Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Caitlin looked up, meeting the woman’s gaze.
The woman, clad in opulent attire, carried herself with a commanding presence that unmistakably marked her as someone of high status and wealth.
But Caitlin wasn’t intimidated. Standing tall, she returned the woman’s glare, her voice steady but cold.
“Miss, I think you’ve got it wrong. You bumped into me and ruined my dress. If anyone should apologize, it’s you.”
The woman scoffed, laughing coldly at Caitlin. She looked Caitlin up and down, sizing her up. Then, her expression shifted slightly when she had a good look at Caitlin’s face. Her posture stiffened as she crossed her arms, tilting her chin with an air of superiority.
“Well, well. Your face makes me a little dazed. You look strikingly like Leila. Are you trying to copy her makeup and style?”
In their social circles, everyone was well aware of each other’s identities. The guests at these events were a mix of affluent family members, mistresses of wealthy men, and social media influencers eager to climb the social ladder. The woman had clearly mistaken Caitlin for someone who had undergone plastic surgery to resemble Leila.
Caitlin clenched her teeth, her voice tinged with indignation.
“I didn’t have plastic surgery. These are my natural features.”
The woman eyed Caitlin closely, noticing no sign of the artificial perfection often associated with plastic surgery. A new thought crossed her mind, and her haughty demeanor softened.
“If it’s not surgery, are you related to Leila?”
Caitlin almost admitted it, but then she recalled the gossip she had overheard about Leila earlier and quickly swallowed her words.
A flicker of disgust crossed Caitlin’s eyes, but she kept her tone casual.
“You’re overthinking it. Miss Nixon is of high status. I just happen to look a bit like her. There’s no real connection.”
With that, Caitlin turned on her heel, ready to leave.
But the woman grabbed her wrist, her smile twisted with mockery.
“No connection, huh? Well, that’s good to hear. How do you plan to compensate me for the accident you just caused?”
Caitlin’s eyes grew wide with shock, almost questioning if she’d misheard. How could anyone be so unreasonable? She gestured to her own dress, her cheeks reddening with fury.
“Take a good look at what you’ve done to my dress. You were the one who ran into me and spoiled my outfit. If anyone should be compensated, it should be me.”
The woman haughtily blinked and folded her arms.
“But my dress got dirty because you stepped on it. So, tell me, how much did your dress cost? Who designed it?”
Caitlin found herself speechless. She had no idea. Leila hadn’t provided these details when delivering the dress, and she was clueless.
Seeing Caitlin’s hesitation, the woman covered her mouth and laughed.
“Isn’t it just some cheap knockoff from a thrift store? Does your whole outfit even cost more than a hundred dollars?” She reached out and tugged at Caitlin’s dress.
“Let’s see the quality of this bargain bin find.”
Their skirmish soon captured the attention of others.
Caitlin felt the piercing stares, and her self-esteem was deeply hurt. She clenched her teeth, shooting the woman a look filled with resentment and rage. The woman couldn’t tolerate Caitlin’s defiant gaze, and in a burst of anger, slapped her.
“Who do you think you are, looking at me like that? Pay up now, or you’re not going anywhere today!”
“Go away! You’re the one who should be paying. If you don’t stop this nonsense, I’m calling the police!” Caitlin retorted, feeling wronged. She knew that if she raised her voice, Leila would hear her and probably support her.
But Caitlin held a grudge against Leila. She blamed Leila’s scandalous lifestyle for this debacle she was in. And why hadn’t Leila informed her about the dress’s cost or the designer’s name? Leila had left her in the dark, taught her nothing, and still insisted on bringing her to such an event-was it just to humiliate her? Even if Leila intervened, it would likely be just for show. Given the choice, she would rather not have that kind of help at all.
Tears of shame welled up in Caitlin’s eyes as she faced the woman. Her voice trembled, but she tried to sound threatening.
However, it was clear that the woman was not intimidated by Caitlin’s threats. Instead, she seemed satisfied seeing Caitlin on the verge of tears.
The woman patted Caitlin’s cheek and said coldly, “Do you wonder why I’m bothering you? If you need something to blame, blame your resemblance to Leila. I despise…”
“Leila. Watching someone with a face similar to hers suffer brings me joy. Understand? Go ahead and call the cops. Let’s see if they even care about you!”
Caitlin wanted to lash out at the woman for her cruelty, but she felt overwhelmed by sadness. Was she doomed to be bullied just because she resembled Leila?
The woman continued her assault. Slash! A button on Caitlin’s dress was torn off.
Fury overtook Caitlin, and she slapped the woman forcefully.
The woman scowled, caught off guard by Caitlin’s retaliation.
Just then, a calm male voice cut through the chaos.
“What’s all this commotion? Didn’t I make it clear when I brought you here that you were to avoid trouble? If you’re stirring things up, you’d better leave.”
Despite the sternness of his words, the soothing and calm tone made it difficult for Caitlin to hold onto her anger.
Caitlin noticed a man with a distinguished look and an upright posture approaching. This was the second man she had ever laid her eyes on with such good looks. The first was Landon. Although Landon was strikingly handsome, as if crafted by the gods themselves, his aura was intimidating, and his eyes carried a constant coldness. They only seemed to soften when they rested on Leila.
But this man was different. His skin and appealing features made her feel an urge to smooth away the lines of concern etched on his forehead.
For a brief moment, Caitlin found herself nearly entranced, but she quickly looked away.
She watched as the earlier arrogant woman turned and burst into tears, throwing herself into the man’s arms.
Holding onto his shirt, the woman’s haughtiness was now replaced by an aggrieved look, and tears streamed down her face.
“Clayton, I didn’t mean to cause trouble. She bumped into me, and I simply asked for an apology. Instead, she slapped me. Look at my face!”
The woman made a show of showing her face to Clayton, but it was clear she was using the opportunity to get closer to him.
To attend Elma’s birthday without being ousted by Leila and Landon, Clayton had specially found himself a girlfriend named Beth Fletcher.
Honestly, Beth matched Clayton in terms of social standing and looks, but she was known for her erratic nature.
Although Clayton didn’t like her, he tolerated her presence.
Watching Beth weep in his arms, Clayton wasn’t convinced by her account of events. Knowing her usual behavior, it was more likely she was the aggressor, not the victim.
Nevertheless, Clayton preferred to avoid a scene and decided to soothe Beth with some reassuring words. He gently pushed her back as she tried to lean in, clearing his throat.
“Well, with everyone watching, you should be more cautious with your actions and words. If someone has wronged you, why make a fuss? Just have someone send her out.”
Caitlin’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected this man to dismiss her without hearing the whole story.
Beth looked smug, shooting Caitlin several taunting glances.
Since being with Clayton, Beth had heard about his past with Leila.
At first, Beth wasn’t bothered, thinking she was Clayton’s choice now. But when she deliberately brought up Leila’s name in front of Clayton, he reacted swiftly and fiercely, seizing her throat in anger.
Caught off guard by his sudden fury, Beth had been startled by the sharp contrast from his usual gentleness. Terrified he would harm her physically, she had only been met with his threat.
“If you still want to be with me, learn what you may or may not say. You do not have the right to speak of Leila in my presence, understand?”
Trembling, Beth had nodded in agreement.
After releasing her, Clayton had walked away, and as a form of punishment, he avoided her for several days.
Beth had genuinely started to like Clayton, driven by her willful spirit. She believed herself to be younger and more attractive than Leila. Convinced that her continued presence in Clayton’s life would lead to marriage and his eventual affection for her, Beth clung to this hope.