Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Clayton felt a pang at her aloofness.
“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” Clayton said, forcing a smile. Leila brushed off his hand and shook her head firmly. “No, thank you,” she said.
Clayton’s voice grew firm. “Leila, it’s chilly out here. You’ll catch a cold. And even if you don’t mind the cold, the children might get sick.”
Leila glanced at her children, unsure of what to say. She finally agreed to let Clayton drive them home.
Landon, watching from a distance, saw everything. His eyes darkened. He was too far away to hear what Leila and Clayton were talking about, but he felt a strange pang of annoyance. His mind began to wander. Maybe Clayton and Leila were more than just friends.
Landon was slightly perplexed. Clayton had mentioned before his memory loss that he had disliked Leila. Then why did he care so much about her?
Landon watched until Clayton helped Leila and the children into the car and drove away. Only then did he look away. He pulled himself together. He needed to get home early tonight. Elma was coming back tomorrow, and he hadn’t seen her in a while. He missed her terribly.
Meanwhile, Leila and her children got out of the car upon arriving at their destination. Leila thanked Clayton but didn’t invite him in.
As Leila walked toward the villa without a backward glance, Clayton couldn’t contain himself any longer and called out, “Leila!”
Leila turned around, a polite smile on her face, though it didn’t quite reach her icy eyes. “What is it?” she asked.
Clayton’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Nothing. I just wanted to thank you. I know what’s been happening with Elma, and if you hadn’t told your kids to look out for her, God knows how much worse it would have been for her.”
Leila frowned. “Instead of thanking me, why don’t you try fixing things between her and her mother?” she suggested.
Leila had done some digging and discovered it was Cara who had insisted on Elma attending the boarding school. A three-year-old kid couldn’t possibly live on their own. Making Elma live alone at school was undoubtedly more about making things difficult for her than about challenging her growth.
Every time Leila went to pick up her kids, she’d make sure to check on Elma. She noticed Elma wasn’t as cheerful as she used to be. Maybe Elma hated being stuck there, but what choice did she have?
Clayton was rendered speechless by Leila’s words and just mumbled in response.
Leila didn’t press further and took the kids home.
Calvin, who had been holding back, finally couldn’t resist asking cautiously, “Mom, my birthday’s coming up soon. Can we invite Elma?”
Calvin was aware of the tension between Leila and Elma’s parents. Even though Leila had encouraged him to befriend Elma, he wasn’t sure if she would be okay with Elma coming to their house.
To Calvin’s surprise, Leila gently patted his head. “Sure, invite her. It would be great if she could come. A fun party might cheer her up a bit.” Calvin’s face lit up with joy. “Awesome! I’ll tell her tomorrow. I bet she’ll say yes!”
Calvin had been spending a lot of time with Elma lately. She wasn’t as cold with him as she used to be. Even though she often seemed lost in her own thoughts, she appeared to perk up a bit whenever he was around.
Calvin happily went off to prepare.
Sophie looked up at Leila, her heart sinking at the exhaustion etched on her face. She gave Leila’s hand a sympathetic squeeze. “Mom, you need to get some rest. You’ve had a rough day.”
Leila smiled tiredly, pulling Sophie in for a hug and letting out a sigh.
After learning that Elma had taken leave to return home, Calvin waited a few days for her return in vain. He thought about visiting her, but he wasn’t sure if that would be crossing a line. He genuinely hoped Elma would attend his birthday party. Before, Calvin had invited Elma to have fun at his house. Although she hadn’t given a definite answer, he’d seen a flicker of excitement in her eyes.
After some hesitation, Calvin decided to track down the Morgan family’s address. He kept this mission to himself, not breathing a word to Leila.
When Calvin arrived at the imposing gates of the Morgan family estate, the guard asked for his identification. “I’m Elma’s classmate,” Calvin explained. “Could you let her know I’m here? I need to talk to her about something.”
The guard eyed Calvin’s designer clothes, figuring he wasn’t just some random kid. He called up the housekeeper to inform them of the visitor.
A few minutes later, a phone was handed to Calvin.
“It’s Miss Elma Morgan on the line,” the guard said.
Calvin’s face brightened as he took the phone, but before he could say a word, Elma’s voice, young but chillingly cold, cut through the line. “Calvin, what the hell do you think you’re doing here? Leave right now, or I’ll have the guards drag you away!” Even though Calvin knew Elma could be a bit prickly, her sudden hostility took him by surprise. He wasn’t angry, just confused. “Elma, are you okay? When are you coming back to school?”
