Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
The girl was visibly trembling, fear evident in her eyes, but her voice remained firm.
“Who dares to lay a hand on my cousin?” she shouted, her tone sharper than anyone had expected.
“I saw everything. You two were the ones who started this! First, you bullied her, and now you want to resort to violence? Do you really think I won’t call the cops?”
Leila blinked, momentarily thrown off. Her cousin? She didn’t recognize this girl. She was sure of it. And yet…
The girl turned, flashing Leila a small, reassuring smile as if sensing her confusion.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let them touch you.”
Leila’s breath hitched as she looked at the girl’s face, which bore a striking resemblance to her own. But the middle-aged gentleman and his group were unfazed by the girl’s interference. Instead of backing down, they became even more aggressive.
“Settling debts is a matter of integrity,” the middle-aged gentleman sneered.
“If your cousin can’t pay, we have every right to take her with us.”
The girl’s heart pounded wildly as the bodyguards rushed forward. Every instinct urged her to flee, but her feet refused to move as she positioned herself protectively in front of Leila.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact. But the pain never came. A few seconds passed. Cautiously, the girl peeked through her lashes, only to be met with an utterly shocking sight. The bodyguards who had charged toward them were now sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. The arrogant man and woman-who had been so smug just moments ago-stood frozen in terror. Even the middle-aged butler, who had carried himself with such self-importance, had lost all color in his face.
Yet, despite this, the butler still had the audacity to raise his voice, declaring that he hailed from the Stanley family and that anyone who dared to offend them would have to face severe consequences.
His threats echoed through the air, but Leila merely sighed, as if she found the entire ordeal tiresome. Without a word, she pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and casually put it on speaker.
The usually ill-tempered Arion Stanley, known for his arrogance and inflated sense of self-importance, now spoke with nothing but flattery and caution.
“Miss… Miss Nixon… What a pleasant surprise! Is there something you need? Just say the word, and no matter how difficult, I’ll make it happen.”
Watching the butler’s face turn ghostly pale, Leila let a slow, amused smile curve her lips.
“Oh, it’s nothing much. It’s just that a few so-called Stanley family members seem intent on causing trouble for me and Landon. Your butler and his son, in particular, decided to block my car and now demand compensation, claiming they’re acting on behalf of your family. So, I thought I’d ask-does the Stanley family really wish to teach me a lesson?”
On the other end of the call, Arion nearly tripped over his own words in his eagerness to deny it.
“Miss Nixon, you must be joking! That would never happen! My father constantly reminds me that we must treat you with the highest respect-he even calls you our lifeline! There’s no way we would ever cross you. As for that butler and his son? They’re nobodies. They have no connection to my family. I don’t even know who they are. Do whatever you want with them. In fact, if dealing with them personally is a hassle for you, just hand them over. I’ll make sure they regret ever breathing in your direction.”
At that moment, the last shred of arrogance drained from the butler’s face. The man and woman beside the butler, who had once stood so smugly, now looked like…
They wished the ground would swallow them whole. Their confidence had shattered, replaced by wide-eyed terror as they realized just how far out of their depth they were.
Leila, still perfectly composed, tilted her head slightly.
“One more thing. I may have scratched your car in all this commotion. Should I compensate you for it?”
Arion instantly picked up on her meaning.
“That car was stolen by the reckless son of an ignorant servant in my household. He caused the damage, so naturally, he should bear the cost.” Arion’s tone was resolute, leaving no room for argument.
“Miss Nixon, this matter has nothing to do with you.”
Leila, satisfied with his response, casually tossed the phone to the butler. Her expression remained cool, almost indifferent.
“So, do you still insist on demanding compensation from me?”
The butler’s entire body stiffened. He immediately shook his head, the urge to beg for mercy written all over his face. But when he met Leila’s icy gaze, the words died in his throat. Reluctantly, he swallowed his pleas.
The butler’s regret hit him like a tidal wave. Internally, he cursed himself, but even more so, he raged at his son. If only that fool had kept his arrogance in check instead of provoking someone beyond their reach. Not only had they lost everything-their jobs, their standing-but they were now cast aside by the Stanley family, saddled with a debt they could never repay. One misstep, and they had plummeted from privilege to ruin in an instant.
