Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
But Dean’s intent was not to belittle Leila. Ignoring Melinda’s jab, he continued with genuine respect, “I’ve always known about your capabilities. I thought you might have lost your edge, but you’re as impressive as ever.”
Melinda’s expression turned awkward, and even Shirley looked at Dean in disbelief.
Leila was taken aback, forgetting momentarily to express her gratitude. Was Dean really complimenting her?
“You have a knack for restoring artifacts, and you’re incredibly skilled. I still remember that time Hayden complimented you during his visit. I was there too,” Dean went on, his admiration evident.
“When you later married Landon, I was afraid you might lose touch with your talent after all these years, but you’ve clearly kept your edge! I’ve even caught wind of your projects at Hayden’s studio and with the Hayes Group from overseas! One of your clients, whom I work with, mentioned…” Dean’s stream of compliments seemed endless.
“Alright…” Melinda, noticing Shirley’s growing irritation, gave Dean a subtle tug.
Oblivious, Dean turned to Melinda, seeking affirmation, “Isn’t that right? You’re in the country, seeing everything firsthand. Isn’t Leila exceptional?”
Melinda shot a glance at Shirley. She was reluctant to acknowledge Leila’s prowess but found herself unable to directly contradict her husband. With a hesitant nod, she said, “Yeah, sure.”
“You really keep up with everything around here. That’s impressive.” Shirley managed a rigid smile. She adored her two sons too much to spark confrontation with Dean.
Thus, Shirley added her praises for Leila as they all moved toward the living room, leaving Sarah behind.
Watching Leila’s retreating figure, Sarah clenched her teeth, her eyes brimming with bitterness..
Shirley’s birthday was celebrated in two segments. The morning was reserved for the Kensington family alone, and the afternoon welcomed their high-society acquaintances.
Upon entering the villa, Dean and Melinda were the first to offer their gifts.
“Mom, this one’s for you,” Dean announced, extending a gift box toward Shirley. “It’s the diamond you’ve been dreaming of. I spared no effort to track it down for you.”
Shirley’s face lit up with joy as she opened the box, quickly swapping her old necklace for the sparkling new diamond one.
“It’s gorgeous,” Shirley exclaimed, admiring her reflection. “Dean, you never fail to know exactly what I want.”
“Shirley, here’s my gift,” Melinda chimed in, presenting her offering. “Ninety-nine deep-sea blue pearls.” Traditionally, Dean and Landon would present gifts together, each couple presenting one jointly.
The deviation from the norm, with Dean and Melinda giving respective presents, caught Leila off guard. She and Landon had prepared just one gift together, and she worried this might draw criticism.
Landon seemed unfazed by the change. He confidently approached Shirley with their shared gift. “Leila and I picked this out for you,” he declared.
Shirley took the gift but couldn’t resist a pointed comment. “This must be from you, Landon! Surely Leila has something for me, right?”
Shirley’s gaze then shifted pointedly toward Leila.
Leila was overwhelmed with the awkwardness caused by the sudden change in this year’s rules and sensed that Shirley and Melinda were intentionally setting her up. If Melinda hadn’t brought a separate gift, she suspected Shirley would have criticized her for showing off.
“This is from both of us,” Landon said, stepping in for Leila.
“Alright. I know Leila didn’t put any thought into it,” Shirley remarked dismissively, rolling her eyes at Leila.
“Shirley, happy birthday! May happiness follow you every day.” Just then, Sarah approached with a gift box, presenting it right after Landon. It almost seemed like she and Landon were the actual couple, leaving Leila feeling like an outsider.
“Thank you, Sarah!” Shirley exclaimed, her mood brightening as she embraced Sarah, treating her like the approved daughter-in-law.
Feeling increasingly out of place, Leila instinctively took a step back, considering it might be best to leave.
However, Shirley wasn’t about to let Leila go without a jab. She shot Leila a disdainful look. “Look at Sarah, always thoughtful enough to bring a gift. And you? After five years of marriage into our family, do you even care about us? Have you shown any loyalty? What have you done besides spend our money? Now, you’re even riding on the coattails of the Kensington family’s fame!”
Shirley continued to scold relentlessly, and even Dean, who usually kept his peace, felt compelled to step in. “Mom, we’re supposed to be celebrating. Please, don’t spoil it,” he pleaded gently.
