Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Makayla’s words were harsh. Laney’s fists tightened as she glared at her.
Across from Laney, Kira teased with a sneer, “What are you looking at? Go ask your mother to confront me. Oops, I forgot she’s not around anymore.”
The director exclaimed in disbelief, “Kira, how could you say such a thing!”
At that moment, Laney lunged forward and slapped Kira.
Cliff burst through the door, freezing at the sight of the chaos unfolding before him. Never had he witnessed such ferocity from Laney. Shaking off his momentary shock, he crossed the room in swift strides and pulled her behind him, creating a protective barrier between her and the retaliation from Orlando Foster, Kira’s father. Kira stood trembling, tears threatening to spill, while her mother, Makayla, was on the verge of unleashing a torrent of curses. The moment Cliff’s presence registered, their voices died in their throats.
A heavy silence blanketed the office.
“Mr. Hopkins?” Makayla’s eyes widened with recognition, her voice barely above a whisper.
Cliff’s piercing gaze cut through the room, assessing the Foster family in turn.
Releasing his grip on the now-motionless Orlando, Cliff fixed him with an icy stare. “What were you trying to do just now? Hitting her?” His commanding presence instantly extinguished the Foster family’s burning rage.
“No…” Orlando responded with calculated smoothness, his denial flowing seamlessly into an accusation against Laney. “She attacked my daughter unprovoked. I simply lost control in the heat of the moment.”
Cliff turned to Laney, his eyes scanning for any signs of injury before asking coldly, “Why did you hit his daughter?”
Fury still radiated from Laney’s rigid form. Cliff’s presence only intensified the storm brewing within her, and she kept her gaze fixed on the floor, lips sealed in defiance.
Makayla’s mind raced as she recalled the connection between Cliff and Laney. They were cousins. Since Laney’s debut at the theater, the Hopkins family had maintained their distance, and people were more focused on her being an orphan and the fact that her deceased mother was close to Madison. Who could have anticipated the Hopkins family’s deep concern for her, exemplified by Cliff’s protective intervention today?
“Laney, I’m asking you a question. Have you lost your tongue?” Cliff’s brow furrowed in growing irritation at her continued silence.
Laney’s fists trembled at her sides. Her chest heaved as she finally forced out the words, “Kira insulted me.”
“You’re lying! I didn’t insult you!” Kira wailed, hiding her face behind her hands.
“What did she say to you?” Cliff’s penetrating gaze bore into Laney. His authoritative tone commanded such presence that no one dared lift their head.
Laney raised her chin in defiance, her eyes blazing with unshed tears. “Her mother called me worthless, and Kira told me to have my mother help me retaliate-mocking me because my mother is dead!” Her voice cracked at the end, and she bit her lip fiercely to keep from breaking down.
Cliff’s frown deepened. Though the insults were cruel, he found Laney’s physical response excessive. “What have I taught you? If she insults you, return the favor with words. Was violence really necessary?”
Laney staggered back as if struck, her eyes growing impossibly wider. Confusion clouded her mind-had Cliff come to defend her, or was he joining forces with her bullies?
Mistaking her expression for residual anger, Cliff reached for her hand to examine it for any swelling. Laney jerked away from his touch.
Cliff’s expression hardened to ice. “Why are you throwing a tantrum in front of me? Should I not have come today?”
Tears spilled down Laney’s cheeks as she lashed out, “I never asked you to come! Who told you to interfere?”
The Foster family traded knowing looks. Evidently, Cliff wasn’t as devoted to Laney as they’d feared. Their relief was palpable-it had been nothing more than a false alarm. Despite Kira’s injury, Cliff’s presence made them wary of pressing the issue further.
“Let bygones be bygones, Mr. Hopkins,” Makayla said with forced pleasantry. “They’re just being childish. Have your cousin offer an apology and we’ll call it even.”
“No way!” Laney’s voice rang out in outrage.
Cliff’s frustration mounted as he watched her defiance, wondering if his years of nurturing had somehow led to this headstrong behavior.