“Why do you even care?” Elma snapped. “I told you to go away! What’s wrong with you?”
“My birthday’s coming up,” Calvin said. “And I want you to come to my party. I’ll talk to your parents. Don’t worry. Wouldn’t you like to come over?”
Elma went silent for a moment, and then her voice became frantic, almost panicked. “Go away! Get out of here! Are you crazy? Just be careful, or else…”
She hung up abruptly.
Calvin felt a chill. Something was definitely wrong. He quickly handed the phone back to the guard. “Can you try calling her again?”
The guard hesitated but took the phone.
Just then, a flashy red Maserati pulled up.
Calvin watched as a woman in sky-high heels stepped out and strode toward him. “Don’t bother calling,” she said. “If you want to see Elma, I’ll take you to her.”.
As the woman got closer, Calvin was hit by a strong wave of perfume. It was so overpowering that it nearly suffocated him, but he politely refrained from pinching his nose. Calvin looked up and recognized Cara.
Even though he wasn’t a fan of her, Calvin put on his best manners and greeted her.
Calvin wasn’t naive. “It’s alright,” he said. “I just wanted to check on how Elma is doing. If she’s not available, I can come back later.”
Cara fixed her gaze on Calvin, a sly smile spreading across her face. There was something unsettling about that smile.
“Elma’s been quite rude lately,” Cara said casually. “I’ll set her straight when I get back.” Her voice was sweet as honey, but the threat behind her words was unmistakable.
Calvin’s heart skipped a beat. “No. Elma wasn’t rude at all!” he blurted out. “It was my fault for showing up like this. I’m so sorry.”
Cara chuckled and extended her hand toward Calvin. “Come on then,” she said. “I’ll take you in, and Elma can apologize in person. How about that?”
Her hand was slender but not pretty, with long, sharp nails that looked like they could scratch someone’s eyes out. It gave Calvin the creeps.
Calvin instinctively recoiled, his body moving before his mind could catch up.
The fake warmth on Cara’s face vanished, replaced by a chilling frost. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice sharp. “Are you afraid of me? Or maybe your mother’s been poisoning your mind against me. I never thought she was capable of such a thing.”
The accusation against his mother stung, and Calvin couldn’t resist retorting, “My mom has never said a bad word about you.” Unbeknownst to Calvin, his defense only fanned the flames of Cara’s anger.
Cara’s gaze fixed on Calvin.
Calvin, with his delicate features and handsome face, bore a striking resemblance to Landon. Anyone who saw them together would know they were father and son. Yet, Calvin was the product of Landon’s relationship with another woman. A sudden wave of regret washed over Cara. Perhaps she should have taken Calvin away from Leila instead of Chloe.
Since Elma had started school, Cara had heard whispers about Calvin’s exceptional intelligence. Now, here he was, fiercely defending Leila. This filled her with resentment. What had Leila done to deserve such an adorable and intelligent child like Calvin?
A malicious glint flickered in Cara’s eyes. “It seems there’s been a misunderstanding,” she said, her voice deceptively sweet. “Why don’t you come to my house? I can make you some snacks. Anything you want.”
Calvin shook his head rapidly. “I have to go home. My mom is expecting me. I’m not into snacks. I’ll visit Elma another time.” Unfortunately, Calvin couldn’t leave.
With just a glance from Cara, the guard understood her intent and stood in Calvin’s way, preventing his departure.
This was a turn of events Calvin hadn’t anticipated at all. A wave of fear washed over him, draining the color from his face. He was still so young and innocent, too trusting of the world.
Calvin had assumed Cara wouldn’t take him in by force, as that would be illegal.
In a moment of panic, Calvin blurted out his thoughts.
Cara responded with a tinkling laugh and reached out to playfully pinch his cheek. Her sharp nails pricked his sensitive skin.
Seemingly oblivious to his discomfort, Cara exerted more pressure. “Imprison you?” she scoffed. “Don’t be silly. I simply want you to come inside with me. Besides, this is your father’s house. There’s nothing wrong with being in your father’s house.”
“Take him,” Cara commanded the guard.
With that, Cara walked inside, her high heels clicking on the floor. The guard immediately restrained Calvin.
Despite his intelligence, Calvin was still just a child. He was no match for the adults who overpowered him and easily dragged him inside.