Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Caitlin’s voice was softer now, more measured.
“For everything. For taking care of me, for letting me be part of Elma’s birthday party, for making sure I was prepared for it. I appreciate all of it.”
Leila smiled, her expression gentle but unreadable.
“It was nothing. We’re family. That’s what family does.”
Caitlin seemed as though she had more to say, but instead, she just smiled at Leila. After a moment, she asked, “Leila, can you tell me what Elma likes? I want to get her a gift.”
Leila thought for a moment. Elma’s tastes were a little different from other kids her age. She loved jade-not in the form of jewelry, but raw jade for carving. It reminded Leila of her younger days when she enjoyed making things by hand. Elma had a natural talent for carving jade. The last time Leila had taken one of Elma’s carvings to a charity auction, it had been an unexpected hit.
But Leila didn’t intend to tell Caitlin about Elma’s passion for jade carving. It would only make things awkward for Caitlin. After carefully choosing her words, Leila smiled and said, “Kids like all sorts of things. Just having everyone show up for her birthday is enough to make her happy. Gifts don’t really matter.”
Caitlin nodded and didn’t ask any more questions. But as she left the room, a wave of sadness washed over her. She wondered if Elma really didn’t care about gifts, or if they just thought her gifts were too shabby and didn’t want them.
Though Caitlin didn’t want to think that way, Leila’s earlier words had bothered her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they looked down on her gifts, which made her feel even worse. But she didn’t dare show it-she was living in Leila’s house, after all.
Back in her room, Caitlin began packing. She was starting a new job next week and had enough time to find a place to live.
Despite her perceptions of Leila being two-faced at times, Caitlin couldn’t deny Leila had been generous, giving her a substantial amount of money. It was enough for Caitlin to live comfortably.
As she packed, Caitlin found a photo of her parents. Looking at it, her eyes filled with tears, and she gently traced their faces, unable to stop herself from crying.
“Mom, Dad,” she sobbed.
“It’s been so hard since you died. Living under someone else’s roof, constantly feeling like an unwelcome guest, is unbearable. I miss you so much.”
A sharp, insistent knock at the door abruptly interrupted Caitlin’s sobs. She quickly wiped her eyes and yanked the door open.
To her utter shock, two servants barged in, their faces twisted with smug, superior grins.
“Caitlin,” one of them sneered.
“Sorry to bother you, but you were bawling like a banshee. You’re disturbing our beauty sleep.”
The servants at Leila’s house were supposed to take turns patrolling at night, a job they practically fought each other for. It meant earning more money, and they could sleep during the day. But some of them were lazy, using it as an excuse to sneak off and nap. Like these two servants who had just waltzed into Caitlin’s room.
Caitlin had noticed their slacking off since her first day there. She knew it was wrong, but it wasn’t her house, and she kept her mouth shut, afraid Leila would get angry if she complained. So, she let it slide.
However, her silence only made these two servants think she was a pushover, a perfect target for their bullying.
Already in a foul mood, Caitlin’s patience snapped at the sight of their smug faces.
“This is my cousin’s house! I can do whatever the hell I want! And aren’t you two supposed to be patrolling? How dare you slack off and then act like you’re in the right?”
The servants exchanged a nasty look and then burst out laughing, as if it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard.
“Your cousin’s house?” one of them cackled.
“That’s rich! Do you honestly think Miss Nixon sees you as family? Look at yourself! Get real, honey.”
“Yeah, exactly,” the other one chimed in.
“You’re just some poor relation. Miss Nixon kept you around to see how much crap you’d take. Turns out, you’re a real pro. Hilarious!”
Each of their snide remarks was like a rusty needle stabbing Caitlin’s heart. Overwhelmed with grief and rage, she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.
Blinded by fury, Caitlin grabbed them by the arms and started hauling them toward the door.
“Get out! Both of you, get the hell out!” she screamed.
One of the servants, seizing her chance, twisted away and, with a vicious snap, slapped Caitlin across the face.
The instant her hand connected with Caitlin’s cheek, the servant felt a flicker of regret. But then she remembered the whispers she’d overheard earlier, saying Caitlin would be packing her bags soon. The servants didn’t know the details, but they figured it was because Caitlin was becoming intolerable, and Leila wanted to kick her out. This belief fueled their arrogance, making them even more audacious.
Caitlin’s cheek burned, and she trembled with raw, unadulterated rage. She glared at the servant, her voice shaky.
“How dare you hit me? What the hell did I ever do to you?”
One of the servants sneered, their arrogance unwavering.
“At least we earn our keep here. You? You’re just a freeloader, living off scraps. Why shouldn’t we hit you?”
The other servant chimed in, “That’s right. We’re not scared you’ll run crying to Miss Nixon. She’ll always take our side.”
Their words were a calculated attempt to intimidate Caitlin. One of them even waved her hand in front of Caitlin’s face, flashing a gaudy gold bracelet.
“See this? Miss Nixon gave me this as a bonus for all my hard work. You wouldn’t even know the price of this thing. But then again, all of Miss Nixon’s nice things are way out of your league.”
The more Caitlin listened, the deeper the wound of humiliation cut. Only moments before, she had felt a flicker of gratitude for the money Leila had given her. But that money wouldn’t even buy that gaudy bracelet. Leila rewarded the servants more than she did her own cousin. What did Leila truly think of her? A beggar? Caitlin never thought Leila would see her that way.
“Get out!” Caitlin managed to choke out, desperately trying to maintain some dignity.
The servants snickered as they finally retreated.
Once they were safely out of earshot, one of the servants sighed.
“What’s wrong with Caitlin today? She was so pissed off.”
The other servant was more assertive.
“I told you, Miss Nixon is making her leave soon. That’s why she’s in a foul mood. We don’t have to be nice to her anymore.” The servant nodded and then eyed the bracelet.
“Wait, did Miss Nixon really give you that? I thought we seldom saw her.”
The other servant scoffed.
“Are you dumb? It’s fake. I was trying to scare Caitlin. If I didn’t, she would tell on us.”
Confusion set in, prompting a question.
“But she’s leaving. Why do you care if she tells on us?”
The explanation came with a sigh.
“You don’t get it. Even if she leaves, she’s still Miss Nixon’s family.”
The servants were certain that Leila wouldn’t side with them or intervene on Caitlin’s behalf should Caitlin decide to complain about the events of the night. After all, they were at fault, and Caitlin was just Leila’s cousin.
Leila, however, was oblivious to the details of the altercation between Caitlin and the servants. Her thoughts were consumed with preparations for Elma’s upcoming birthday celebration.
Elma had spent her past few birthdays confined to a hospital bed. Now that she was finally on the mend, Leila was determined to throw a memorable party to celebrate.
Leila wasn’t planning the party alone. The three children had all chipped in with their suggestions, and Landon had even dropped hints about a special surprise gift for Elma.
On the eve of her birthday, Elma was buzzing with excitement, practically bouncing off the walls. She begged Leila to let her stay up and watch a movie.
“No way, sweetie,” Leila chuckled, tapping Elma’s nose playfully.
“Staying up late to watch TV isn’t good for you. It’s past your bedtime. You need to get some sleep.”
It was already past eleven, an hour when Elma was usually sound asleep.
Elma grinned, hugging Leila’s arm tightly.