Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Thus, none of the villa’s servants were pleased with Sarah’s temporary stay.
Lately, Sarah seemed quite at ease at Landon’s home, reveling in the situation. Regrettably, Leila refused to leave.
Sarah had tried multiple times to lure Landon to stay longer in the bedroom.
However, Landon resisted and even erupted in anger when Sarah meddled with Leila’s belongings.
Sarah couldn’t grasp it. In her eyes, she and Landon were a couple tragically split by Leila’s presence.
In Sarah’s mind, Leila was the shameless other woman, not her. Sarah quickly found excuses for Landon in her mind. Landon’s marriage to Leila had been arranged by the Kensington family, after all. Even though Roderick was no longer around, such a commotion would surely infuriate the elder Kensington, who would probably scold him.
Sarah looked at the invitation in her hand, a cold smirk curling her lips. This was the perfect chance. She planned to use this opportunity to show Leila that there was a chasm between her and Landon that could never be bridged, rendering them impossible. Sarah firmly believed she was the only one deserving of Landon.
Sarah strode to the closet and hurled all of Leila’s clothes onto the floor. Looking disdainfully around, she summoned a servant. “Remove this garbage. Why should it stay and sully my view? And…”
Sarah turned around, pacing the room as she continued, “Arrange for a house designer to come tomorrow. I can’t stand the style of this room. It needs redecorating!”
Upon hearing this, the servant glanced at Sarah, her eyes flickering with a hint of disdain. However, her tone remained polite as she spoke, “I’m sorry, Miss Miller, but you’ll need to discuss this with Mr. Kensington first. I’m not authorized to make such decisions. Furthermore, these clothes belong to Mrs. Kensington. You’ll need her consent to dispose of them.”
The servant stressed “Mrs. Kensington” intentionally, causing a noticeable shift in Sarah’s demeanor.
Infuriated, Sarah stepped forward and delivered a sharp slap across the servant’s face. The slap resonated through the room, leaving the servant’s cheek red and swollen.
Cradling her face in shock, the servant retorted, “Miss Miller, remember, this is the Kensington household, not the Millers.”
Landon, although often distant, never mistreated his servants. They shared a typical employer-employee relationship, and despite being well-compensated, they were not expected to tolerate such disrespect.
With a scornful laugh, Sarah, exploiting Landon’s absence, behaved rashly. “Indeed, this isn’t the Miller residence, but soon, I’ll be the lady of this house! Then, I can do as I please. Defy me today, and once I’m in charge, firing you will be my first order of business. That’s just how things are. My family’s standing and power eclipse yours. Feel aggrieved? Go weep to that worthless mute! She can’t even defend herself, much less you.”
The servant held firm, stating, “Miss Miller, I apologize, but even if you decide to terminate my employment today, I am not at liberty to handle these clothes. They are Kensington’ property. Should you wish to proceed, you’ll need to consult Mr. and Mrs. Kensington first.”
Each mention of “Mrs. Kensington” pierced Sarah’s heart like a dagger. Seething with anger, she seized the servant’s hand and hauled her toward the door. “Consider yourself dismissed as of this moment. Get the hell out now!”
At that instant, Leila, who had heard the disturbance from upstairs, arrived at the top of the staircase. The servant flailed, clearly on the verge of tumbling down the steps.
Sarah, still gripping the servant’s hand, could have easily averted the fall, yet upon realizing the peril, she reflexively released her grip. In fact, Sarah nudged the servant slightly, causing the latter to lose her footing and stumble.
A wave of shock washed over Sarah’s face as she witnessed the fall. She still carried the memory of her own fall, and it had left a deep psychological mark on her. Yet, she hadn’t anticipated witnessing such an ordeal again.
Spotting Leila’s intense stare, Sarah felt a sudden surge of anxiety. Her first instinct was to blame Leila for everything, but she quickly remembered they were not alone.
Sarah’s emotions spilled over, and she began sobbing, overwhelmed by panic. “I can’t explain it. She just collapsed so suddenly. Maybe her footing was off.”
Leila, however, paid Sarah no mind. Thankfully, the servant wasn’t badly injured. Leila extended a helping hand and signed, asking whether the servant was feeling alright.
Most of the household staff, proficient in sign language, could understand Leila’s gestures.
The servant, Hazel Clayton, had been the one to bring Leila the invitation this morning. Despite her youth, Hazel had served in the mansion longer than any of her peers. Fortunately, the staircase was low, so Hazel’s fall wasn’t steep, yet the bruises marring her skin seemed severe. Overcome by the shock, she wept openly.
Hazel offered a comforting smile and reassured Leila, “I’m alright.”
“What happened here?” Landon’s voice unexpectedly filled the air from behind them.
Before Hazel and Leila could even respond, Sarah had bolted down the stairs and thrown herself into Landon’s arms, her face etched with panic. To any outsider, she might have appeared to be the victim.
Sarah exclaimed emotionally, “That servant just fell for no reason! Remember when Leila shoved me down those stairs? That left me with deep-seated fears. Witnessing something like that again just terrified me!”
Landon’s eyebrows knitted together as he gently pushed Sarah aside and turned his attention to Hazel and Leila.
“What’s going on here?” he demanded.
Hazel opened her mouth to explain, but Leila was quicker. She seized Hazel’s wrist, gesturing gravely at Landon that this was no accident. She stressed that she saw Sarah push Hazel down, though she was not sure what Hazel could have done to provoke such a reaction.
Leila emphasized that Sarah had pushed Hazel down the stairs.
