Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
The man responded with a cold smirk. “You’ll find out soon enough. Don’t worry. It’s a lawful society. We’re not going to harm you.”
A sudden realization struck Leila. “You’re with the Miller family, aren’t you?”
Her question was met with nothing more than a disdainful snort as she was forcefully ushered into one of the cars.
Meanwhile, Ethan, concerned for Leila, decided to check on her. He arrived just in time to witness her being shoved into the sedan by the menacing group.
By the time Ethan returned to his car and fired up the engine, the menacing group had vanished.
Ethan’s face, dark with fury, charged toward the nearby security booth.
Leila, gripped by anxiety, trailed the group to the hospital after exiting the vehicle. She was ushered into a ward.
However, Sarah was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the room teemed with daunting figures.
At the center stood a poised yet stern couple, likely Sarah’s parents.
Leila fought to maintain her composure.
Suddenly, she was shoved from behind, causing her to lose her footing and stumble.
The crowd around her instantly recoiled, as if she carried a virus.
Hitting the floor with a thud, Leila distinctly caught the sound of a few muffled snickers.
Sarah’s mother, Amara, spoke sharply: “You’re the one who caused my daughter so much pain. I didn’t expect someone who looks so fragile to be so heartless!”
Amara wrinkled her nose and stepped back in disgust. “Stop playing the victim, as if we wronged you.”
Leila’s arm was scraped and bleeding. She rose to her feet, stifling a wince of pain, and typed down her response on her phone: “I had nothing to do with Sarah’s injuries. It wasn’t my fault. There’s no reason for you to treat me this way. If you think I’m responsible, feel free to call the police. But if you’re considering taking matters into your own hands, remember, that’s against the law. I won’t hesitate to report you.”
Sarah’s father, Willard, chuckled dismissively. “Call the police? Really? Do you honestly think we’d let you do that? Even if we were to harm you, what evidence would you have?”
Leila’s complexion blanched. She was acutely aware of the Miller family’s ruthless reputation. To keep her composure, she clenched her fists and swiftly typed a message on her phone: “What do you want from me? An apology to Sarah? I didn’t cause her fall. We should be trying to uncover the real story here, instead of wasting time with accusations.”
Yet, her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Amara, clearly growing more agitated, signaled with a swift motion.
Immediately, one of her henchmen stepped forward and struck Leila.
The slap was so forceful that Leila nearly toppled over once more.
Leila cupped her throbbing cheek, fighting back the wave of anger and frustration. She knew all too well that showing any sign of weakness would only invite further torment from these people.
Willard halted his irate wife’s tirade. “Enough, this is not the right moment for such discussions. We’ve got more pressing matters at hand.”
Turning to Leila, Willard said solemnly, “Our conditions are quite simple. First, you need to apologize and look after Sarah while she recovers in the hospital. It’s the least you can do, so don’t pity yourself. Next, you must end things with Landon. Finally, you need to clear Sarah’s name and admit that you were the one who disrupted her relationship with Landon. They were a couple before you married Landon, and you were the one who intruded and wrecked everything.”
Leila gazed at Willard, her eyes widening in disbelief. She couldn’t believe the audacity of his demands. Agreeing to them would be an utter humiliation.
Her face hardened with resolve. She typed her retort firmly: “I’m still Landon’s wife. Do you really want to upset him by treating his wife so poorly?”
Amara chuckled and pulled out her phone, flicking through a few photos before showing them to Leila.
One photo captured Landon sitting beside Sarah in the hospital, his face turned away but his presence unmistakable by the timestamp indicating an overnight stay.
Other images showed Shirley in Sarah’s ward, peeling fruit and sharing warm smiles with Sarah, while Landon stood close by, appearing like part of a content family.
The message was clear to Leila. Despite whatever happened between her and the Miller family today, the Kensington family wouldn’t hold the Millers accountable. Everyone’s attention was on Sarah, and no one cared about her well-being.