“You’ve already struck her. What’s the harm in apologizing? It’s just three simple words-they cost you nothing.” Cliff stepped aside, his voice stern with command. “Apologize.”
Through her tears, Laney remained resolute. “I won’t apologize! Let her slap me back instead!”
Cliff nearly reached his breaking point. Not wanting to discipline her before an audience, he seized her hand and strode out of the office.
Laney stumbled behind him, her shorter legs and injured foot struggling to match his pace as his iron grip threatened to wrench her shoulder from its socket. The burning sense of injustice overwhelmed even the physical pain, and she wept bitterly the entire way.
Once inside the car, Cliff’s anger softened slightly at the sight of her tear-stained face. “You’ve barely worked there a few months, and you dare slap Kira? What made you think you had the right?”
Laney’s sobs wracked her body so violently that her mind buzzed, deaf to his words. His dark expression only fueled her frustration further. She frantically tried to escape the confines of the car.
Cliff’s irritation peaked watching her exit the car until he noticed her uneven movements-her thigh trembling with each attempt. His expression shifted instantly as he grasped her wrist. “What happened to your foot?”
“Leave me alone! I can’t stand the sight of you!” Laney shoved against him.
In one fluid motion, Cliff scooped her up and deposited her back in the car. He shut the door and slid in beside her, carefully lifting her trembling foot onto his lap. The sight of her bruised foot beneath her shoe made his blood boil.
“Did Kira do this?” Cliff’s voice was tight with controlled rage. Laney buried her face in her hands, her sobs too violent for words to escape.
His suspicion confirmed, Cliff pulled her hands away and roughly wiped her tears. “You can’t solve anything with tears. If you’d told me about this earlier, would I have been so harsh with you?”
“I don’t need your concern!” Laney snapped.
“I’m your cousin-looking after you is my responsibility.” Cliff examined her foot once more, his frown deepening, before stepping out of the car.
Laney attempted to follow, but Cliff locked her inside and strode back toward the theatre without a backward glance.
Just then, the Foster couple emerged with their daughter, offering her words of comfort. They collided with Cliff as he reversed course.
“Mr. Hopkins, did you forget something?” Makayla asked, startled. Without uttering a word, Cliff seized Kira and hauled her over to apologize to Laney.
Initially, Kira attempted to deflect the blame, shifting it onto Laney. She even showed Cliff her injured foot, claiming it was in worse condition than Laney’s.
Cliff, however, dismissed her complaints and focused on Kira’s parents, who stood behind her. “Mr. Foster, Mrs. Foster, Laney is my cousin. Surely, she deserves an apology today, doesn’t she?”
Orlando’s expression darkened. The Foster family had experienced their share of success, but they could never compare to the fame of the Ht Free family. Moreover, the Hopkins family had strong ties with the influential Ward family. If the Ward family were to hear about this incident, it could cause significant trouble for the Foster family in the future.
Weighing his options, Orlando decided it would be wiser to seek revenge later, and instead, he quietly urged Kira to apologize.
Kira, with tears in her eyes, was hesitant to say sorry. Left with no other choice, Orlando feigned anger to pressure her. This led to a heated argument between them, which ended with Kira reluctantly apologizing to Laney.
That forced apology marked the beginning of a rift between Kira and Laney, leaving them on poor terms.
Worried about Laney’s injury, Cliff took her to the hospital.
While waiting for medical attention, Laney had calmed down considerably. She sat in silence, her face showing traces of tears, lost in thought.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from her friend Kailyn. “Is Cliff Hopkins really your cousin? Since you’re staying in the Hopkins family villa, do you spend a lot of time with him? Do you have feelings for him? He’s quite a catch!”
Laney took a photo of her foot and sent it to Kailyn, asking, “Aren’t you concerned about my foot at all?”
Kailyn’s response came quickly. “With your cousin there, why worry? Tell me, do you like him? How many cousins do you have? Introduce me to one of them! I’m not picky, even if he’s only half as good-looking as Cliff.”
