Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
As the hot water cascaded down, Cliff couldn’t escape the memory of Laney’s tearful eyes. She was always so emotional. When she had come into his life three years ago, she had wept in his arms, and from that moment, she had clung to him, affectionately calling him. Her small, endearing form had naturally drawn his protective instincts. However, she had misinterpreted his familial affection for something more romantic.
When Laney first timidly confessed her feelings, Cliff dismissed it as youthful misunderstanding and tried to gently correct her. But she escalated, sneaking into his bed at night and kissing him in his sleep.
The first time, Cliff had dismissed it, advising her to concentrate on her studies and avoid distractions. She had agreed eagerly. Yet that same night, she returned-not merely pecking his lips but attempting a deeper kiss.
Cliff struggled to recall exactly how he had scolded her into tears, but he vividly remembered the sensation of her soft tongue awkwardly touching his lips. He rubbed his throbbing forehead, realizing it was time to be more assertive. Though not biologically related, Laney had been lovingly raised in the Hopkins family, where she was doted upon. Her stubborn affection showed no signs of waning. It might be time to seriously consider his father’s advice to marry someone from a suitable family..
Cliff’s driver personally took Laney to the theater. Watching her through the rearview mirror with grandfatherly concern, the driver attempted to soothe her wounded heart. “Mr. Hopkins had quite a bit to drink today and isn’t fully himself. Don’t take his harsh words to heart. You know how he is-sharp tongue, soft heart.”
Silent tears traced paths down Laney’s cheeks. Deep down, she knew the driver spoke the truth. Cliff stood as the unwavering pillar of the Hopkins family, his kindness touching everyone around him. Even after discovering her feelings and deliberately maintaining his distance, he never once faltered in his responsibilities. But tonight, his words had cut too deep. Her pride and dignity lay in tatters, trampled beneath his thoughtless remarks.
Just then, Laney’s phone chimed, piercing the heavy silence. A bank transfer notification illuminated her screen, accompanied by Cliff’s message: “Here’s your allowance for this month. Let me know if you need more.”
Laney bit her lip. Her monthly expenses ran into hundreds of thousands, and the allowance Cliff gave her separately was around fifty thousand, just as generous as Madison’s. Despite Laney’s repeated protests about the sum unnecessarily exceeding her budget, Cliff brushed aside her concerns with casual indifference. Sometimes, as if to spite her, he’d increase the amount further.
In a surge of defiance, Laney returned the money without a word.
Cliff’s response came swiftly. “What’s the meaning of this?”
Laney wanted to say that she didn’t need his money. Yet, fearing he might get upset, she softened her reply. “I have a salary now. You don’t need to give me an allowance anymore.”
“A whopping eight thousand after tax a month?” Cliff’s sarcasm dripped through the text.
Laney stared at her screen, wordless. Even through the cold digital interface, she could perfectly envision his mocking expression. Her fingers jabbed at the screen with frustrated intensity, each tap aimed at his imagined face.
The conversation died there, with Cliff maintaining his digital silence. As they pulled up to the theater, Laney stepped out, turning to thank the driver. After a moment’s hesitation, she added softly, “Could you please bring a remedy for hangovers for Cliff on your way back?”
The driver smiled warmly. “Of course, Miss Collins.”
For the next week, Laney avoided the Hopkins family estate entirely. Though she initially threw herself into rehearsals, determined to extinguish her feelings for Cliff, her resolve began to crack as the days wore on, her heart betraying her once again.
During lunch with friends, her fingers betrayed her once more, pulling up her chat history with Cliff before she could stop herself.
Scrolling through their chat history, a painful pattern emerged. Her countless messages were met only by his sparse replies. Yet, she had persisted, filling their digital silence with her words.
With each message Laney reread, anger bubbled up inside her, until she found herself biting down hard on her fork, the metal pressing against her teeth.
Kailyn Schultz watched Laney from across the table, concern etching her features as she noticed Laney’s untouched plate. “We need to maintain our figures, but that doesn’t mean skipping meals entirely,” she said softly. “Don’t push yourself too hard, Laney.”
