Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
The revelation had compelled Jerome to become vigilant and cooperate in staging a play.
Overwhelmed with a surge of fury and betrayal, Jerome shouted, “You bastard!”
Jerome then stood up, steadied himself with his cane, and walked over to Boris. With a swift motion borne of anger and disappointment, he struck Boris across the face with a resounding slap.
Sophia’s displeasure erupted instantly. She screamed and lunged at Boris, her glare fixated on Jerome as though he were her sworn enemy. “How could you hit my precious son? Isn’t he your own grandson? If anything happens to him because of this, you’ll regret it.”
Brent looked at Sophia with a mixture of helplessness and pain. “Watch your tone when speaking to my grandpa. Have you forgotten that he is your father? Or is your son the only one you care about?”
Sophia showed no sign of remorse. Instead, her agitation only intensified. “Yes, Boris is my only family. Why should I care about you? Did any of you care about my well-being when I suffered at the hands of the Guzmans?”
Jerome’s anger surged, his breaths quickening as he pointed accusingly at Sophia, fury choking his words.
Leila swiftly stepped forward to support Jerome, giving Sophia a stern look.
Deep down, envy simmered within Leila.
Sophia, born into the Hayes family, was ungrateful for her privileged upbringing. Spoiled by her family’s affection, she lacked worldly wisdom, which ultimately led her to make a life-altering sacrifice out of infatuation for an unworthy man.
Some might argue Sophia deserved it. Thinking she had found her true love, despite her family’s reasonable disapproval, she resolutely chose her so-called love and grew distant from her kin.
Over the years, even though Jerome couldn’t bring himself to visit Sophia, he dutifully provided financial support, mostly from his personal savings.
While not substantial, it ensured Sophia’s family lived comfortably.
Unexpectedly, their desires knew no bounds. Boris’s father fell prey to gambling addiction, squandering the family fortune.
Jerome, unwilling to endorse such destructive behavior, offered Sophia and Boris a chance to return to the Hayes family.
However, Sophia had not only declined but also demanded continued financial support from Jerome.
Naturally, Jerome refused.
In response, Sophia herself severed all contact with Jerome.
While Sophia’s past actions could be chalked up to naivety and susceptibility to manipulation, subsequent events were entirely her responsibility.
Leila even thought that if she had family members like Jerome, regardless of wealth or status, she would truly cherish them.
Despite knowing the whole truth, Jerome was still willing to give Sophia another chance.
After calming himself, Jerome took a deep breath and spoke calmly. “Sophia, I understand your susceptibility to manipulation and your lack of strong opinions. Was Boris behind all of this? You’re my daughter, and I know your nature. If you tell me the truth now, I won’t punish you. I’ll arrange for you to go abroad, and we won’t see each other again, but I’ll ensure your well-being.”
That sounded like no punishment at all.
Even Boris, positioned beside Sophia, widened his eyes in disbelief, marveling at Jerome’s leniency toward her. Sophia had a chance at a new life. Why couldn’t he have the same opportunity?
Sophia, however, looked resolute. “I will always choose my son over you, old man. No one can drive a wedge between Boris and me!”
Sophia’s defiant words were abruptly cut off when she witnessed Boris, in a pitiful state, crawling toward Jerome, desperately clinging to Jerome’s pant leg.
Boris’s voice was pleading as he spoke. “Grandpa, please forgive me. The plots to return to the Hayes family and the attempt to poison you were masterminded by my mother. I’m innocent. I didn’t partake in these dark deeds. How could I understand such machinations? Without my mother’s influence, how could I harbor such animosity toward you?
Since I was young, my mother filled my head with lies, painting you as heartless and deserving of death. I was deceived. While I admit I deserve punishment, remember, I am your grandson and a member of the Hayes family. It is my mother who is the true threat to our family, not me.”
Sophia stared in disbelief at her son, who had so completely twisted the truth and betrayed her. She gasped for air, the shock nearly causing her to faint.
Jerome looked down at Boris with a complex expression, and then, under Boris’s intense gaze, he raised his foot and delivered a fierce kick to Boris’s back.
“You spineless coward!” Jerome exclaimed. “What nonsense are you spouting? Without your mother, you wouldn’t even be here!”
