Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“Anything else?”
Leila gestured for Landon to hold on, dashed upstairs, and swiftly returned with a document in hand, which she handed to him.
“A divorce agreement?” Landon let out a laugh at the title, not bothering to read it, and casually tossed it aside. “You want to divorce me over this minor issue? Why are you so upset?”
Leila retrieved the divorce agreement from the floor and handed it to Landon again, her expression resolute.
“Really, you want a divorce?” Landon’s expression hardened. “If that’s the case, then leave with nothing. Return all the money I’ve given you, and then I’ll let you go.”
Landon thought his words would make Leila reconsider. However, to his surprise, she immediately pulled out a card. She placed the card and the agreement on the table, explaining that she hadn’t spent a cent of his money.
Landon’s demeanor became even more forbidding, his stare intensifying with rage as he looked at Leila.
Leila took a step back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Well…” After a brief silence, Landon clenched his teeth and declared, “Filing for divorce violates our families’ agreement. Besides this, you owe me twenty million as divorce compensation! Without that, don’t even think about walking away from me!”.
Leila’s eyes widened in disbelief. Twenty million. The amount was astronomical, more than she could ever hope to earn in her lifetime. Landon was using this to decline the idea of a divorce.
Noticing the hesitation in Leila’s eyes, Landon gave a cold, mocking snort. He was just about to warn her never to bring up divorce again when he noticed her clenching her teeth, bracing herself to make a tough decision.
Resolutely, Leila raised her hand to sign, questioning whether he would accept payment in installments, given the hefty sum of money.
Landon’s laugh was laced with scorn. “Installments? How long do you need? Do you really think you can scrape together twenty million from that shabby bookstore?”
He turned to leave, but Leila hurriedly caught up with him, blocking his path. Her gesture was desperate and confused. She frantically signed, showing her willingness to step aside for Landon to marry Sarah, thinking it would be a move he would readily embrace.
Landon halted, his expression souring.
Intimidated by his glare, Leila stepped back, her slight frame quivering.
“Twenty million, not a penny less. Once you have the money, then we can discuss divorce again.” Landon forcefully ripped the divorce papers to shreds. Moments later, he stormed out, slamming the front door behind him.
Leila sank onto the sofa, her tears trickling down silently. Landon wasn’t like this before. Had she made a mistake? What if she hadn’t chosen Landon back then…
That night, Leila found herself alone again in the echoing silence of the house. She was convinced Landon wouldn’t return, but to her surprise, her phone buzzed at one in the morning. It was an unknown number.
“Are you Leila?” The voice on the other end sounded frantic.
Barely awake, Leila mumbled a response. The caller seemed to grasp her struggles in articulating and quickly spat out an address.
“Landon’s had too much to drink tonight. You need to come pick him up!” Without another word, the caller disconnected.
Confused but alert, Leila sprang up and dressed hastily, her doubts lingering. Why would Landon’s friends call her instead of Sarah? During their years together, she had scarcely met any of Landon’s friends.
Nevertheless, Leila quickly took a taxi and soon arrived at a bar named Night.
Navigating her way to the designated chamber, Leila pushed open the door and froze in her tracks. The room was in complete disarray, bottles littering the floor.
Landon lounged on the couch, his expression somber. Although he had clearly drunk quite a bit, he remained lucid. Sarah sat next to him, her head lowered, the picture of dejection.
Around them, several of Landon’s friends were in a standoff with Leila’s best friend, Linsey, and Linsey’s brother, Ethan Brooks.
Linsey, gripping a bottle but not aiming at anyone, seemed poised to shatter it over her own head.
Without a moment to lose, Leila dashed over and seized Linsey’s arm, her eyes brimming with concern.
“What are you doing?” Landon’s voice, sharp with anger, cut through the tension behind her.
Leila’s heart lurched. Landon wasn’t as drunk as she had thought, nor did he need her to come for him.