Leila studied the butler, reading the resentment hidden beneath his shame. She spoke slowly, her voice carrying an unmistakable warning.
“I know you won’t truly reflect on your actions. You won’t regret what you did-only that you offended the wrong person today.” Her lips curled into a faint smile, but there was no warmth behind it.
“I’m just an ordinary woman, powerless and without influence. And yet, you framed me, mistreated me, and tried to silence me.” Leila took a step closer, her gaze piercing.
“I won’t waste my breath trying to change you. But from now on, I’ll have people keeping an eye on you. If you dare to pull this crap on anyone again, we’ll settle both the old and new debts together.”
The butler immediately dropped to his knees, his face streaked with tears.
“Miss Nixon, we wouldn’t dare! Never again! Please, believe me!”
Leila waved her hand, signaling the bodyguards to drag the butler and his men away. Without hesitation, the bodyguards obeyed, hauling the disgraced butler and his crew out of sight.
As the commotion died down, the gathered crowd slowly dispersed, murmuring amongst themselves.
Leila’s attention shifted to the girl standing quietly by the roadside. Moments ago, the girl had been fearless, stepping up to defend someone she barely knew. Now, with the danger gone, the girl simply stood there, looking unsure of what to do next.
After a brief hesitation, Leila spoke the name tentatively, as if testing its weight on her tongue.
“Caitlin Sinclair.”
At the sound of her name, Caitlin’s eyes widened with surprise before lighting up with excitement. She rushed forward, her smile bright and eager.
“Leila! You still remember me! I thought… I thought you had forgotten about me.”
Leila studied Caitlin, her cousin, her emotions tangled in a way she couldn’t quite decipher. Memories surfaced-ones Leila had buried deep. The accident back then had only claimed her parents and grandparents. Caitlin’s family, with whom relations had always been strained, had been spared.
After the tragedy, it should have been Caitlin’s family who stepped forward to take Leila in. But Caitlin’s father had refused, denying any connection to Leila. Leila still remembered standing at their doorstep, a community worker by her side, clutching the small bag that held what little remained of her life. She understood why they had refused to adopt her, but their cruelty? That was something she never forgot.
“You want to dump just anyone into my house, huh?” Caitlin’s father had scoffed at the community worker.
“Her whole family is dead, and she’s the only one left. That’s nothing but bad luck and misfortune. Besides, she’s a mute. I won’t take her in. What if she jinxes my family too? Just take her away. I don’t care if you have to drag me to jail-I’m not raising her.”
Those words had struck like a slap, lodging themselves deep in Leila’s young heart. For a long time, they had stung.
Yet, Leila never let bitterness consume her. Before turning away that day, she had glanced past Caitlin’s father, into their home-into the life she had never been welcome in. Their apartment was small, but it radiated warmth.
At just two or three years old then, Caitlin was far too young to grasp the gravity of the situation. She had simply smiled at everyone, her bright, innocent expression oblivious to the cruel reality unfolding around her.
Leila recalled how her grandparents had once mentioned that, despite Caitlin’s father’s indifference, Caitlin looked just like Leila had as a child.
That was the last time Leila had ever seen Caitlin and her family.
Not long after, Leila was taken in by the Kensington family, and the past slowly faded into the background. She had let go of those painful memories, burying them beneath the life she had built for herself.
Leila never expected to run into Caitlin again, let alone have her step forward to defend her so fiercely today. Still, something about Caitlin’s actions felt deliberate. Leila wasn’t sure why, but one thing was clear-despite everything, she felt no resentment toward Caitlin.
Leila maintained a polite tone, though there was a subtle distance in her words.
“Did you come looking for me because of something urgent?”
The brightness in Caitlin’s eyes dimmed almost instantly. She clutched at the fabric of her sleeves, her voice dropping to a murmur.
“Leila, I know I shouldn’t have come to you like this, but I had no choice. I have nowhere else to go, so I came to you.”
Seeing Leila’s unreadable expression, Caitlin hurried on.
“I don’t mind how much the rent is each month; I just need somewhere safe. I was scammed on my way here, and… I almost didn’t make it.”
Leila’s frown deepened. After a pause, she finally asked, “What about your parents?”
Tears welled up in Caitlin’s eyes.
“They’re already gone.”