Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Exhausted by the lies and manipulation, Ruth’s mother finally decided to escape with her daughter, leaving Barth behind.
Years went by, and fate played a cruel trick when Jenny and Ruth ended up at the same university. The past that Ruth’s mother had tried so hard to leave behind resurfaced when Barth spotted Ruth on campus. He recognized her immediately-his daughter, the one he had abandoned.
The fragile peace of Ruth’s life shattered once more. Her mother, already in poor health, was unable to recover with the turmoil stirred up by their past.
Determined not to be threatened any longer, Ruth’s mother decided to confront the Patterson family directly. She went to their home, ready to reveal the truth to everyone, including Jenny’s mother.
However, tragedy struck. Jenny’s mother, unable to cope with the shocking revelation, jumped from the building, ending her life. Jenny and Ruth were both present, witnesses to the unthinkable.
No one could have predicted such a turn of events. From that day forward, Jenny harbored a deep hatred for Ruth. The situation worsened when Ruth’s mother passed away, and the Patterson family rejected Ruth entirely.
Only Barth’s mother, Tilda, stood by her side. Despite the family’s refusal, Tilda insisted that Ruth was her granddaughter and she wouldn’t abandon her.
Ruth reluctantly followed Tilda back to a small, secluded home. Initially, she believed it was a ploy by the Patterson family to keep her hidden away, ensuring she wouldn’t interfere with Jenny’s life. But what Ruth found was far from a trap. It was a life of hardship that Tilda had endured alone.
In time, Ruth uncovered the shocking truth. Barth wasn’t Tilda’s biological son but an adopted child. Tilda had taken Barth in from an orphanage and raised him with all she had, never expecting that once he gained wealth, he would abandon her completely.
Tilda took Ruth in out of compassion, feeling a deep sense of responsibility for the young woman’s fate. Despite not sharing any blood ties, Ruth and Tilda became each other’s lifeline, holding on to the fragile bond that was all Ruth had left in the world.
With tears streaming down her face, Ruth choked out, “I know Jenny stole my manuscript. She framed me, but what can I do? My mother is indirectly responsible for her mother’s death. Leila, do you believe it was my mother’s fault? Should she have just kept quiet?”
Leila, her heart aching for Ruth, handed Ruth a tissue. She let out a soft sigh, feeling the weight of the tragic circumstances that had shaped Ruth’s life.
“Let me share my thoughts,” Leila said gently. “If your mother hadn’t spoken up back then, your family would have been harassed relentlessly, and Barth would have continued to manipulate her, using you as leverage.
Your mother might have been driven to despair, or perhaps Barth would have eventually moved on to a new woman. And think about it.
What would Barth’s wife have done if that happened? Given his history as a playboy, it’s hard to believe he hadn’t had other affairs over the years. How do you think his wife managed to cope with that?”
Ruth thought back carefully, recalling Barth’s wife’s deteriorating condition during that time. Ruth remembered the day Barth’s wife was rushed to the hospital, and the doctor’s words, spoken in frustration to Barth and Jenny, came to mind.
“I warned you both that her bipolar disorder was severe. How could you let her go to the balcony?”
At the time, Ruth and her mother were too consumed by guilt to fully register the gravity of those words.
“The real villain in this story is Barth, not you,” Leila continued. “You were deceived, and you didn’t set out to disrupt anyone’s life. You only sought the truth out of desperation. Jenny has wronged you for so long. That should be stopped.”
Ruth looked up at Leila, her expression dazed. “So, I don’t really owe her anything?”
Leila offered a reassuring smile. “You never owed her anything.”
Ruth stood up, a moment of clarity washing over her, but then she hesitated and sat back down. “But what’s the point in clearing things up now? The damage is done, and there’s no going back.”
Ruth looked at Leila with gratitude, her eyes brimming with emotion. “Miss Nixon, thank you for listening. You’re the first person to take my side. And thank you for helping my grandmother with her medical expenses. I don’t know how to express my gratitude. I was so unreasonable to you earlier!”
Overcome with emotion, Ruth bowed her head to Leila, tears streaming down her face.
Leila quickly reached out, lifting her back up, her heart aching as she watched Ruth’s tears fall.
Ruth was younger than Leila, a constant reminder of Sophie to her. Leila couldn’t shake off her worries. Would Sophie face the same bullying and false accusations when she grew older? What actions would she need to take?
After soothing Ruth’s worries, Leila shared her strategy. “My plan is for you to return to the Turner Group and continue your work as a designer.”
Ruth was taken aback. “Miss Nixon, maybe you need to reconsider. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to work for you right now. I’m just not cut out to be a designer at the moment. If I join your team, I’ll just bring you problems.”
Leila shook her head, unfazed. “I’m not worried about problems,” she replied with a smile. “I always say fortune comes to those who dare to take risks, and success favors the bold. Prepare to come back to the company.
And don’t worry, if you’re not ready to reveal who you are just yet, I can make arrangements for that. What you need to focus on now is-“
Glancing at her watch, Leila remarked, “It’s too late now. I’ll take both you and your grandmother to the hospital tomorrow. Don’t worry. I trust everyone there, and they’ll keep everything confidential.”
Ruth nodded in agreement.
