Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Stan’s mood soured. He knew that letting go of Courtney was the smartest move he could make at that particular time.
Yet, he had to confess that operating without Courtney was proving to be a real hassle. Finding someone as compliant yet quick-witted as Courtney wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.
Stan couldn’t resist saying, “Leila, I think it’s been long enough for you to move past this. Nothing really happened to you. Plus, Courtney didn’t act with malice. If you push this further, it’s practically challenging the Kensington family. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to stir up trouble before you have firmly established yourself in Avalon.”
Was he threatening her? Leila’s thoughts were laced with disdain. Outwardly, she nodded with serious composure. “You are right. I can let Courtney come back to you.”
Stan smiled at her words, satisfied. But then Leila added, her voice cool and measured, “It really depends on whether you can afford the risk of asking Courtney to handle things for you after everything.
I would advise against it. She is deeply disappointed with you now. Moreover, she has suffered a great deal at my hands with you being the direct reason. Therefore, she harbors resentment toward both of us.”
Stan’s smile faltered, his expression growing tense. Leila maintained her bright smile, but her eyes remained cold. Stan’s fists clenched at his sides. For years, he had become adept at concealing his emotions. But this mask always slipped in the presence of two people. One was Landon, and the other was Leila.
Strangely, Stan saw so much of Landon in Leila, almost as if she was a mirror image of him. That realization didn’t sit well with Stan. Though preferring not to involve herself in others’ affairs, Melinda watched as Stan struggled to keep his feelings in check. With a sigh, she said to her daughter, “Zuri, look, Sophie is here. Why don’t you go play with her?”
Zuri’s demeanor was a far cry from the humble and flattering persona she had displayed during her previous visit to Leila’s place. Now, Zuri was impeccably dressed and looked cute and noble. With her chin held high and an imperious gaze, she looked down her nose at everyone around her. Her manners were anything but polite.
Yet, Leila understood. Zuri was young and not sensible, driven by vanity and a desire to save face, needing to uphold her dignity in the public eye. Leila didn’t respond right away. She lowered her gaze and focused on Sophie.
Sophie’s eyes brightened as she looked up and smiled sweetly. “I want to play with Zuri, Mommy. Can I?”
Leila gently patted Sophie’s head. “Sure, sweetheart. Just remember not to wander too far, and be polite.”
Sophie nodded eagerly and skipped off toward Zuri. Deciding not to waste her time on Stan any longer, Leila turned her attention elsewhere. She went around and reconnected with some old friends.
“Leila!” Linsey’s voice rang out as she rushed over, enveloping Leila in a heartfelt hug. Tears glistened in Linsey’s eyes as she spoke, “I thought you had disappeared for good! It’s been ages since I last saw you. My brother and I have missed you so much.”
Leila felt a lump form in her throat when she heard that. She longed to return to Avalon, partly because of her friends. Despite staying in touch constantly, it wasn’t the same as being with them in person.
Back then, Leila had left abruptly, her departure fueled by the urgency of the Nixon family’s perilous situation. In her haste, she hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to anyone. Now that she finally reunited with her friends, a wave of relief washed over her.
Wiping away Linsey’s tears, Leila smiled gently and said, “Why are you crying like that? You are an adult now, yet here you are, acting like a child. Sophie is just like you. I’ll take you to her later. She will be thrilled to see her godmother.”
“Alright,” Linsey replied, her eyes lighting up. “I knew your throat had healed. But when I heard your voice, it still felt somewhat surreal. You have such a beautiful voice. If you pursued singing, you would definitely make a famous singer nationwide.”
Leila chuckled at Linsey’s compliment. As they walked together, Linsey took Leila’s arm. “Come this way. I want to show you to two people. They have attended this banquet as well.”
“Who are they?” Leila asked, puzzled.
Linsey’s eyes twinkled with a playful mystery, “You will find out as soon as you see them.”
Leila glanced ahead and saw Brent and Irene approaching, hand in hand. A few years had passed-Brent had grown into a more distinguished and handsome man, while Irene had become even more beautiful and graceful.