Thinking of next month’s competition, Laney felt even more dejected. “I have no appetite.”
Kailyn asked, “What’s wrong? You’ve been in another world these past few days. Are you feeling unwell?”
Laney shook her head. Her heart ached from Cliff’s harsh words, made worse by his stubborn silence-no apology, not even a simple greeting. The weight of her feelings finally spilled over. Laney ventured softly, “I have a friend, who’s in love with her brother but can’t be with him. What should she do?”
Kailyn’s eyes widened. “You like your brother?”
“No, no!” Laney waved her hands frantically. “It’s just a friend of mine.”
Already seeing through her excuse, Kailyn frowned. “Biological siblings? That’s not good, Laney.”
Laney quickly clarified, “Not biological. She’s adopted.”
With a knowing glance, Kailyn rested her chin on her palm, studying Laney’s flushed face. “So, what do you want to do? Give up on him or try to win him over?”
Laney continued to deny, “It’s not me, it’s my friend.” Her voice gradually trailed off.
Laney cleared her throat, pushing around the food on her plate. “If it’s about winning him over… any good ideas?”
Kailyn, blessed with both privilege and a colorful dating history, carried none of Laney’s reservations. “The best way is to just go for it,” she declared with absolute conviction. “Who cares if he likes it or not? Enjoy it first.”
A ghost of a smile flickered across Laney’s lips, quickly fading into melancholy. “He doesn’t like my friend’s type,” she murmured.
“What type is your friend?” Kailyn prodded gently, her eyes knowing.
“Round face, loves to eat and sleep, not very bright, cries too easily, dresses like a schoolgirl,” Laney admitted with a self-deprecating smile. “You do have a good sense of self-awareness,” Kailyn muttered to herself.
“Has he ever mentioned his type?” Kailyn probed gently.
“Definitely the opposite of my friend,” Laney’s voice dropped to a whisper. “A mature woman, perhaps.” The image materialized in her mind unbidden-sleek black stockings, stiletto heels, cascading waves of hair, and blood-red lips-a perfect complement to Cliff’s commanding military presence.
“Then maybe it’s time for a makeover. See if that catches his eye. If not, he’s just not into you. Don’t waste time pining-there are plenty of men in the world,” Kailyn suggested.
Laney’s eyes fell to her plate, her heart sinking further.
The afternoon rehearsal found Laney spinning listlessly across the stage, her movements lacking their usual grace.
As dizziness overtook her empty stomach, Laney stumbled, reaching blindly for support. Her hand found purchase, only for her eyes to meet Kira Foster’s cold stare.
“Sorry, I didn’t see it was you.” Laney withdrew her hand quickly.
The theater’s ballet company was filled with dancers from privileged backgrounds, their competitive nature usually masked by polite facades. But Kira, the most domineering of them all, never bothered with such pretenses. She had always viewed Laney as her rival for lead roles.
Today, seeing Laney’s vulnerability, Kira seized her chance. Under the guise of a dance move, she shoved Laney hard, deliberately grinding her heel into Laney’s toes as she passed.
Laney bit back a cry, clutching her foot as she stumbled backward.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you,” Kira said, triumph dancing in her voice.
Kailyn paused and moved over to help Laney. “What’s wrong? Is your ankle okay?”
Laney’s complexion became pale with pain. Kailyn removed Laney’s shoe and noticed her instep was red and swollen.
“Damn, who did this?” Kailyn quickly turned to Kira and accused her. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
Kira stood there, her arms folded across her chest, carrying the elegant grace of a swan. “It wasn’t on purpose. Besides, she surprised me first. It startled me and I accidentally stepped on her foot.”
Kailyn answered, “Accidentally? You crushed her foot! What are you, an elephant?”
The bystanders muffled their laughter behind their hands.
Kira was unaffected by their giggles, since the sight of Laney in discomfort pleased her enough. She replied, feigning fear, “I’m sorry, Miss Collins. Please don’t make things difficult for me or my family now that I’ve apologized. I dared not target you, not with your support from the influential Collins family.”
Kailyn couldn’t stand people like Kira and was about to slap her. Laney quickly pulled Kailyn back and shook her head, signaling Kailyn to keep her composure.
