Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Calvert was taken aback by Florrie’s outburst. He wasn’t about to commit murder. More importantly, he was on the verge of a comfortable life and had no reason to make an enemy of Florrie. Realizing this, Calvert quickly moved to embrace her, his face softening into a picture of remorse.
“Sweetheart, it was my fault,” he said gently.
“I was just so scared. I didn’t mean to hit you. I came back to explain everything, but I was just so angry that I lost it. Please, don’t be mad. If you tell Gracelyn, I’m ruined. Do you really want to see me lose everything?”
Florrie couldn’t bring herself to do it and just sobbed out of grievance. She clung to Calvert like a drowning person clinging to a life raft. Florrie felt trapped. She’d put everything into this relationship, and the thought of losing it was unbearable. If she had to choose, she’d rather live in this lie than face the truth.
Seeing that Florrie was starting to calm down, Calvert’s eyes flickered, and he pulled out a beautiful bracelet. It was stunning, sparkling under the light, clearly a valuable piece. Florrie’s eyes were immediately drawn to it, and she looked at Calvert in disbelief.
Calvert fastened the bracelet around Florrie’s wrist, putting on a show of deep affection.
“I’ve been meaning to give you this for ages,” he said.
“I just wanted to surprise you. Florrie, please don’t cry. It’s all my fault. I had my reasons for bribing the spiritual advisor. I just didn’t know how to tell you because I knew you wouldn’t approve.”
Florrie was quickly won over, wiping away her tears as she asked, “How much did this bracelet cost?”
Calvert paused, thinking quickly. He’d swiped it from Leila’s place. He knew it was expensive jewelry but wasn’t sure of the exact value, so he plucked a number out of thin air.
Florrie’s eyes widened, and she stopped crying, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“You’ve never given me anything this expensive before!” she exclaimed.
“This is too much! You shouldn’t have brought such an expensive thing.”
But her eyes betrayed her true feelings, shining with delight.
Calvert ignored her comment, focusing on soothing her.
“Florrie, let me explain why I did that. I knew if the spiritual advisor told Gracelyn it was our child she needed, Gracelyn would get suspicious, and all the money we’ve spent on the spiritual advisor would be for nothing. So, I came up with that plan on the spot to make sure we succeed. I swear, I had no other reason.”
Even though Calvert was showering her with sweet talk, Florrie knew his true nature. But it didn’t matter. She was happy to stay in her fantasy world. She simply said, “I understand your reasoning, but I still can’t accept it. Even if the plan falls apart, I can’t bear the thought of you and Leila having a child. We’re husband and wife! You expect me to watch you have a baby with another woman? It’s insane!”
Inwardly, Calvert seethed, cursing Florrie for her stubbornness. Outwardly, however, he plastered on a forced smile.
“Are you just going to throw all that money we’ve spent on the spiritual advisor down the drain?” he asked.
Florrie nodded firmly.
“I’d rather lose the money,” she stated.
Calvert was thoroughly frustrated, not with the plan itself, but with Florrie’s strongheadedness. It was becoming painfully clear she wouldn’t budge. He saw no point in wasting any more time on her. But he couldn’t risk her anger, which might lead her to spill the beans to Gracelyn.
So, Calvert released his hold on Florrie, feigning nonchalance.
“Fine. If you’re not interested, I won’t push it. Let’s just forget this whole thing ever happened. Just a shame about the money I’ve wasted. Whatever. You go ahead and eat. I’ve lost my appetite.”
Seeing Calvert’s apparent dejection, Florrie felt a pang of unease. She even started to wonder if she was being unreasonably petty. But honestly, she reasoned, no wife who truly loved her husband could be that generous. Besides, their relationship hadn’t suffered. Calvert had even bought her jewelry, and things between them had been going well.
Florrie chose to believe that, deep down, Calvert still cared for her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even bothered to consult her in the first place.
So, despite the risk of upsetting him, Florrie stood her ground.
“You know all that reincarnation nonsense is just a load of crap, so don’t even talk about it. Not doing such things is the real way to avoid risk. Anyway, with the White family having no other heirs, and Gracelyn not exactly being immortal, the money will eventually come to us. And don’t worry about the money you’ve wasted on that quack spiritual advisor. I’ll pay you back.”