Leila’s gaze was drawn to the dazzling diamond ring on Irene’s finger. She gasped in surprise and turned to Linsey. “They…”
Irene’s face lit up with joy when she saw Leila. She hurried over and clasped Leila’s hand in hers. Though not as excited as Linsey when spotting Leila, Irene’s eyes welled up with emotion. “Leila, I can’t believe I’m seeing you again.”
Leila’s heart swelled with emotion. “I’m back now. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. But let’s not dwell on the past right now. Don’t you have good news to share with me?” Leila glanced at Brent and Irene with a playful glint in her eyes.
Irene’s cheeks turned red, and she looked a bit bashful. Brent stepped closer and gently took Irene’s hand in his.
“We just made the decision not long ago. As someone who likes to get things done, I wanted to celebrate right away. We held the engagement party as soon as we could. I thought it was important to share the news with you and make Irene feel a bit more at ease!”
Irene huffed, “Were you trying to make me feel better, or was it just to ease your own mind?”
Brent cleared his throat, and a flush of red crept up his ears. Everyone was living a blissful and serene life. Leila felt genuinely content.
Brent didn’t let the reason for their visit slip his mind. He turned to Leila with a sense of urgency and said, “Leila, make sure to visit my grandpa when you get a chance. He talks about you all the time these days. He is in good health now, but it’s better if he stays indoors. If I hadn’t told him you might come by this weekend, he would have insisted on coming out today. We cannot do anything about it. The older he gets, the more he acts like a child.”.
Leila couldn’t help but chuckle. “My grandfather is the same way. He acts like a child, too.”
At the mention of Tyrone, Leila’s expression changed noticeably. Her smile waned, becoming almost imperceptible. The others exchanged puzzled glances, sensing the sudden change in Leila’s mood but unable to grasp its cause.
Leila had deliberately blocked the news of Tyrone’s disappearance and hadn’t told anyone about it. Sensing the growing tension, Linsey stepped in to lighten the mood. “Leila, why don’t you take me to see Sophie now?”
Just then, a scream pierced the air, startling the crowd. Moments later, a child’s cry followed. Leila’s eyelids twitched, and she dashed over to the scene.
Sophie sat on the floor, her clothes dirty. She cried sadly. Standing beside Sophie with a look of indifference, Zuri addressed the bewildered adults, her voice carrying clearly. “I didn’t do anything. She was caught stealing.” Zuri’s words set off a murmur among the onlookers. “Oh, my God! Stealing? Could that really be true? She’s just a kid. How could she steal anything?”
“Some kids just have it in them. You can tell by looking. These days, some kids are just naturally troublemakers. Her mother, Leila, isn’t exactly a role model. It makes sense her daughter would turn out this way.”
Sophie tried to protest. But at her tender age, her speech was still developing. Overwhelmed by her emotions, her attempts at speaking were jumbled and unclear. An irate, stout woman marched over and seized Sophie’s wrist.
“Well? Aren’t you going to confess? I caught you flaunting my bracelet. You’re so young, yet you’re already thieving! And still, you deny it even when caught red-handed. Leave this place at once.” Gripping Sophie’s wrist, the woman began to drag her away.
Just then, Leila arrived at the scene to find Sophie struggling to free herself from the woman’s grip. Despite her efforts, Sophie was too young and lacked the strength to break free. The harsh grip left vivid red marks on Sophie’s delicate arm.
Incensed, Leila nearly let loose a tirade at the woman. She quickly stepped in, pulling Sophie out of the woman’s grasp.
Sophie, upon seeing Leila, felt a wave of relief mixed with injustice. She had been crying quietly, but now, safe in Leila’s arms, she burst into uncontrollable tears. “Mommy, I didn’t take anything! I swear I didn’t!”
Taking a moment to steady herself, Leila fixed a cold stare on the woman. “Excuse me, but do you have any proof that my daughter stole anything? She’s just a child. She doesn’t even realize the value of jewelry. Besides, why would she take your bracelet, which is too big for her to wear?”
The woman sneered arrogantly, “Don’t dwell on such questions. Who can fathom her thoughts? Perhaps she was always inclined to wrongdoing and theft. Anyway, I saw with my own eyes that my bracelet was in her possession.
I remember how you used to rely on the Kensington family to scrape by. Life must have been tough for you then. Even now, it seems you can’t shake off those old habits. You can’t even teach your daughter properly, so she mimics your behavior.”
