Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Some onlookers couldn’t keep silent any longer.
“How can someone be so cruel? To think of killing one’s own father!”
“Perhaps he’s seizing the opportunity to drive them away.”
Whispers and murmurs rose among the members of the Hayes family. A number of them had harbored grievances against Brent but had found no reason to confront him-until now.
They assisted Boris to his feet, and one man boldly confronted Brent. “We are family, after all. It’s one thing for you to disregard us and wish us gone under normal circumstances, but now, standing before you are your own aunt and cousin. Can you really be so merciless? It’s been evident to everyone that this mother and son have been tirelessly tending to Jerome in the hospital. You barely visit, maybe a couple of times a week.
If they had intended any harm to Jerome, they would have acted much sooner. Why would they wait until now? Brent, could it be that you’re the one wishing for Jerome’s swift departure? Once he passes, the entire Hayes legacy falls to you, freeing you to expel anyone you dislike.”
“You!” Brent’s fury erupted at the accusation. He clenched his jaw and delivered a forceful punch to the man’s face.
Honestly, the man didn’t even attempt to retaliate.
Boris, however, didn’t miss his chance to escalate the tension, reveling in the ensuing chaos. With his hands covering his face, he yelled out dramatically, “Brent, why are you attacking me? It’s fine. If hitting me makes you feel better, go ahead!”
The spectacle was captured on video and promptly uploaded online, where it quickly spread like wildfire.
Unaware of the real story, many viewers fell for Boris’s act, bombarding Brent’s social media with malicious comments.
Some even began to boycott the products and subsidiaries of the Hayes Group, demanding Brent’s resignation or threatening a permanent boycott.
Leila remained oblivious to the online uproar, her mind elsewhere.
Technically, she would be back to her single life once she secured the divorce certificate tomorrow, a milestone that was expected to bring joy. Yet, she was restless, spending the night awake, tossing and turning, unable to find peace. Landon’s fate haunted her thoughts.
Memories from her time with the Kensington family surged, filling Leila’s mind with scenes of school days and living alongside them. Their wedding day stood out with particular clarity.
During the ceremony, Landon had been visibly unhappy, his expression icy and distant.
Leila had even considered calling off the wedding at one point.
A casual remark Leila made had unexpectedly taken hold with Roderick, who not only remembered it but also pressured Landon into agreeing.
The wedding, though lavish, was an affair attended mostly by members of the Kensington family.
Leila was ready to speak to Roderick to stop the wedding if Landon was unwilling.
She wanted to prevent her relationship with Landon from deteriorating beyond repair. However, when she approached him, Landon’s response was frosty. He gripped her chin firmly, his eyes devoid of warmth. “What, still not satisfied? What else do you want from me? Do you want me to vow to love only you forever?”
His words, sharp and mocking, echoed in Leila’s mind. So the following day, during what should have been the happiest occasion of her life, Leila found herself in tears.
She was baffled, unable to grasp why happiness eluded her.
Throughout the ceremony, whispers and jeers circled Leila.
Some claimed she was merely a mute who was unworthy of Landon, suggesting she must have seduced him to have come so far.
They were correct on one thing: Leila was indeed mute.
Without the means to voice her defense, all she could do was silently endure the mockery and derision thrown her way.
After the ceremony, Leila sought Landon, needing to speak with him. However, she found him with bodyguards, beating up those who had taunted her most harshly.
Landon’s gaze was intense, his tone icy as he questioned them. “Who do you think you are to speak of her and me like that?”
From then on, the mocking about her being mute became less frequent. Leila had mixed feelings then.
Her current sentiments mirrored what she felt back then.
She harbored no hatred or distaste toward Landon, yet a part of her wondered if perhaps she should have distanced herself sooner. Now, even a simple friendship seemed unattainable.
Leila tossed and turned all night, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
By six in the morning, a knock echoed at her door.
The absence of Leila’s response prompted the visitor to call out louder. “Mrs. Kensington, are you there? We’re from the Kensington family.”
The Kensington family? Surprise quickly gave way to realization. It had to be Landon’s people. Why had they come so early? Did Landon fear she might change her mind? A wave of sadness washed over her.
Gathering herself, Leila opened the door to find several bodyguards donned in Kensington family uniforms. They greeted her courteously, extending a hand to guide her downstairs.
As Leila approached the car, something felt off. It wasn’t Landon’s usual vehicle.
Despite her reservations, Leila climbed in.
Instead of heading to the city hall, the car veered toward the Kensington family mansion.
Leila’s mind raced with questions until she entered the living room. There, Shirley and Melinda sat looking distressed, sinking Leila’s heart further.
Leila was gripped by a sense of dread. Her first impulse was to run.
But as she retreated a few steps, several bodyguards converged behind her, blocking her path. Escape was clearly not an option now.
Melinda observed Leila’s ashen expression with a hint of glee. She then turned her attention back to Shirley and resumed her story. “Dean is adamant about getting a divorce now. It’s terrifying for both me and our little one. What will I do if we go through with it? The media will crucify Dean. Shirley, my little girl calls you ‘Grandma’ and clings to you daily. You have to intervene! I can’t fathom what I’ve done to enrage Leila to the point of ripping my family apart.”
As Melinda spoke, her eyes darted a vicious look toward Leila.
Leila immediately caught on. The last incident had driven a wedge between Dean and Melinda.
Leila wasn’t sure how they had tried to resolve it, but clearly, it had escalated to the brink of divorce. Melinda, furious, pinned the blame on her.
Listening to Melinda, Shirley’s eyes grew colder as she stared at Leila, her anger palpable. “Leila, get over here!” she demanded, her voice harsh and strained.
Leila’s anxiety eased as she neared the pair, typing with a steady hand. “I’m aware of the situation between them, though I’m not the instigator. As for why Dean is so furious, I’m certain Melinda understands the reason quite well.”
A fleeting look of guilt crossed Melinda’s face.
However, Shirley was indifferent to this. Rising in anger, she slapped Leila.
Shirley hurled accusations. “How does their conflict concern you? Don’t pretend ignorance. With Landon wanting a divorce, you’re merely looking to cause trouble. True, Melinda made a mess of things, but she’s still part of the Kensington family. You’ve meddled in their marriage for the Hayes family’s benefit!
Leila, this is disgraceful! Think I don’t know? You’ve got plenty of men outside, flirting around. You’re still legally Landon’s wife, and as long as that’s the case, I have every right to put you in your place.”
Clutching her reddened cheek, Leila’s heart sank with Shirley’s words.
Footsteps echoed closer.
Turning, Leila saw a bodyguard advancing, clutching a baton as thick as his forearm.
Her back slick with sweat, Leila stared at Shirley, stunned. She attempted to defend herself, hastily typing down her message.
“Are you endorsing mob justice? That’s against the law! Don’t you fear I might call the police?”
“Call the police?” Shirley burst into laughter, as if the idea were the punchline to a great joke. “Let’s find out who they really support, me or you. Stop squirming. Even if Landon were to show up now, he wouldn’t lift a finger to help you. This is a family matter. If you can’t fall in line, I’ll have to force your hand!”
Shirley’s resentment toward Leila had been simmering for years. Now, with her chance for payback within her grasp, she wasn’t about to let it slip through her fingers, despite knowing deep down it was wrong.
But morality no longer held sway over Shirley’s decisions.
Meanwhile, Melinda, having wiped her tears, allowed a triumphant smirk to form on her lips. She handed her daughter to a nearby servant. “Take my sweetheart outside to play. Things here might escalate, and I don’t want her innocence tainted.”
As Leila observed the shifting expressions of those around her, a profound sense of despair washed over her.
