Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Immediately, one of the servants stepped up to wheel Leila away. Back in her room, Leila dismissed all the servants, claiming she needed rest.
Once alone, Leila felt a strong urge to hurl objects around in annoyance. If she wasn’t worried about someone overhearing, she might have given in to that urge.
Calming herself, Leila glanced down at her legs. She then carefully locked the door and slowly stood up.
She walked around the room a few times, delighted that she could move freely. However, the burn scars on her legs were still quite visible. They looked gruesome.
But Leila wasn’t bothered. In fact, she flaunted them deliberately. After all, they were evidence of her supposed paralysis. She had to keep the fact that she could move a secret. It was her trump card.
Leila eased herself back into her wheelchair and sat, gazing out at the moon. She looked deeply lonely and sad. She was trapped here alone, and she was terrified. She was constantly worried. But the thoughts of her children kept her going. It was fine.
Leila took a deep breath, silently bolstering her resolve. Everything was going to be alright; it had to be.
Suddenly, the door handle moved, instantly making Leila vigilant. Finding the door locked, the person outside began to knock.
A firm knock echoed through the room, followed by a familiar voice.
“Leila, it’s me. We need to talk. I know you’re still awake. Why is the door locked when you can barely move? Did Florrie say something that angered you?”
The moment Leila heard Calvert’s voice, nausea twisted in her stomach. She clenched her teeth. Keeping the door locked forever wasn’t an option because Calvert would only grow suspicious.
Just as Calvert’s patience was about to wear thin, Leila reluctantly unlatched the door.
Sitting in her wheelchair, Leila gazed up at Calvert, her expression full of quiet grievance. She didn’t need to say a word. The mere sight of her like this stirred pity in Calvert.
Calvert strained to stretch his wrinkled face into what he imagined was a doting, gentle smile but instead, it came off as lecherous and unsettling.
“Leila, what’s wrong? Oh, sweetheart, don’t be like this. Seeing you upset pains me.”
Swallowing her disgust, Leila exhaled softly.
“To avoid suspicion, it’s best for you not to visit me.”
She glanced at the servants lingering nearby, hesitating.
Calvert’s eyes flickered with understanding, and a sly grin spread across his face.
“Then let’s talk in private. I just want to check on you, that’s all. No other intentions.” Only then did Leila let Calvert in.
The moment Calvert shut the door, his hands reached for her. Leila slapped them away, her voice sharp.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Calvert’s expression darkened with frustration at her rejection. His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he asked, “Leila, don’t you feel the same way about me? I just want to be close to you. Or was your love for me all a lie?”
Leila took a steady breath, forcing a resigned smile.
“If I didn’t love you, why would I give you my house’s passcode? Why would I ask you to tell my lover to keep away from me?”
Calvert mulled it over and reluctantly admitted she had a point. Still, a flicker of dissatisfaction remained in his eyes as he looked at her with a hint of grievance.
“If that’s true, why do you always refuse to be intimate with me? When two people love each other, intimacy is natural.”
Leila fought back the nausea rising in her throat at Calvert’s eagerness, but she maintained her composure, her voice smooth as she tried to pacify him.
“Calvert, you don’t understand. I’ve been keeping my distance for both our sakes. Before, it was because Florrie was keeping a close eye on you. Now, it’s to avoid suspicion.
People are already questioning the spiritual advisor’s legitimacy, saying you hired her just for me. Florrie will latch onto that. Imagine if she tells Gracelyn. You know how much Gracelyn cares about her grandson’s affairs. If Gracelyn thinks we’ve been deceiving her, we’re finished.”
A visible shudder ran through Calvert. The gravity of the situation dawned on him. His priority now was to appease Florrie. But the thought of how she’d ruined his plans made him furious. Seeking comfort, he had come to Leila.
Leila continued, “I’ve only been here a short while, but Florrie has spent decades in this household. People trust her. If we make a wrong move…”
She left the sentence unfinished, her gaze resting on Calvert with feigned vulnerability.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I’m thinking of you. But instead of appreciating that, you doubt me. Fine. Think what you want.”
Noticing the storm brewing in Leila’s eyes, Calvert panicked. Forcing a cheeky smile, he quickly shifted to coaxing her.
“Leila, you’re right. It’s all my fault. Don’t be mad. I wasn’t thinking clearly. But now that you’ve reminded me, it all makes sense.”
Then, with a reassuring nod, he said earnestly, “Don’t worry. I have a plan. I won’t let things spiral out of control.”
Leila eyed him warily.
“Really?”
“Of course.” Calvert pounded his chest in assurance.
“Just wait. I’ll handle it.”
Considering Florrie’s personality, Leila knew it wouldn’t be that simple. But at least for the time being, she wouldn’t be harassed by Calvert, which was a relief.
As Calvert stepped out of Leila’s room, his expression hardened. His thoughts churned darkly as he returned to the house he shared with Florrie.
Immediately upon entering, he saw Florrie seated on the couch, her face clouded with displeasure.
The dining table was set, the food untouched.
As soon as Florrie spotted him, she stood, arms crossed.
“Well, you finally came back. I thought you weren’t going to join me for dinner.”
Calvert scoffed, sinking onto the sofa with disinterest, losing his appetite.
Florrie’s grip tightened around her sleeves.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting? And now you come home with this attitude? Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”
Calvert’s lips curled into a sneer.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
Florrie’s temper snapped. She grabbed the nearest object and hurled it to the floor.
“You broke our agreement! I’ve spent the entire day swallowing my pride, enduring humiliation, waiting to have a proper conversation with you. But you waltz in here, sneering and dismissing me like I’m nothing. Who’s wronging who here, Calvert?”
Calvert’s anger flared. He shot up from his seat, his voice rising.
“Even if I wronged you, did you have to sabotage me like this? Besides, I had my reasons. You only see the short-term. Why did I ever choose you?”
Florrie’s eyes welled with tears, her chest tightening with indignation as she struggled to hold back a sob. She stared at Calvert, her eyes burning with disbelief. Her voice quivered with emotion.
“We had a deal, Calvert! I was supposed to bear your child. You said you wanted a child, and it was the perfect plan! But then you bribed the spiritual advisor, changed your mind, and set your sights on that… whore, Leila. I tolerated it, but now you have the audacity to say I tried to hurt you? If I wanted to destroy you, I would’ve gone straight to Gracelyn with the truth instead of sitting here like a fool, waiting for you to come home!”
Something in her words snapped what little patience Calvert had left. Without thinking, he strode up to her and delivered a sharp, stinging slap across her face.
Florrie staggered, falling to the floor. She looked up at Calvert in disbelief.
Calvert stood over her, chest heaving. He hadn’t meant to lose control. Anger still burned through him, but his eyes betrayed guilt. He clenched his fists and shouted as if trying to bolster his confidence, “I bet you’ve wanted to do this all along! You’re just using this as leverage against me. Florrie, how can you be so malicious?”
Florrie was about to snap. She stumbled to her feet, her voice laced with fury.
“If I had a problem with this, I would have spoken to Gracelyn ages ago! Calvert, are you trying to kill me? If you’ve got the guts, do it now, because if you don’t, I’m spilling the beans to Gracelyn tomorrow! This whole charade ends today. I’ve given you everything, but what do I have to show for it? Nothing! Go ahead, kill me!”