Despite the house’s rundown condition, Ruth and her grandmother did their best to make Leila comfortable. They offered her the best sleeping spot and the finest food they could muster. Leila felt a mix of emotions.
Realizing Leila was indeed here to help, Tilda dropped her hostility and smiled warmly at her.
“Miss Nixon, you are Ruth’s guardian angel. Originally, she was destined for a bright future as a talented young girl, but she’s been stuck living this tough life with me. She’s weighed down by my failure to guide Barth properly. I… I don’t know how to repay your kindness. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word.”
Leila tenderly ran her fingers through Tilda’s gray hair. “Don’t mention it. Ruth did me a great favor by sharing her past with me. Actually, the company is on the brink of collapse, and seeking the truth about the plagiarism incident is my only option. We are helping each other. I owe her as much as she owes me.”
Tilda sighed deeply, her frustration palpable. She slammed her hands on her knees. “Barth and Jenny are merciless. It’s been so long, yet they still won’t let go. I’m at a loss. They aren’t my flesh and blood, and they clearly despise me,” she lamented, tears welling up in her eyes.
After Tilda went to bed, Ruth had something else to tell Leila. Surprisingly, Tilda once had a child of her own. When she adopted Barth out of compassion, her own child was still alive.
Then, one tragic summer day, the two children went swimming, and for reasons unknown, Tilda’s biological child drowned. It was rumored that Tilda’s biological son had sacrificed himself for Barth.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Tilda never held it against Barth. Instead, she devoted herself to raising him. Sadly, her kindness wasn’t repaid. Barth grew up to be ungrateful.
To complicate matters, Jenny and Barth had recently revealed Tilda’s location to the media as a form of leverage over Ruth. What was once a charming farmhouse was now a scene of chaos, its address disclosed and invaded by troublemakers.
The rest of the village remained indifferent, offering no support or concern for their plight. Tilda reached out to Barth for help, but his response was cold: “You were behind that disgraceful act, and now you dare to seek my help? I told you to leave her be. Why can’t you let her suffer the consequences on her own?” Their argument escalated, with Barth even threatening to cut Tilda off financially.
Despite this, Tilda remained resolute about taking Ruth in.
As Ruth shared the minute details of her relationship with Tilda, Leila found her thoughts drifting to Tyrone.
“Both my parents and paternal grandparents have passed away. The only family I have left is my mother’s father,” Leila explained with a steady voice, as if she were recounting her own story.
“But my grandfather suffers from Alzheimer’s, and now he’s missing. I don’t know where he is. I heard he might be in Halstead, so I rushed here, but there’s been no sign of him. I’m not sure if I’ll ever find him.”
Leila’s voice faltered slightly, and she felt a tightness in her throat as she spoke. Fighting back her tears, Leila added, “You’ve got your grandma nearby. She loves you deeply. It’s all going to be alright.”
Ruth gave Leila a worried glance. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “I’d rather not bring her up, but if you’re looking to find a lost elderly person, she might just be able to help.”
Then, Ruth went on to introduce Jenny to Leila. Since starting college, Jenny had dedicated herself to charitable work, rescuing many children and the elderly. As a result, practically no homeless seniors or children could be found in Halstead.
If Leila’s grandfather ended up in Halstead and became homeless, chances were he’d encounter Jenny. Leila recalled hearing that Jenny had adopted homeless elderly people.
Confused, Leila questioned, “But if she found a lost elderly person, not just a homeless one, shouldn’t she have taken them to the police?”
Upon arriving in Halstead, Leila had immediately checked with the local police station. However, they had no record of an old man fitting Tyrone’s description. Clearly, nobody had brought him in.
Ruth shook her head, perplexed. “I’m not sure. The media always praises her good deeds, but they never provide the specifics. However, the elderly people she has taken under her care should be secure for the time being. After all, the media was scheduled to interview them; they typically faced the media about once every month.”
Upon hearing this, Leila’s expression turned to one of concern, and she hurriedly pulled out her phone to do a search.
Sure enough, Leila came across a news article about Jenny. The article featured photographs from last month, showing Jenny alongside the elderly and children she had been caring for.
Leila’s eyes immediately picked out a figure that seemed familiar to her. However, the crowd was too dense to capture a complete image. The figure she recognized was only shown from the waist up, and the face remained unseen.
Leila couldn’t tell if it was just her intuition, but she was convinced that this was the person she had been searching for.
With a tight grip on her phone, Leila resolved to visit Jenny’s charity studio the following day to hopefully learn more.
The next morning, Leila set out and made her way directly to Jenny’s charity studio. When Jenny heard the news and arrived to see Leila, a hint of bitterness flickered in her eyes, but she swiftly composed herself. “Miss Nixon, welcome.”
Facing Jenny, Leila didn’t beat around the bush.
“Miss Patterson,” Leila said, extending her hand with a warm, genuine smile, as though the past had never cast a shadow between them.
“I have heard wonderful things about your charitable work. A friend of mine has an elderly relative who has recently gone missing in Halstead.
May I come by and take a look around? Please understand, it’s not that I doubt you. It’s just that my friend’s relative suffers from dementia, which makes it difficult for him to recall his whereabouts or how to find his way back.”