Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
The driver nodded and left without hesitation.
Just as Cliff turned, Merrick arrived, his expression alarmed.
Seeing Kira injured and bleeding, Merrick asked urgently, “What happened? How did she get hurt outside Laney’s apartment? Where’s Laney?”
Cliff, his face grim and tense, said nothing. Instead, he headed toward Laney.
Merrick followed closely, his concern growing.
Not far away, Laney had made her way downstairs. She wanted to check on Kira, but seeing Cliff approach unraveled her thoughts. Would he blame her? Or would he comfort her first? Would he believe she hadn’t meant to hurt Kira?
Laney stared at Cliff, her heart aching for his embrace and reassurance. But to her surprise, his steps slowed.
Before she could react, Merrick reached her first. He pulled her into a protective embrace.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice soft but probing.
“Did you have a fight with Kira?”
Laney’s view of Cliff was blocked, and she couldn’t see his reaction.
Cliff hadn’t come closer.
In Merrick’s unfamiliar embrace, Laney felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her. Her legs gave out slightly, and she leaned against him for support.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, her voice shaky.
“She pushed me… I pushed her back, and she fell down the stairs. Is she-I…”
Her words faltered.
“Is she dead?”
“She’s alive. Your cousin took her to the hospital.”
Laney looked up, realizing Cliff had already turned and left without a word. Her chest tightened with bitterness. Summoning her strength, she pulled away from Merrick.
“Thank you for helping me with the surveillance today. But the photo scandal is still escalating, and your involvement might complicate things. You should keep your distance from me.”
Merrick frowned, clearly unwilling to leave her in this state, but Laney insisted, urging him to go.
Not long after, Philip and Madison arrived at the theater.
The exposure of her relationship with Cliff had left Laney feeling too ashamed to face Philip and Madison. But she couldn’t avoid them. Bracing herself, she made her way toward them.
To Laney’s surprise, as soon as Madison saw her, she pulled Laney into a comforting hug.
“You must be terrified. Philip and I just saw the news. Did anyone at the theater give you trouble?” Madison asked gently.
Laney’s eyes filled with tears. She stammered, “I… Madison, I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no need for an apology. You didn’t do anything unforgivable. And I’ve seen the photos-Cliff certainly didn’t look like he was forced into anything. He’s just as responsible.”
Philip nodded in agreement, offering Laney a kind look. Their understanding brought a sense of relief to Laney, but the situation remained complicated.
The scandal had spiraled into a public spectacle, making it increasingly difficult to handle, especially with the Foster family’s involvement. Laney steadied herself, trying not to let her family see her inner turmoil. After some persuasion, she convinced them to return to their tasks, not wanting to burden them further. Later, Madison took Laney home before quickly leaving again.
It wasn’t until evening that Cliff finally called Laney. His voice was sharp and accusatory.
“Done spending time with your boyfriend? You don’t care whether Kira lives or dies, do you?”
Laney’s throat tightened at his harsh tone. Since the accident, she had been on edge, anxiously waiting for news-only to be met with his anger.
“How is she?” she asked softly.
“She’s in the hospital. Come see for yourself,” Cliff replied coldly. He hung up before she could respond.
Laney looked up, realizing Cliff had already turned and left without a word. Her chest tightened with bitterness. Summoning her strength, she pulled away from Merrick.
“Thank you for helping me with the surveillance today. But the photo scandal is still escalating, and your involvement might complicate things. You should keep your distance from me.”
Merrick frowned, clearly unwilling to leave her in this state, but Laney insisted, urging him to go.
Not long after, Philip and Madison arrived at the theater.
The exposure of her relationship with Cliff had left Laney feeling too ashamed to face Philip and Madison. But she couldn’t avoid them. Bracing herself, she made her way toward them.
To Laney’s surprise, as soon as Madison saw her, she pulled Laney into a comforting hug.
“You must be terrified. Philip and I just saw the news. Did anyone at the theater give you trouble?” Madison asked gently.
Laney’s eyes filled with tears. She stammered, “I… Madison, I’m so sorry.”
“There’s no need for an apology. You didn’t do anything unforgivable. And I’ve seen the photos-Cliff certainly didn’t look like he was forced into anything. He’s just as responsible.”
Philip nodded in agreement, offering Laney a kind look. Their understanding brought a sense of relief to Laney, but the situation remained complicated.