Laney didn’t reply. Her mood sank even further. In reality, Cliff hadn’t even stayed with her. He had worn a dark expression during the drive to the hospital and had quickly left after walking her toward the clinic entrance, likely frustrated by the situation.
She could feel her heart race as the intensity of his gaze weighed on her. She quickly looked away, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“You’re still in pain,” Cliff finally said, his voice softer than before. “You shouldn’t be thinking about the theater right now.”
Laney’s brow furrowed slightly. “I don’t want to be a burden. I’ll be fine,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Cliff didn’t say anything for a moment, his attention back on her foot as he carefully adjusted the ice pack. He had known her for so long, yet somehow, the young woman before him now felt different. It wasn’t just the maturity in her features or the way she carried herself-it was something in the way she spoke, the subtle shift in her tone that made him realize she was no longer the child he had once thought of her as.
“You’re not a burden,” he said quietly, his fingers gently securing the ice. “But I’d rather you get better first.”
Laney felt her chest tighten at his words. It wasn’t the first time he had been kind to her, but this time, it felt different. The warmth in his voice made her heart flutter in a way she wasn’t sure how to handle. She glanced at him again, catching his steady, unwavering gaze.
“Thanks,” she muttered, though she wasn’t sure if it was enough to express the gratitude she felt.
Her phone buzzed again, pulling her attention away from Cliff. She glanced at the screen, seeing another message from Kailyn filled with more heart-eyed emojis and an eager question about her feelings for Cliff. Laney quickly turned her phone face down, not wanting to entertain the thought.
Cliff noticed the change in her demeanor but said nothing. He had already seen enough to understand the dynamic at play, and he didn’t want to add to it. His thoughts drifted back to her phone earlier, the photos, the casual flirtation, and the unanswered questions that lingered in his mind.
Still, he chose to remain silent, his protective instincts in check. It wasn’t his place to interfere too much. If Laney was trying to figure out her own feelings, then it was for her to decide, not him. And yet, something in his chest tightened at the thought of her being swept away by someone less sincere than him.
“You should rest,” he said, looking down at her foot once more. “Let the ice do its job.”
Laney nodded, sinking back against the chair as she closed her eyes. Despite the tension that still lingered between them, she couldn’t help but feel comforted by his presence. It was a strange mix of warmth and confusion, but for now, it was enough.
Laney hesitated, glancing away before saying, “If you’re busy, I’ll head back to the theater. A friend invited me to dinner tonight.”
Cliff’s mind briefly flashed to her chat history from earlier. “Your boyfriend?”
Laney’s eyes widened in surprise. “No, she’s just a female friend.”
Cliff returned to his usual, detached demeanor. “Cancel your plans with her. You’ll stay at the Hopkins house for a few days until your foot heals.”
“But your parents aren’t around,” Laney pointed out.
“The housekeeper will be there.”
“What am I supposed to do when she leaves for the day? Just stay in the house alone?”
Cliff looked up, visibly frustrated. “Laney, how old are you now?”
Laney could sense a lecture coming. “Twenty-two,” she replied softly. “So what? I’ll probably still be scared of the dark when I’m eighty.”
Cliff was at a loss for words. He checked the display screen at the hospital and saw it was nearly her turn with the doctor. He put away the ice pack and dried her foot with a tissue.
Soon after, Laney blushed and withdrew her foot. “That’s fine.”
Cliff noticed her legs pressed together, the fabric of her skirt caught between them, creating a subtle yet alluring outline. He tried to steer his thoughts away, but the visible tension in every inch of Laney’s form reminded him of how sensitive she was.
Laney tried to figure out if Cliff planned to stay home tonight, but he kept his plans hidden.
Cliff was aware of the game she was playing and chose to remain silent, thinking it was the best strategy.
After getting some medicine for Laney’s swelling and bruising at the hospital, Cliff took her out for a meal.