Chapter 27 Don’t Come Crying to Me
Maxwell arched an eyebrow, a clear signal that he had more to say, but Lailah cut him off before he could elaborate.
“Mr. Davidson, if you don’t mind, please give us a moment. I need to speak with Zayden privately.”
Noticing this, Maxwell gave a slight nod.
“Alright. Just contact me if you need anything.”
An unexpected severity flashed across Zayden’s features.
Once Maxwell had left, the warmth in Zayden’s handsome face instantly vanished, replaced by an icy aloofness.
“Lailah, we are still married. Were you so eager to bring someone else here?”
His voice never held any warmth.
Lailah said calmly, “Your phone was out of reach. After I was taken to the hospital, the doctor insisted I pay the fees immediately. I had no choice but to call him for help.”
In truth, Lailah’s first call had been to Elyse.
Lailah had been involved in a car accident the day before and was unable to come pick up Anton.
With no other recourse upon waking up, she had no choice but to call Maxwell and explain the situation.
Soon after, Maxwell arrived with Anton.
Later, when Elyse finally made it, they both departed.
Elyse stayed with Lailah overnight. The next morning, Lailah sent her home to rest.
Lailah lifted her gaze to meet Zayden’s. “Were you waiting around for the hospital to throw me out?”
His throat worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing, yet he offered no reply.
When she had been utterly alone, with no one to turn to, he’d been too busy at the hospital for Tamara.
Lailah picked up the meal Maxwell had brought and began to eat, her movements slow and deliberate.
A heavy silence settled over the ward, brief but palpable.
It wasn’t until she had finished that Zayden finally broke the quiet.
“How come your car crashed into Mara’s?”
“That question is for Ms. Mosley, not me,” Lailah countered, her expression serene, betraying no hint of panic or con-
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Chapter 27 Don’t Come Crying to Me
fusion. “I’ve told you, her car struck me out of the blue.”
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Zayden fixed her with a piercing, somber stare. “But I’ve already spoken to the witnesses. They all say you darted out suddenly, without looking.”
Just as she’d suspected.
No accident. Tamara had done it on purpose.
Lailah looked back at Zayden. “Have you found the surveillance footage from the scene yet?”
“Not yet.”
Lailah wasn’t the least bit surprised.
Tamara was too cunning to make such an elementary blunder.
“And what do you think, Mr. Walter?” Lailah inquired, her voice steady. “Do you believe I intentionally collided with Ms. Mosley’s car?”
“Whether deliberate or not, you drove out into the road without slowing down. According to the eyewitnesses, you bear full responsibility for this incident.”
“So?”
“For now, public sentiment is mounting. If you offer a public apology to Mara, she might consider the matter closed.”
Lailah’s gaze flickered, a trace of surprise evident.
She let out a soft, humorless chuckle, “An apology is all it takes? Ms. Mosley sustained serious injuries. I expected you’d at least want me imprisoned.”
Zayden’s handsome features remained impassive. “Mara’s injuries are not critical. I will manage her situation. Your apology will quell this public furor.”
Lailah’s brow furrowed slightly. “So, Mr. Walter, you’re saying that if I refuse to apologize, you won’t mitigate the online backlash?”
Zayden looked down at her, his voice low. “Lailah, I need to provide Mara with an explanation for this accident.”
An apology could erase all conflict. The penalty was insignificant.
Lailah’s composure remained unshaken, her heart utterly still.
“It wasn’t me who hit Tamara’s car; she hit mine. Any apology should be coming from her, not me.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Zayden’s face at Lailah’s unwavering stance.
He frowned. “You claim Tamara struck your car first. I’ve had people look into it. The evidence is clear. Are you still going to deny it?”
“Zayden, convicting me based on the accounts of a few passersby seems rather precipitate, doesn’t it?”
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While Zayden hadn’t simply taken Tamara’s word as he might have before, and had conducted an investigation, the “evidence” he’d uncovered was precisely what Tamara had ensured he would find.
“Lailah, what is it you’re really trying to say?”
Lailah met his handsome, chilling face, her own voice firm. “I’m saying I didn’t hit her car. I won’t apologize to Tamara. She is the one who owes me an apology.”
A chill entered Zayden’s gaze.
“Lailah, is an apology truly so hard?”
“An apology isn’t hard in itself, but it’s only fitting if one is truly in the wrong,” Lailah retorted, her tone cool. “I- haven’t done anything wrong. So, why should I apologize?”
His eyes were cold and composed. “Whether you did it on purpose or not, you hit someone’s car, and an apology is necessary.”
“You’re right. But I’ve said it before: I didn’t hit Tamara’s car; she hit mine.”
Zayden’s patience snapped. “Lailah, you’re being utterly unreasonable!”
Lailah looked away. “Zayden, don’t bother. I will not apologize to Tamara. If you think you have the power, just throw me in jail.”
“Fine. You’ve got guts,” he bit out, a humorless laugh escaping him. “Just don’t come crying to me later when this blows up in your face.”
***
After that exchange, Zayden didn’t return, seemingly content to wait her out, expecting her to crack and apologize.
Lailah paid him no mind.
Just then, a news report detailing the truth behind Tamara’s car accident exploded onto the scene, quickly becoming the top trending headline and spreading like wildfire.
Accompanied by several photos for visual proof, the expose painted Lailah as monstrously cruel, alleging she had de- liberately caused the accident, even attempting to murder Tamara.
Backed by this so-called “solid evidence,” a torrent of online abuse rained down upon Lailah.
“This woman is truly vicious! Breaking up a couple wasn’t enough, and now she tries to take a life? Does she think killing Tamara will win Mr. Walter’s affection? Dream on! A woman like her will never deserve true love!”
“She’s terrifying! Mr. Walter, divorce her immediately! Give her a few more days, and who knows, she might just turn that love-turned-hate on you!”
“May that vile woman die soon!”
“We can’t let this murderer roam free to hurt anyone else! Throw her in jail quickly!”
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“Give her the death penalty!”
“Yes, death penalty!”
The comments section was a sea of criticism directed solely at Lailah.
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More extreme netizens threatened to send her funeral flowers; others photoshopped images of her portrait as if it were a memorial photo, while a particularly vicious individual leaked all her contact details online.
Lailah’s phone became a barrage of calls, her text messages flooded with malicious curses.
For a time, the online sentiment reached a fever pitch. Rational voices attempting to point out the lack of conclusive evidence for the accident were swiftly drowned out by the overwhelming tide of condemnation directed at her.
Anything critical of her was deemed valid.
Anyone daring to adopt a neutral stance or speak in her defense was instantly labeled an apologist or a paid shill.
Three days later, Lailah was discharged from the hospital.
Her physical recovery was complete; she saw no reason to inform anyone of her discharge.
However, the moment she stepped out of the hospital, a crowd suddenly closed in around her.
“Lailah, you heartless murderer! Don’t think that bribing your way out will allow you to escape justice and the law!”