“What are you implying?” Linsey was seething with anger, on the verge of confronting the woman. Just then, Irene arrived, placing a restraining hand on Linsey’s shoulder, her expression grave. “Linsey, please, calm down,” she urged. Leaning closer, Irene murmured to both Leila and Linsey, “This woman is no ordinary person. She’s Joanna’s aunt.”
This implied that this woman was the younger sister of Charlee, a formidable figure in her own right. A former civil servant turned vice mayor of Burmoos, Charlee was known for her steadfast and impartial nature.
Having risen through the ranks due to her capabilities, she was serious and staunch, with a reputation for fairness. Left with a younger sister after their parents’ passing, Charlee was deeply indulgent in her younger sister.
The woman they were facing was Charlee’s much-loved younger sister, Evelyn Nelson.
Upon hearing Irene’s words, Linsey felt a ripple of fear, yet her statement was hushed and firm as she gazed at Evelyn. “I don’t understand what’s going on. But Sophie’s just a two-year-old. What could she possibly know about stealing? She must have been set up.”
Leila offered Linsey a calm glance before stepping up and addressing Evelyn with a chill in her voice. “You need proof to make such claims. If you’re accusing my daughter of theft, present your evidence. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to involve the police. If it turns out Sophie is at fault, I assure you, I won’t defend her wrongdoings. She will apologize and make amends. But first, you must prove she was the one who took your bracelet.”
Evelyn scoffed and jabbed a finger toward Zuri, asserting, “I don’t have proof, but I have a witness. This kid and your daughter were playing together earlier. I saw your daughter sneak over, grab the bracelet from the table, and take off. Then, that little girl confronted your daughter about stealing. I heard everything.”
Leila turned to Zuri, a look of astonishment on her face. As the crowd grew, Zuri’s timidity returned. She nervously twiddled with her dress. Taking a deep breath, Leila approached Zuri, softening her tone as much as possible.
“Zuri, can you tell me what you saw? Did Sophie really take it? Or is there some confusion here?”
Zuri gazed up at Leila, her eyes welling with tears. Instead of answering Leila’s question, her lips quivered, and she burst into tears. “I… I really saw her stealing! Why are you all being so mean to me? I don’t want to play with her anymore! I want to go home. I want to see my mother!”
Onlookers quickly assumed that Leila was the one upsetting Zuri, labeling her a bully. Evelyn couldn’t resist chiding Leila.
“You accuse me of bullying your child, yet you coerce another little girl into lying for your daughter. What kind of mother does that make you? I doubt you can raise your daughter properly. Just have your daughter apologize to me and promise she won’t steal again, and I’ll drop this.”
Leila’s forehead pulsed with visible veins as Zuri sobbed uncontrollably. Sophie clutched Leila’s hand tightly, shaking her head frantically. “Mommy, I didn’t take anything! I swear I didn’t. Why should I apologize? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Leila stroked Sophie’s hair, trying to soothe her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mommy’s right here for you.” Leila caught the blend of guilt and smugness in Zuri’s tearful eyes. She shivered slightly. Zuri, though just a child, had already mastered the art of deception.
The Kensington household was no sanctuary of virtue. Even as a child, Zuri had already taken on the traits of loose morals from other family members. Leila’s scoff was sharp, her gaze icy as it landed on Zuri.
“Sophie won’t be apologizing to you because she hasn’t stolen anything,” Leila said to Evelyn word by word, her tone firm. “Your bracelet might be invaluable, but that doesn’t mean I or Sophie don’t own one just like it.”
Evelyn gave a derisive laugh, flaunting her bracelet. “Do you really know? This is made of emerald, specific to Glassy Species Jadeite. It’s beyond mere value. I’m sure some of the gathered guests know about it. Go ahead and examine it closely. See if I’m bluffing.”
Several people stepped forward to scrutinize the bracelet, nodding in agreement after their inspection. “Indeed, it’s exceptional. Such quality isn’t found easily.”
“It’s not easily bought. Leila is skilled in deceit. It is quite humorous. After being ousted from the Nixon family, Leila couldn’t possibly possess such fine items.”