“Leila, relax. It’s just an apology. As long as it appeases Mr. Kensington and his mistress, I’ll apologize any way they want,” Linsey declared, her voice thick with resentment as she tried to shake Leila off and raise the bottle again.
Leila intercepted Linsey once more, urgently pressing for an explanation.
“It’s nothing. I just couldn’t stomach the mistress anymore and ended up slapping her,” Linsey snorted dismissively.
“You think you’re justified in hitting someone and still stand by your actions?” a voice from Landon’s group challenged Linsey, just before Sarah’s soft, pained sobs filled the room.
“Enough already. We all know Sarah is Mr. Kensington’s favorite. Why provoke her further?” Ethan stepped in, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Ethan grabbed the bottle from Linsey’s grasp. “Mr. Kensington, my sister’s just being silly. Please, don’t be hard on her. I’ll handle this drink.”
Leila’s eyes fell on the table, littered with a vibrant collection of potent foreign liquors.
“Are you trying to poison yourself with all this alcohol? Anyway, it’s my fault. I’ll take the blame for hitting her,” Linsey whispered to Ethan, attempting to reclaim the bottle.
As the situation became clearer, Leila moved forward and bowed deeply to Sarah. It was to defend her that Linsey had struck Sarah. Now, with Landon infuriated, it was her turn to endure his wrath.
The room fell silent.
After her bow, Leila made hand gestures to Sarah to express her apology.
“What’s with the signing? I don’t understand!” Sarah responded disdainfully. “If you want to make amends for your friend, use your words!”
“You!” Linsey was on the verge of exploding, but Leila held her back.
Pausing for a moment, Leila then slapped herself sharply across the face. She looked at Sarah questioningly, as if to ask whether she was satisfied now.
“Is that all?” Sarah scoffed. “It didn’t suffice. There’s no sincerity. If you really want to apologize, get on your knees!”
“Sarah!” Linsey’s voice trembled with anger at Sarah’s disgraceful request, her body poised to spring forward. Yet, Leila didn’t hesitate. She knelt down, her expression stoic.
To Leila, being inferior to Sarah when Landon was involved was an accepted truth. Anything to please Sarah seemed a worthy sacrifice.
Landon stood by passively. The actions of others held little consequence.
The floor around them was strewn with shattered glass, and as Leila’s knees hit the floor, a sharp pain shot through her. Her body swayed from the impact, yet she bore the pain stoically.
Looking up at Sarah from her position on the floor, Leila’s face was a mask of serene determination, devoid of fear or distress.
Sarah, however, remained unappeased. “You…” she started, intent on having Leila continue to degrade herself, when suddenly a man’s voice, thick with restrained anger, cut through the tension. “Enough!”
Landon rose to his feet and strode toward Leila.
“Landon!” Sarah’s voice cracked in panic as she clutched at his sleeve.
But Landon ignored Sarah, bending down to lift Leila into his arms instead.
The room fell into stunned silence. No one had anticipated this shift. They watched, mouths agape, as Landon carried Leila away, forcefully kicking open the door to the chamber as they left.
Linsey was the first to collect herself. She glanced at Sarah, who sat stunned on the couch. “See your place now? No matter what you do, Landon’s heart belongs to his wife!”
Linsey’s earlier fury had subsided, replaced by a smug satisfaction.
In a rage, Sarah seized a bottle from the table and hurled it against the floor. “Get out! All of you!”
With Leila in his arms, Landon hurried out of the bar. His driver was already outside, waiting.
Upon returning to the villa, Leila waved her hands dismissively and entered on her own. Her thick pants had cushioned her knees, which seemed unharmed by the glass shards. She gestured to Landon, silently asking how he was holding up and whether he needed some soup to sober up.
Landon remained silent, his look at Leila laden with unsaid thoughts.
Leila was puzzled. Landon’s ability to hold his liquor was well-known, and he didn’t appear drunk. Summoning her courage, she gestured to ask whether he could go easy on Linsey.