Chapter 4
I stood there, watching the scene unfold, and it finally hit me that I'd walked right into a trap.
But I explained calmly, "I didn't do it."
Ronald was so furious that veins bulged on his forehead. "Kyla, you've really let me down!"
Just then, the maid who looked after Timmy rushed out, her voice shaking with fear. "I'm sorry, Mr. Olson. Mrs. Olson forced me to do it. She said that illegitimate kid Timmy didn't even deserve to live. Mr. Olson, Ms. Gordon, please, have mercy on me. I really had no choice..."
Her words were the last straw for Ronald, especially with Timmy coughing nonstop in the background.
He gave me a vicious slap. "Kyla, you're not worth any mercy from me!"
I knocked over the vase and crashed onto the floor. My hand landed right on the sharp shards.
Blood gushed out instantly.
I gritted my teeth through the pain and stared back at Ronald's cold eyes.
He stared at the blood on my hand, his eyes flickering, and his brows drew together like he was suddenly uncomfortable with what he saw.
Hattie tugged at his sleeve, sounding hurt. "I know Timmy and I aren't good enough for you, but he's only just recovered. I'm scared his old illness might come back."
Ronald pulled her into his arms, his gaze softening for her, but when he looked at me, his eyes were cold and merciless.
He had me thrown out without a second thought.
He said, "Kyla, stay outside and reflect on yourself. Let the rain wash away the darkness and poison in your heart. Come back when you've thought it through."
The rain drenched my thin clothes, and the autumn wind chilled me to the bone.
I stared at the tightly shut door and just laughed.
Honestly, maybe this was better. I was leaving soon anyway.
Leaving a bit sooner might not be such a bad thing after all.
When I opened my eyes again, I was at Elsie's place.
It turned out that Mary Park, the housekeeper from the villa, had called Elsie and told her about everything that had happened.
Elsie had rushed over in her car and found me passed out by the side of the road.
She pulled me into her arms, her voice trembling with emotion and regret. "Kyla, I'm so sorry. I never imagined Ronald could do something like this to you. I thought marrying him would be good for you, but I ended up hurting you instead."
"Sweetheart, if you need to cry, just let it out. Don't hold it in and make yourself sick," she said softly.
I wouldn't cry.
I didn't want to cry.
Ronald wasn't worth my tears anymore.
The next day, Elsie went straight to Ronald's villa.
As expected, Hattie and Timmy were both there.
Hattie tried to encourage Timmy to cozy up to Elsie, nudging him to call her "Grandma."
Elsie didn't even look at her and just slammed a stack of documents down in front of Ronald for him to sign.
"If you can't handle being CEO, step down and let someone more capable take over. There's a mountain of paperwork waiting for your approval. The whole company's stuck because of you," Elsie said sharply.
Ronald didn't even glance at the documents. He just scribbled his signature and moved on.
As Elsie was heading out, she gave Hattie a pointed look and told Ronald, "I remember this place has security cameras. Check the footage, and you'll find out what really happened."
Hattie went white as a sheet, totally panicked.
Ronald wasn't clueless. After Elsie's hint, he went straight to check the security cameras.
That was when the truth smacked him in the face. The maid was behind everything, and she was the one who'd locked Timmy out on the balcony.
It was like waking up from a bad dream. He suddenly thought of me and realized just how wrong he'd been.
Mary filled him in, letting him know Elsie had already taken me away.
As Ronald drove to Elsie's place, unease gnawed at him the whole way.
His mind kept replaying the image of me sitting on the floor, blood dripping from my hand, my gaze steadfast yet hopeless.
The more he dwelled on it, the more panicked he felt.
It was as if something precious was slipping through his fingers, and no matter what he did, he couldn't stop it.
The moment he stepped inside, Ronald was calling out for me.
He looked through the house, searching every corner, upstairs and down.
But I was nowhere to be found.
In his panic, he missed a step and tumbled down the stairs.
He didn't even care about the fall. He picked himself up and hurried over to Elsie as soon as she walked in.
His voice shook, though he tried to hide it. "Mom, where's Kyla?"
"I was wrong about her. I've searched every inch of the house, but she's nowhere to be found. Where did she go?" he demanded, his panic growing.
When I was thrown out that day, I didn't have my phone with me, but at least I still had my ID in my pocket.
I asked Elsie to take the divorce papers to Ronald and have him sign them.
I didn't want anything from him.
All I wanted was to get the divorce over with as soon as possible.
Elsie handed me the plane ticket and a bank card.
"Kyla, we really failed you. Maybe we weren't meant to be in-laws, but we can still be family. You'll always be my girl and always part of this family. Take this card. Living on your own, you'll need it. Just think of it as a little something from me, okay?" Elsie said softly.