Boris cried out in pain from the blow, and Sophia, previously quick to defend her son, now stood numbly to the side, tears streaming down her face, overwhelmed by the betrayal.
Sophia’s eyes held a tumult of emotions, her hatred mingled with regret. However, it was too late now.
Despite Sophia’s desperate wish for Jerome’s sympathy, he no longer spared them. “From now on, they are no longer part of our Hayes family.”
At that moment, Sophia finally understood the depth of irreparable regret. In a voice cracked with anguish, she cried out, “Dad, don’t you want me anymore? I’m your cherished daughter. If my mom were still alive, she would be devastated. You promised you would always protect me.”
Once full of vigor, Jerome now seemed to have aged decades in a heartbeat.
For the first time, Leila had seen such weariness etched on Jerome’s face.
Jerome sighed heavily and declared his decision, “Sophia and Boris will suffer until they reveal something substantial, after which they will be sent abroad. Make sure to break one of their legs as a minor punishment.”
The announcement dashed Sophia’s and Boris’ last shreds of hope, leaving them in despair. Their desperate pleas turned into harsh curses.
Leila couldn’t help but exhale a relieved sigh. Fortunately, Jerome wasn’t swayed by Sophia’s words, showing no mercy. Despite Jerome’s family ties to Sophia and Boris, keeping individuals like them around was akin to nurturing a venomous serpent.
Visibly fatigued, Jerome said, exhausted, “I need to rest. Brent, come here. I have something important to discuss with you.”
Jerome’s words hung in the air, his gaze lingering momentarily on Leila.
Leila couldn’t decipher Jerome’s intentions, but she suspected they were somehow connected to her.
Meanwhile, Edgar rushed into Landon’s ward, his expression grim. “Mr. Kensington, just as you suspected, that doctor is nowhere to be found. Not only has he vanished, but his entire family seems to have disappeared. I also discovered his wife recently received a substantial sum of money transferred to her under your mother’s name.”
Landon frowned. Something was terribly amiss. Shirley remained unaware of Leila’s pregnancy. There was no way Shirley could have known this doctor.
Ever since the tense argument with Landon earlier, Shirley’s relationship with him had soured, but things had improved with Dean and Melinda.
Reflecting on the day when Melinda “coincidentally” showed up at the hospital, Landon soon pieced things together without having to question the doctor.
Landon lost his cool and abruptly yanked the IV out of his arm.
Edgar was taken aback by such an impulsive action. “Mr. Kensington, what on earth are you doing? The doctor explicitly warned against getting worked up right now. You need to rest.”
Landon’s face paled, his expression betraying a storm of emotions. “I have to find Leila! I need to know whose child she is carrying. Surely it can’t be Brent’s, can it? How could she be with him?”
As Landon spoke, he felt like slapping himself. Why hadn’t he realized this sooner?
Landon’s insecurity lay in his clear knowledge of Leila’s allure.
From a young age, Leila had always drawn admirers like moths to a flame.
Though furious, there wasn’t much Landon could do. He could only adopt an indifferent demeanor, hoping to scare off her suitors.
Occasionally, Landon would caution Leila about her choice of company, threatening to kick her out if she continued associating with dubious characters.
This tactic worked like a charm. Leila quickly cowered and never really considered her pursuers.
Landon knew all too well that he was merely bluffing. If Leila truly had feelings for someone else, he was powerless to change that.
Landon had thought about whether the child growing in Leila’s belly was actually his. But each time this question surfaced, his mind wandered back to the first time Leila had been pregnant.
At that time, he had been eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the child growing in Leila’s womb. Yet, the moment he learned of Leila’s pregnancy, it was swiftly followed by the devastating news of her decision to terminate it.
It left Landon with a whirlwind of pain and confusion. Why had she chosen to do this? Did she harbor such animosity toward him that she couldn’t bear the thought of carrying their child?
After that, the doctor delivered the news to Landon that Leila was not suitable to conceive. It was a devastating blow, and Landon reluctantly let go of his hope for having their child.
Since then, Landon had taken care to ensure they used contraception, honoring Leila’s wishes.
Now that the child growing inside Leila likely was his, Landon couldn’t help but wonder why Leila hadn’t shared her pregnancy with him sooner. What thoughts were crossing her mind? Did she deliberately keep this from him even after knowing that the child was his?