What Kira said wasn’t entirely wrong. Laney did have an advantage from her family’s status, yet she had earned her own place through hard work. She believed she deserved her position.
Kira’s family, too, was involved in significant business ventures. Laney didn’t want Kailyn getting mixed up in this. She decided to deal with the situation herself.
Kira was familiar with Laney’s nature, which emboldened her. She looked at Laney mockingly. “Does it still hurt, Miss Collins? Should I call the director so you can tell on me and get me in trouble?”
Laney managed a weak smile. “It doesn’t hurt that much anymore. It’s really nothing.”
As Laney spoke, she leaned on Kailyn, limping forward.
A dancer relied heavily on her feet, and Kira had been merciless.
The more Laney thought about it, the more her anger grew. She muttered under her breath, “I can’t walk on it. I’ll have to hop instead.”
Kailyn suggested, “Let me carry you to the infirmary.”
“There’s no need. I’ll try hopping.” Laney added as she hopped, “It seems to work.”
As Laney hopped near Kira, she suddenly released Kailyn’s hand, jumped, and stomped forcefully on Kira’s foot. Her stomp was heavy with all her pent-up frustration and vengeance.
Kira let out a scream of agony, losing her usual poise and swearing at Laney.
Laney put on a look of shock. “Oh, I’m sorry, Kira. Did that hurt you? My bad. I’m still getting used to hopping on one leg and accidentally stepping on you.”
Frustrated, Kira brought the incident to the director, crying and demanding an apology from Laney.
Laney refused to apologize, insisting she had done nothing wrong. The director had no choice but to summon both families to resolve the issue.
Madison and her husband were still on their trip, and Gerry hadn’t left any contact information. The director ended up calling Cliff.
Cliff had never visited the theater before. Laney knew he disliked gossip, so she had never mentioned that she resided in the Hopkins family villa. Everyone only knew that her late mother had been close to Madison.
After the director ended the call, Laney asked, “Is Cliff on his way?”
The director exhaled. “Yes.”
Despite the situation, a smile appeared on Laney’s face at the prospect of meeting Cliff.
“A smile at this point? Really?” The director spoke sharply, his voice low but stern. “Laney, the Foster family is not to be trifled with. Mr. Hopkins sounded livid on the line when he heard about the incident. I bet you’re in for a scolding.”
Laney shrugged, not concerned about the potential scolding since Cliff wasn’t gentle with her even when she made no mistake. Anyway, if this incident meant she would finally meet him after not seeing him for the past few days, it was worth it.
Kira’s parents were the first to arrive. Kira was their beloved youngest child, the light of their lives. Seeing her in tears was unbearable for them. Makayla Foster, Kira’s mother, immediately confronted Laney. Laney believed she had done nothing wrong and refused to acknowledge Makayla’s stare.
Makayla, furious at Laney’s undisturbed expression, slammed her hand on the table. “Is this the right manner to treat your elder?” The tension in the room grew. The director positioned himself in the center, attempting to calm the situation.
Makayla scoffed at Laney. “Who do you think you are? How dare you mistreat my daughter? Do you think you’re above everyone just because your mother was Madison’s sister? You’re only here because your aunt married into money. Your mother has passed away. How long do you plan to live off her name?”
The director tried to ease the tension. “Accidents happen during their rehearsal. It seems Kira was the first to cause trouble.”
Upon realizing the director sided with Laney, Makayla grew even angrier. “Didn’t you hear me? Her mother is gone while I’m still breathing here. Who do you think will support your theater financially in the future?”
The director, drenched in sweat, realized he was in a difficult situation. Still, there was no sign of Cliff. And his calls remained unanswered. Laney stood up firmly and addressed Makayla, “Mrs. Foster, Kira intentionally stepped on me. I was just returning the favor.” The director tugged at Laney’s hand, trying to hold her back.
Laney stood her ground. “Kira owes me an apology.”
Makayla snapped, “The nerve of you demanding an apology from my daughter! What’s the big deal even if my daughter stepped on you first? You filthy mudblood!”