Leila felt a chilling wave of cold pass through her, yet she clung to a thread of hope: “Call Landon here. I can’t make this decision by myself.”
Deep inside, Leila refused to believe Landon would turn a cold shoulder to her.
Amara’s sneer broke through. “Still clinging to hope? We’re short on time. Comply, or the scandal will keep raging. And don’t think about denying it. Vice Principal Vernon from Eastonville University claims there were no cameras in the stairwell, but a student witnessed you and Ethan shoving Sarah. Even the vice principal corroborates this. What’s your response now?”
Leila was dumbfounded. The stairwell had been empty, and no one else had been there. It was clearly a lie. She struggled to understand why Vernon, whom she had never crossed, would seek to damage her reputation in this way.
“Apologize first!” Willard commanded with a subtle nod.
At once, someone advanced, forcing Leila to the ground, pressing her to kneel and apologize.
Amara pulled out her phone, recording the ordeal with a gleeful smile. “I’m gonna show this video to Sarah since it’ll surely lift her spirits. This woman caused my precious daughter so much pain, we simply can’t let her go unpunished.”
“The doctor said Sarah’s injuries might leave scars. We should give this woman the same scar. If Sarah has to suffer, so should she,” Willard proposed.
They debated Leila’s destiny as though she were merely a possession, devoid of any rights or freedom.
Leila loathed her own inability to speak up. She yearned to scream and demand an explanation. Was it her lack of a known background that made her an easy target for false accusations and torment?
The recent tumble had mixed with her swirling emotions, causing her stomach to churn painfully.
Leila’s complexion grew ashen with worry for the unborn child she carried.
Meanwhile, the guard kept Leila’s head pressed firmly against the floor.
Leila summoned every ounce of her strength, refusing to submit. Yet, her energy was depleted. Her upper body gave way, collapsing lifelessly as her face was brutally rubbed against the floor.
Despite this, Leila fixed an intense, resentful glare at the camera, unnerving Amara.
Amara turned off the phone with a curse. “Why that look? Who are you glaring at?”
Pausing, Amara proposed, “She’s already mute. Maybe she should go blind too. That’d make her more manageable.”
The pain in Leila’s arm was excruciating, as if it were being twisted out of its socket. Her vision grew hazy, and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
As darkness edged in, Leila cast a sorrowful glance toward her stomach. She apologized inwardly, “I’m sorry, baby. Mommy’s useless. I can’t protect you or myself.”
“What the hell are you doing?” A voice boomed from the doorway.
Summoning the last shred of her strength, Leila raised her head to see a tall, blurred figure. Could it be…
Ethan stormed into the hospital room, his expression thunderous upon seeing Leila crumpled on the floor.
Ethan had sensed something amiss and had scoured the neighborhood’s surveillance footage. It was challenging, but he finally traced the menacing group who had whisked Leila away to the hospital.
However, he arrived too late.
Amara, stricken with shock and rage, pointed at Ethan, her words laced with fury. “How dare you come here? You and this woman are responsible for what’s happened to my daughter. She will suffer just as my daughter has.”
Ethan bent down, lifted Leila gently, his voice icy. “The question of our guilt and the consequences we should face will be determined by the police, not by you. I’ve already involved the police on my way here. What you’re doing now is against the law. If you have something to say, save it for the police.”
Amara and Willard paled at his words.
Ethan had just taken a few steps away, cradling Leila, when he ran into Landon in the hallway.
Landon arrived, flanked by a large group that filled the corridor, his face devoid of emotion as he stared at Ethan like he was dead meat.
Landon ordered, “Put her down and get out. This is a matter for the Kensington and Miller families. You shouldn’t be involved.”
Ethan’s laugh was sharp and mocking. “Really? Did you know the Millers almost killed Leila today? And where were you? Off with your beloved Sarah, I bet. To you, Leila is always an afterthought. Just because you neglect her doesn’t mean everyone else does. The person you toss aside like garbage means the world to us.”
Landon’s hands balled into fists, his rage simmering.