Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
It all unfolded in a blur.
Leila looked on, petrified, as Sarah fell forward, striking the stairs. Blood poured out instantly.
Leila’s mouth opened wide, but no sound escaped, her eyes wide with shock.
At the commotion, Ethan rushed to the scene, his own shock mirroring Leila’s as he took in the sight.
Ethan quickly moved to Leila’s side, asking in a gentle tone, “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Leila shook her head, her attempt to explain hindered by her trembling hands. Her body felt weak as she fumbled to dial 911 on her phone, only to find someone else had already alerted emergency services.
The sound of brisk, orderly footsteps echoed from below, and the leader of the group had already called for help.
The first person to appear was Landon, and at the sight of him, Leila’s tension visibly increased.
Ethan instinctively moved to shield Leila.
Landon’s expression turned frightening upon seeing Sarah unconscious on the ground. His gaze intensified. He radiated anger and menace.
Giving Ethan and Leila a sharp look from the corner of his eye, Landon gently lifted Sarah off the ground.
Leila attempted to explain she had nothing to do with Sarah’s fall.
However, Landon straightened up and fixed his gaze on Ethan. “Even if you had a disagreement with Sarah, there’s no excuse for hurting a vulnerable woman like this. This is intentional harm, and I’m calling the police,” he said sternly.
Leila was dumbfounded. She wanted to step forward and clarify that only she and Sarah had been there initially, and Ethan had arrived later. She could vouch for this, and so could the people Sarah had brought with her.
But before Leila could explain, Ethan seized her wrist. He shook his head slightly, signaling her to remain silent.
Then, turning to Landon, Ethan said in an icy tone, “I get why you’re upset, but you’re making baseless accusations. When Leila and I got here, Miss Miller was already on the ground. We had nothing to do with this.”
Landon’s gaze hardened. “Whether or not it’s related, that’s for the police to decide. Judgment will come. Whoever it is, if I catch them, they won’t escape punishment.”
Leila felt the weight of his last words as if they were aimed at her. If that was his suspicion, why didn’t he outright accuse her? Was he afraid that accusing her publicly would embarrass him? After all, they were still legally married, not divorced.
The more Leila pondered, the colder she felt inside.
The medical team had arrived and was quickly tending to Sarah.
Landon followed them without hesitation. He hadn’t spared Leila a single glance, as if she were a stranger to him.
Leila’s heart sank, and tears began to prick her eyes.
She glanced toward the stairwell corner. In her recent fright, her grip had slackened. The sculpture had tumbled down, shattering in a pool of blood.
Leila’s last glimmer of hope for Landon was now shattered, just like the sculpture. Yet, the ordeal wasn’t over.
Leila and Ethan had just descended the stairs when they were met by an onslaught of media.
The media were supposed to be at the exhibition. However, rumors of someone tumbling down the stairs had transformed the scene into a media frenzy.
Leila found herself pondering how the news had spread so swiftly. Was this Landon’s way of getting back at her?
However, now was not the time for such thoughts. Ethan swiftly shed his coat and draped it over Leila’s shoulders.
Leila shook her head emphatically, pushing the coat away. She gestured that she was nobody, and she wouldn’t be affected much even if she got captured by their cameras. He, however, was a different case due to his status, likely drawing media criticism against him.
Ethan offered a comforting smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll clear my name. But it’s crucial you stay out of this mess.”
The moment Leila and Ethan stepped outside, they were swamped by reporters.
Despite the unclear circumstances, the mere presence of Leila and Ethan prompted a barrage of inquiries.
“Are you two students here? Can you tell us what just happened inside? Was there a disagreement that led to the girl falling down the stairs?”
“Is the girl who fell connected to you in any way?”
“Did this incident stem from a romantic dispute?”
Ethan seized the moment to usher Leila into the crowd.
Reluctantly accepting Ethan’s well-meaning gesture, Leila used her slim figure to weave through the crowd, effectively eluding the reporters who then turned their cameras toward Ethan.
Ethan addressed the reporters with a poker face, “Firstly, I’m not a student here. Secondly, we know the girl, but I can’t explain her fall. Thirdly, if there are any concerns, I urge you to contact the police. Badgering someone like me, who’s just a bystander, won’t help you uncover anything.”
Having faced such situations before, Ethan navigated the onslaught of questions with seasoned ease, swiftly resolving the matter.
Meanwhile, Linsey and Irene caught up with Leila.
Aware of the incident with Sarah, Linsey and Irene chose not to bombard Leila with questions. Instead, they encircled her, offering comfort and inquiring about her well-being.
A warmth blossomed in Leila’s heart, thawing her chilled limbs and imbuing her with a comforting sense of belonging.
Once calmed down, Leila typed out the event in detail, her phone articulating her account with the text-to-speech function. “I was on my way out when Sarah called out to me from behind. The next thing I knew, she fell down the stairs. At that time, I didn’t dwell on it and assumed perhaps she was unwell. Before she fell, I felt something amiss, as if something was rushing my way, so I clung tightly to the railing, pressing myself against it. It all occurred so swiftly, and I didn’t react to pull her back when she was teetering on the edge. Now, I regret not reacting quicker since I might have prevented her fall.”
Despite her troubled history with Sarah, Leila harbored no ill will toward her and was genuinely unsettled by the incident.
She recalled her loss of voice was accidental. Nobody wanted misfortune in their lives.
It was clear that Sarah had taken a severe fall, possibly marring her appearance.
Sarah always prided herself on her beauty. How could she come to terms with such a change?
Leila felt a slight pity for Sarah, but not real sympathy.
Irene, on the other hand, furrowed her brow and pressed Leila to recount the incident more specifically.
Confused yet obliging, Leila strained to recollect the details and even acted out the scene for Irene, with Linsey’s cooperation.
Irene’s face immediately took on a grave expression. She drew Leila to the side and spoke in a hushed tone.
“I have a suspicion. Sarah’s fall wasn’t just an accident. It’s possible she intended to push you down, but in the process, she fell instead, likely due to her failure to anticipate your timely reaction.”
Leila was skeptical and deeply unnerved. She and Sarah certainly had their differences, but to the extent of attempted murder? It seemed too extreme.
Irene tightened her hold on Leila’s hand. “These are only guesses, but they might well be true. Why else would she fall? If my theory holds, once Sarah regains consciousness, she’s likely to pin the whole affair on you.”
“Leila, you…” Irene’s voice trailed off, a hint of hesitation coloring her tone.
Leila noticed the concern etched on Irene’s face and offered a comforting smile in response. She gestured that she would handle what came her way.
Exhaling softly, Irene found little solace in the reassurance.
Due to unforeseen events, the exhibition was abruptly halted, and for the moment, all they could do was return home.
Once home, Leila found herself unable to dismiss the conversation with Irene. Her thoughts were in chaos as she kept one eye on the news, hoping for some update.
However, nothing new surfaced. Leila decided her next step would be to wait for Donovan to complete his current task so she could request the surveillance footage from the stairwell.
Deep into the night, a sudden, insistent knocking startled Leila awake.
With a mix of fear and caution, Leila rose from her bed and approached the door. Unable to speak, she resorted to typing a message on her phone.
Then, a familiar voice called from the other side. “Leila, open the door.”