rumors. I’m simply asking questions. The real issue here is your mother’s evasiveness. Why won’t she answer my questions?” she countered.
Calvin’s lips curled into a cold smirk. “My mother doesn’t answer your questions because they’re utterly ridiculous,” he stated flatly.
His cutting words, delivered in front of the assembled guests, stung Lacey like a slap across the face. Lacey’s eyes blazed with anger. “How dare you speak to me like that? Your mother clearly failed to teach you basic manners,” she retorted.
Calvin crossed his arms, his tone growing sharper. “My upbringing is irrelevant. I’m more concerned with yours. You barged into my sister’s birthday party uninvited, claiming to be a sister figure to my mother. My mother, despite your rudeness, treated you with respect and acknowledged you publicly, sparing you any embarrassment.”
“But instead of showing gratitude for her kindness, you repay her by spreading malicious gossip. Our family has never even heard of you. And let’s talk about my sister. If my mother abused her, why would my mother provide my sister with the best education and care possible? Those aren’t things you can fake, and everyone here knows how much my mother loves her children.”
The onlookers exchanged glances, murmurs of agreement rippling through the crowd. Leila’s love for her children, particularly Elma, was well-known. She brought Elma to every social event, often introducing Elma as her most precious daughter. It was evident that Elma had health challenges, but it wasn’t necessarily Leila’s fault. If Leila had mistreated Elma, she could have easily kept Elma hidden from public view. At first, Lacey’s accusations seemed believable, but when people started looking closer, they realized her story didn’t quite add up.
Lacey flushed, feeling a wave of shame wash over her. She admitted she didn’t have all the facts and evidence lined up just yet. But so what? As a doctor, making such assumptions was within her rights. Besides, Leila wasn’t a good person. Lacey wasn’t about to back down.
“Even if she is taking care of Elma, it could all be an act.”
Calvin let out a harsh laugh. Lacey’s face burned with anger. No wonder Calvin was raised by Leila. He might share Landon’s features, but he was just as infuriating as Leila. Calvin lifted his chin, a look of disdain in his eyes.
“Let me tell you something,” he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. “If my mom wanted to hurt someone, she wouldn’t need to hide it. No one in Burmoos would dare question her.”
The crowd was stunned into silence.
Calvin’s eyes scanned the faces of those who had been criticizing Leila the loudest. “And as for those of you who were so quick to judge, I haven’t forgotten who you are. We’ll settle this later.”
Once Elma was taken away for better care, Leila regained her composure. She walked over to Calvin and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a gesture of support, a silent affirmation of his words. It was clear that Calvin wasn’t just a kid spouting nonsense. He spoke with authority. Immediately, people started backpedaling. They apologized profusely, claiming Lacey had misled them and they hadn’t meant what they’d said. They begged Leila for forgiveness.
Leila ignored them, her eyes fixed on Lacey. Her gaze was icy, filled with contempt. “Lacey, I’d really like to know what I did to deserve this public humiliation.”
Lacey clenched her fists, her body shaking with rage. “Leila, you can try to bury the truth, but it will come out eventually! And when it does, you’ll be sorry!”
Leila smiled. “Okay, I’ll wait,” she said. “I’m curious to know what terrible secrets I’ve been hiding.”
Lacey knew she couldn’t win this argument. Frustrated, she threw one last insult at Leila and stormed off. The others, seeing their chance, quickly departed.
Calvin looked up at Leila, confused. “Mom, why did you acknowledge that woman as a sister figure to you? She seems up to something.”
Leila sighed.
“She saved my life once. Though she’s cold to me, I acknowledged her out of gratitude. I’m not going to worry about those rumors. My real concerns lie with Elma.” Leila’s eyes filled with tears.
“Don’t worry,” Calvin said reassuringly. “We’ll find another doctor to treat Elma.”.
Leila nodded, feeling much calmer now. Sophie’s birthday party had been a bit of a disaster, and Leila felt terrible about it. But Sophie refused to have another party.
Elma woke up soon after arriving at the hospital. The doctor said she would be okay but needed to stay for a while for further observation. They would need to talk to a specialist to see if Lacey was right about what caused Elma’s collapse.
Calvin and Sophie stayed with Elma at the hospital. They were in a VIP room, as big as a suite in a fancy hotel, giving them plenty of space and privacy. To help Elma feel better, Sophie brought many of her birthday presents to the hospital. The two kids excitedly tore into the wrapping paper.
Soon, they came to the big black box that Lacey had given Sophie. Elma scowled.
“It’s from the awful woman who said I wasn’t my mom’s real daughter!” she exclaimed. “How dare she!”
“We should just throw her gift away,” Sophie said, shoving the box away.