“You’re lying!” Sarah’s voice soared as she abandoned her distressed facade. “Hazel just lost her balance. How is that my fault? You may despise me, but there’s no need to fabricate stories like this!”
Landon observed the unfolding drama with a grave expression, trying to piece together the truth.
Hazel wiped her tears, still sobbing as she spoke. “Miss Miller demanded a change in the bedroom’s style. When I insisted on your approval, she became furious and slapped me. Even after I stood my ground, she threatened to fire me, dragged me to the spiral staircase, and pushed me down.”
Hazel’s eyes met Sarah’s, filled with deep grievance. “Roderick hired me. I was merely adhering to the house rules. I had no intention of defying you, but because I couldn’t comply with your request, you attempted to kill me. That’s going too far!”
Sarah, often quick to point fingers, now felt the sharp bite of being accused, though she was indeed at fault. Fury surged within Sarah, but she restrained herself, aware of Landon’s presence. Turning to him with tear-filled eyes, she pleaded, “Landon, you know me. I might be quite spoiled, but violence is not in my nature, especially not here in your home. I can’t fathom why Leila detests me so much. She scarred my face before, and now it seems she’s conspiring to ruin me. If she wants me gone, why not just say so? There’s no need to smear my reputation.”
Landon’s expression grew darker as he turned his attention to Hazel. “You know me well enough to understand this is your final opportunity to be truthful. There are numerous ways I can uncover the truth if I choose to pursue them.”
Hazel trembled, her fear of Landon’s imposing presence palpable. She glared at Sarah’s smug expression, ready to speak, but before she could, Leila stepped in front of her, gesturing firmly that she had seen Hazel being pushed down.
It was all very chaotic, and the involved individuals might not have realized what had happened. She added that she caught sight of Sarah and Hazel arguing on the stairs, and the next thing, Hazel was tumbling down.
Landon’s face twisted into a frown, a hint of disapproval etching his features. “So, you’re not even sure of what exactly happened, and you jumped to the conclusion that Sarah pushed her? Leila, since when did you start jumping to conclusions?”
Sarah blinked, the picture of innocence and sorrow, as she clung to Landon, stirring the pot. “Landon, without your intervention, I would’ve been wrongly accused today. I’ve suffered enough already in front of Leila. What more does she want from me?”
Landon ignored Sarah, his eyes icy as they met Leila’s. Leila lifted her chin defiantly, holding Landon’s gaze. She opted against using sign language, choosing to let her phone articulate her response just for Sarah to hear: “I did it intentionally. I wanted to make a point. Now you see, not everything you hear is true. Sarah was quick to blame Ethan and me for pushing her down, and you believed it without question. Why then, when Hazel and I accuse Sarah, do you hesitate?”
Landon grasped the meaning behind Leila’s words. Sarah’s smile slowly vanished. Visibly irritated, she murmured, “This isn’t the same thing.”
Despite her words, Sarah found herself studying Landon’s face. She hadn’t anticipated a response from him.
Landon stated, “Having known Sarah for so long, I can tell when she’s not being truthful. There was no need for such a blunt reminder.”
Leila’s face lost color. Was this what trust looked like? Had he ever trusted her like that? She soon felt it was ridiculous to even have such a question in her mind.
Leila retorted, her phone voicing her response via the text-to-speech function: “It was impossible that Hazel just fell down the stairs since neither Hazel nor I meant for it to happen. You really should ask Sarah about what happened. After all, she’s been targeting Hazel, all because of me.”
Leila then gestured toward the conspicuous bruise on Hazel’s left cheek.
Landon merely tightened his lips, appearing oblivious to it. “Call the family doctor,” he instructed indifferently.
Leila met his gaze, her eyes burrowing into his, and then wordlessly turned to depart.
Sarah felt her anxiety slightly diminish. She threw a glare at Hazel and remarked, “Why am I being blamed for this? Hazel’s the one who’s been taunting me lately, throwing snide remarks my way. I have to wonder who’s putting her up to it. Landon, why do you persist in being so gentle? Someone like her should be shown the door. And as for Leila, I shudder to think what might happen if she lingers around. Perhaps…”
Sarah looked at Landon with an expectant gaze.
Landon offered a chilling smile, his stare sharp and calculating. “Perhaps I should swiftly remove Leila, allowing you to take over as the lady of the house, correct?”
That was indeed what Sarah was hoping for, though she would never admit it so openly. She merely pouted in response. “Landon, what are you getting at? I’m just trying to look after you.”
Landon’s face hardened further. “I can make my own decisions. You don’t need to dictate what I do. Hazel was hired by my grandfather and isn’t someone I can just fire. If you can’t stand her, just stay away from her.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected to be forced to tolerate a servant. A wave of anger and frustration threatened to spill over, but she managed to suppress it. With a hollow laugh, Sarah conceded, saying, “Alright. I don’t want to cause you any trouble. I’ll put up with her.”
She hoped her display of enduring injustice would elicit some sympathy.
Seizing the moment, Sarah made her plea. “Landon, I was really frightened today. Could you stay tonight? I don’t need anything from you. Just sharing the same space would make me feel safer.”
Landon cast her a brief look but remained silent. He then turned and walked away.
Sarah watched his retreating figure, her teeth clenched in frustration.
After Hazel recovered from her injury, she grew even closer to Leila. This shift didn’t go unnoticed by other household staff in the mansion, who were more willing to get closer to Leila. Sarah had become someone everyone avoided.