The scandal had spiraled into a public spectacle, making it increasingly difficult to handle, especially with the Foster family’s involvement. Laney steadied herself, trying not to let her family see her inner turmoil. After some persuasion, she convinced them to return to their tasks, not wanting to burden them further. Later, Madison took Laney home before quickly leaving again.
It wasn’t until evening that Cliff finally called Laney. His voice was sharp and accusatory.
“Done spending time with your boyfriend? You don’t care whether Kira lives or dies, do you?”
Laney’s throat tightened at his harsh tone. Since the accident, she had been on edge, anxiously waiting for news-only to be met with his anger.
“How is she?” she asked softly.
“She’s in the hospital. Come see for yourself,” Cliff replied coldly. He hung up before she could respond.
Laney smiled bitterly. The man who once handled everything for her with care and precision was now leaving her to face this alone. She composed herself and took the Hopkins family’s car to the hospital.
As Laney approached Kira’s room, raised voices reached her ears.
Inside, Kira’s family and friends were shouting insults.
Even in her weakened state, Kira’s voice was venomous, accusing Laney of attempted murder and blaming her for everything.
Laney froze just outside the door, her heart pounding. The hostile crowd inside was waiting to devour her. If she stepped in, she’d face a storm of criticism and anger. Where was Cliff? Was he inside? Had he called her here to help solve the problem-or to humiliate her? Laney’s thoughts churned as she instinctively stepped back. Turning around, she saw Cliff and Juliet walking toward her.
The air crackled with tension as Cliff approached Laney, his presence more menacing than during their earlier heated phone conversation. Beside him, Juliet’s features had hardened into a mask of pure contempt.
Her hostility toward Laney was thick enough to suffocate. Finally, Laney broke through the suffocating silence.
“Since her condition is stable, I’ll take my leave. Any remaining matters should be handled through the proper legal channels.”
“Stable?” Juliet’s voice cut through the air like a whip.
“Kira has multiple fractures and might never dance again. Do you think you can simply wash your hands of this?”
“She attempted to assault me first,” Laney responded, maintaining her composure.
“I acted purely in self-defense.”
“How convenient to play innocent when you’re the only one telling the tale!” Juliet spat.
“What reason would she have to harm you? She’s such a kind soul. Would she even dare attempt such a thing?” Her eyes blazing, Juliet pressed on.
“It’s obvious you flew into a rage and tried to silence her permanently!”
Laney countered, her voice tight with restraint, “She invaded my privacy and orchestrated a cyberbullying campaign against me. Are those actions somehow justified?”
“Who fed you that story?”
Just as Juliet seemed ready to lunge forward, Cliff’s steady voice cut through the tension.
“Juliet, contain yourself.”
Though her eyes burned with fury, Juliet recalled her earlier exchange with Cliff. Swallowing her rage, she stormed into Kira’s hospital room, the door slamming behind her with a thunderous bang.
Out of sight, but the tension remained palpable.
Laney stood rooted to the spot, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles had gone white, each breath coming in measured counts. Cliff moved toward Laney, his demeanor even more glacial than before-whether from irritation or viewing her as a nuisance remained unclear.
“There’s no surveillance in that hallway. While I don’t know the full truth, I’ve managed to contain the situation. You’re in a precarious position now. When you encounter any member of the Foster family, maintain your distance. Understood?”
Laney met his gaze unflinchingly.
“How did you resolve it?”
Each time Cliff’s gaze fell upon her pallid features, his mind betrayed him with images of her leaning against Merrick. She seemed so dependent on her new romantic interest while he scrambled anxiously to clean up her messes like some cosmic joke.
Cliff replied coldly, “How else? I struck a deal with the Foster family to keep your assault on Kira under wraps.”
Laney’s voice was hoarse.
“I didn’t hurt her! She came to my place intent on harm. They don’t believe me, and neither do you?”
She’d never been skilled at confrontation. Her body betrayed her with tremors whenever distress took hold.
The bitter irony cut deep. She was the victim, yet everyone stood against her, even Cliff, whom she’d trusted above all others, now casting blame her way. Disappointment pooled in her eyes as she faced him. Cliff remained hard-hearted.
“Yet, it’s Kira who lies in that hospital bed. You claim she slipped, but do you even believe that yourself?”