“I just can’t bear to watch her ride on Landon’s back,” Shirley burst out, unable to contain her frustration. Leila’s spirits sank as she listened, her heart growing colder with each word. In the end, she was still treated like this. Did she really “ride on Landon’s back”? Was she even capable of that?
Landon, noticing the tension, decided to confront the issue head-on. “Mom,” he began, his voice firm.
Shirley’s tone turned serious as she sought to discuss with Landon how to manage Leila. “Landon, I really think you should-“
But Landon cut her off abruptly. “I need to talk to you about how you’ve been treating Leila.”
Shirley, taken aback by his cold demeanor, felt a flicker of fear. “What’s this about?”
“Have you been making her life miserable here? Did you force her to kneel and scrub the floors? Did you treat her like a servant?” Landon demanded, his tone accusatory.
Leila looked up, shocked and touched that Landon was defending her.
Shirley, caught off guard and flustered, tried to deflect. “Where did you hear such things? Don’t bother with Leila’s nonsense.”
“I didn’t need to hear it. I saw the photos,” Landon countered sharply.
Leila was taken aback. Who had snapped pictures of her being tormented by Shirley and then shown them to Landon? Or was Landon merely trying to bluff Shirley?
“At such a joyful event, Landon…” Melinda cut in, attempting to dissuade Landon from dredging up the incident.
Yet, Landon was resolute. “I didn’t plan to mention it today, but Dean just called this a joyful event, while your mom has been reprimanding Leila. I think she might be okay with it being brought up.”
Shirley looked stern. She enjoyed berating Leila but despised being challenged. Now, with the conversation taking this turn, she could only clear her throat and refrain from further confrontation with Landon. She dismissively muttered, “I was merely teaching her a lesson. It’s nothing serious.”
However, Landon stood his ground. “She is innocent. You’ve been unjustly picking on her and tormenting her.”
“I did not! Do you really see me as that kind of person, Landon? Do you really think so?” Shirley fired back instantly.
“I don’t want to believe you’re that kind of person, but I witnessed it myself,” Landon asserted firmly.
Landon then pulled out his phone, displaying his proof. Photos, videos, and a comprehensive description of the events left Shirley unable to refute. All those things were her doings.
Faced with undeniable evidence, Shirley was dumbfounded. She confronted Landon incredulously, yelling, “You’re treating me like a criminal, questioning me like this!”
Ignoring her protest, Landon simply stated, accentuating each word, “I expect an apology from you to Leila.”
“Landon, come on. It’s Shirley’s birthday. Please don’t argue with her. We don’t want to upset her…” Melinda interjected, noticing the tension escalating and Shirley’s expression souring.
“But she started it,” Landon retorted, his resolve unwavering. “She’s done something terribly wrong, yet she can’t allow others to point it out.”
Melinda was at a loss for words, Landon’s sharp reply leaving her overwhelmed. She glanced toward Dean, silently pleading for him to step in.
To Melinda’s surprise, Dean turned to Shirley with a look of disbelief. “Mom, is that true? Did you really treat Leila that way? Have you ever been like this to Melinda? You used to have such a good temper. Is something bothering you?”
“I haven’t done anything wrong! I’ve always treated Melinda well!” Shirley responded, visibly angered, her voice rising with each word.
The room teetered on the edge of chaos. Leila, silent at the heart of the storm, had not anticipated Landon’s bold defense, nor had she expected him to demand an apology from Shirley.
But now, none of it seemed to matter. She longed for a divorce, to start a life free from these conflicts. She had already suffered through so much pain. Even if Shirley apologized and got down on her knees to scrub the floor as she had, it wouldn’t make a difference.
Thus, Leila gently pulled at Landon’s sleeve, her eyes conveying a clear message that she didn’t require an apology.
Shirley caught the gesture and understood Leila’s message.
Leila didn’t display grievance or forgiveness. Rather, she exuded pity. She appeared superior to Shirley, completely indifferent to the situation.
This indifference stoked a fire of anger within Shirley. Yet, despite her fuming, she knew Landon would not support her. He had sided with Leila, leaving her at a disadvantage.
Blinking to force her tears down as her acting instincts kicked in, Shirley said, “It was my fault before.”
Shirley walked up to Leila and took her hand. “I just wanted the best for Landon. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to look after him properly, so I tried to show you how to care for someone and how to manage a household. I went about it all wrong…”
Leila’s expression remained neutral. Shirley’s apologies sounded like mere excuses for her past cruelty.
Leila was tired of dwelling on the past. Landon had done enough for her, especially in front of Sarah.
