Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Florrie was ready to execute her scheme. Her next move was to have the advisor inform Gracelyn that her grandson had chosen to be Calvert’s son.
Florrie intended to find a way to conceive a child with Calvert and then claim that the child was Gracelyn’s grandson reincarnated.
Both Calvert and Leila were shocked by Florrie’s outrageous plan. Though Gracelyn still hadn’t moved on from her grandson’s death and was obsessed with bringing peace to him, it seemed improbable that she would be naive enough to fall for such a far-fetched idea.
As expected, Calvert immediately refused.
“No way. This plan is too risky. She won’t buy it, and we will lose her trust.”
Florrie’s voice rose sharply.
“Of course, I know it’s risky, but what other option do I have? If I don’t go through with this, that bitch will win you over.”
The room fell into a tense silence following her words.
Calvert appeared infuriated, and all Leila could hear was his agitated breathing.
Softening her voice, Florrie said with a hint of desperation, “Calvert, I’m out of options. Trust me, I didn’t make this decision lightly. I’ve thought it through. I’ll give Mrs. White the medicine you prepared. She’ll continue to dream about these things, and with the spiritual advisor in place, she’ll be convinced. Our top priority now is to get pregnant as quickly as we can.”
Calvert finally broke free from Florrie’s grip and said angrily, “You’ve lost your damned mind! I can’t deal with a madwoman like you.” As he spoke, he made for the door.
This sudden move startled Leila, causing her to bolt. In her rush, she nearly stumbled on the steps, letting out a gasp.
The sound immediately alerted Florrie and Calvert. They hurried toward the source of the noise.
Florrie opened the door with a stern look but saw no one.
A moment later, Calvert emerged, covering his face, and asked cautiously, “Who was that just now?”
Florrie responded with a grim expression.
“I didn’t see anyone. Perhaps they’ve run off.”
Calvert grew worried.
“Then find the person quickly. If Mrs. White hears about this, it’s over for us.”
Florrie remained composed and said, “It sounded like Leila to me.”
“Impossible,” Calvert retorted instantly.
“Her legs and feet don’t work. If it were her, wouldn’t we have seen her when we opened the door?” Convinced by his logic, Florrie bit her lip and said, “Still, I have my suspicions. I’ll look around first.”
Florrie then began to search the vicinity. Shortly after, she found Leila lounging by the artificial lake nearby.
Florrie glanced at the distance from the room to the lake and felt her suspicions intensify.
Determined, Florrie approached Leila furiously.
“Leila, it was you, wasn’t it? You were eavesdropping. Listen, if you tell anyone about this, I’ll tell Mrs. White that you’ve been faking and that you could walk around a long time ago.”
Leila looked up at her with feigned innocence.
“What eavesdropping? What faking? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Florrie grew more agitated. Despite lacking concrete proof, she was convinced Leila was the one who had eavesdropped just now.
Florrie watched Leila intently, and then an idea struck her, making her smile coldly.
“Won’t admit it? If you’re innocent, show me the soles of your shoes,” she demanded coldly.
Leila had been pretending to be paralyzed, supposedly unable to walk. But she had just taken a walk, and her shoes were indeed muddy.
Leila had planned to discreetly have a servant dispose of her shoes later. However, faced with Florrie’s pressing demand, she realized she was out of options. Although she tried to appear unruffled, her hands tightened into fists, and her nails pressed into her skin.
Just as Florrie was about to make a move, Leila saw her chance as her servant approached and quickly interjected, “Stop accusing me. I’ve been right here the whole time. If you don’t believe me, then ask her. She’s one of those assigned by Gracelyn to look after me. They’re dedicated and trustworthy. Why would they leave me unattended?”
The servant, though clueless about the unfolding drama, quickly supported Leila’s claim.
“Ms. Avila, I’ve been with Miss Nixon the entire time. Mrs. White insists we always stay by Miss Nixon’s side. I only stepped away for a moment to get Miss Nixon some water.”
The servant indeed held a cup of water, a cover for her own break. The servants were all aware of Leila’s vulnerability to being pushed around, but there was a limit to how far they could go. Moreover, if Florrie found out about the slack-off, she might tell Gracelyn, and they’d surely get scolded.
So, even without knowing the full extent of the conversation she had walked into, the servant chose to support Leila.
Florrie’s eyes darted suspiciously between the servant and Leila, her distrust evident.
Leila couldn’t help but sneer.
“What? Do you think I can somehow bribe the staff here?”
The servant’s face hardened, and she quickly added, “Ms. Avila, please don’t make baseless accusations. I would never be bribed. If you continue to slander us, I may have no choice but to take this matter to Mrs. White.”
Florrie couldn’t afford to escalate the issue. She had been conspiring with the spiritual advisor to fool Gracelyn all alone and thus preferred avoiding a confrontation with Gracelyn.
Plus, should Gracelyn learn of this issue, Florrie knew her sudden interest in Leila’s mobility would be questioned, and digging deeper would undoubtedly unravel her and Calvert’s plots.
Reluctantly, Florrie gave Leila a final look. Her suspicions began to subside. Maybe it wasn’t Leila after all. After all, if Leila had the means to bribe the staff, she would have used it to escape her current situation long ago.
As Florrie walked away, Leila let out a long sigh of relief.
However, the servant beside Leila looked at her with a complicated expression.
Finally giving in to curiosity, the servant asked, “Miss Nixon, did you really not wander off just now?”
This question sparked a wave of anger in Leila, leading her to impulsively smash the cup the servant had given her to the ground. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice grew cold.
“If I could stand, do you think I would have let myself be left out in the sun for almost an hour? I’ve chosen to let this go, yet you seem intent on pressing the issue. Perhaps I should discuss this with Gracelyn.”
This frightened the servant, who was clearly shaken by Leila’s emotional state. Seeing how upset Leila was, the servant spoke with caution.
“Miss Nixon, I didn’t mean it that way. Please don’t be angry. It’s all my fault. I was preoccupied earlier and didn’t pay enough attention to you. I promise it won’t happen again. Would you consider not mentioning this to Mrs. White?”
The servant gazed at Leila with pleading eyes.
Leila had chosen to remain silent about the day’s events, wishing not to draw attention to herself. But upon thinking it over, she realized if she didn’t address the servants’ behavior, they might continue to see her as a pushover and do even more outrageous things in the future. Although she didn’t really expect the servants to obey her, she knew she couldn’t allow potentially harmful people around her.
So, with a dismissive snort, Leila chose to ignore the servant’s plea. Sweating profusely, the servant was visibly terrified, almost to the point of kneeling before Leila.
This fear led to a noticeable change in how the servant treated Leila. She now treated Leila with exaggerated deference, worried that if Leila was dissatisfied, she might report the matter to Gracelyn. For a few days, Leila experienced some peace, but Florrie never ceased her probing.
One day, when handing the medicine to Leila, Florrie purposely tipped the bowl, causing the hot liquid to splash onto Leila’s legs.
Leila felt pain, but she bore it, maintaining a calm fa?ade as the boiling medicine drenched her legs. Instantly, a fierce pain radiated from her thighs.
Leila clenched her teeth, but her face remained stoic.
Florrie watched Leila closely, feigning panic as she deliberately said, “Oh no, Miss Nixon, are you okay? How clumsy I am! I’m so sorry.” The incident threw the nearby servants into disarray.
Those servants who had previously been cautioned by Leila and had seen their faults laid bare were particularly agitated. One of them confronted Florrie.
“Ms. Avila, aren’t you always so composed? Shouldn’t you have cooled off the medicine first? Bringing it so hastily seems deliberate.”
Leila seized the moment to feign surprise.