Calvert cursed Florrie silently, berating her repeatedly for her stubbornness. His face was a mask of resentment, and he muttered, “No need. I’m going to bed.”
With that, he turned on his heel and stalked back to his room. Florrie watched the door close behind him and sighed. But then she remembered the bracelet, and her spirits lifted.
She pulled out her phone, snapped a photo of the bracelet, and began searching online. She quickly found what she was looking for and covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes sparkling with delight. It was far more valuable than she had imagined.
Though there was a hint of wear on its surface, the bracelet’s value was undeniable-a testament to its status as a pre-owned treasure. It appeared that Calvert genuinely wanted to cherish her.
The thought resonated within Florrie, stirring a complex mix of gratitude and guilt.
Her determination faltered, but a sudden recollection steeled her resolve, her gaze hardening once more. She couldn’t waver. This happiness had been hard-won. To relinquish it now was unthinkable.
Florrie even entertained the idea of flaunting the bracelet in front of Leila, picturing Leila’s envious and resentful expression. A surge of pride swelled within her.
Though previously dejected, Florrie was now brimming with joy.
For the first time in a long while, her spirits had soared.
Meanwhile, Leila remained secluded in her room, anxiously awaiting favorable news. And indeed, her patience was rewarded.
A servant, in the midst of casual chatter, let something slip to Leila.
“That preposterous scheme the spiritual advisor concocted has been scrapped, thanks to Florrie’s refusal. Mrs. White has ordered everyone to forget about it and never mention it again.”
Leila arched an eyebrow upon hearing the news. She had braced herself for Florrie to resist and refuse, but Gracelyn’s agreeableness caught her off guard. And Calvert-did he really just agree? This was a good thing, as she detested the thought of being with him.
However, Leila feigned disappointment, murmuring softly, “Okay.”
The servant shot Leila a glance, as if wanting to speak, but remained silent.
Leila had her own reservations. She suspected things couldn’t be this simple and was skeptical about Calvert’s willingness to let go. She was uncertain about their next move.
Just then, the servant spoke.
“Mrs. White told me to inform you that we have a guest today, and she would like you to join them for lunch.”
Leila looked confused.
“A guest? Who could it be? Someone in a similar situation to mine?”
Despite her suspicions, Leila nodded in agreement.
It was soon time for lunch, and after Leila had been wheeled out for her usual sunbathing, she was taken to the dining hall to wait.
Gracelyn was not there yet, leaving Leila feeling helpless on the sofa. With her legs still “nonfunctional,” she depended on others for even simple tasks like fetching a glass of water.
Leila attempted to return the cup, but it was just beyond her reach.
Just as she was about to summon the servant, a hand suddenly extended, grabbed the cup, and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.
“Hello.”
The simple word unleashed a torrent of emotions in Leila. She couldn’t believe her ears and looked up in shock. That familiar, handsome man was standing right in front of her.
Landon smiled at Leila. He looked calm on the surface, but inside, he was overwhelmed with emotions. He longed to hold Leila immediately and whisk her away, but the situation made it impossible. Gracelyn was vigilant.
Landon had returned under the guise of repaying a favor, but Gracelyn had insisted he enter alone. He couldn’t bring his people in. Moreover, when Leila came out to see him, the room was filled with the White family’s staff. With Leila confined to a wheelchair, escaping through a throng of people was out of the question.
For a moment, Leila felt as though it was all just a dream, but everything seemed so real. She almost wanted to pinch herself to make sure. Their eyes met briefly, and in that fleeting moment, their hearts were filled with complex emotions.
“Leila, this is the guest I was talking about, the one I wanted you to meet previously,” Gracelyn announced as she entered with a smile.
Landon quickly averted his gaze from Leila and addressed Gracelyn respectfully.
“Mrs. White, you saved my life once. Without your help, I might not have made it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come here today and properly express my gratitude.”
Gracelyn waved away his formalities.
“I just enjoy doing good deeds to gather blessings. You really didn’t need to come back just to thank me. Just take care when you’re out there.” Leila kept her head down, trying to prevent Gracelyn from detecting anything unusual.