A Writer's Billionaire

Chapter 56: She even lied to us

Jeremy POV

"When Laila was being rushed to the hospital. I kept telling her that I want her to forget all her pain and for her to be happy."

I confessed.

"And right now, in Laila's memories the two of you never broke up, she didn't leave and that her mother..." Clarisse stopped herself. "Jer, if you want to know I'll have to tell you but know that all of this is from my standpoint and what I know. You'll have to ask Laila later if she finally gets better."

"What happened five years ago was the only thing that was distorted in her memories." I contemplated.

"The thing is, not everyone was happy about your relationship. Laila was actually being harassed and I wouldn't even know about it if I haven't seen it with my own eyes. Do you know Roxane Mortez? That b*tch who throw Henry to jail. She's actually the one who made Laila suffer. She spread rumours around about Laila and was quite persistent. It was because of her that everyone look down on Laila saying she was just some cinderella because of you and that everything she had was because of you. No one took notice of her hard work and achievements. She only stopped when I caught her act sabotaging Laila's exhibit work."

"Laila ignored everything at that time but I wasn't merciful as her so I published Roxane's act and that made her stop but she had already made enough damage. Laila's reputation was already messy." she shared.

"Why Laila didn't do anything?" I wondered out loud.

Clarisse gave me a 'duh' look, "Because her family works with your family and it's not that Laila didn't do anything, it's just that that b*tch had her family's name backing her up. You know, she was once invited to an event. Laila was so happy and nervous because for her it is a chance to be of help to you but we didn't expect it was all set up by Roxane. They ridicule Laila's background and make sure to slap it in her face that she's not worthy of you. After that, she made sure to not be a burden to you."

"So the aftermath of that is everyone looks down on Laila and you started to do your own business, proving yourself so she didn't want to drag you down." she continued.

"Laila never said anything. She's always smiling and being herself" I uttered.

"I hated you, you know. I hated the fact that she let herself suffer again going back to you."

 "You think I don't blame myself right now? It was my carelessness for not protecting her well enough but why are you acting as if it was me who was heartless between the two of us. It wasn't me who left. She's the one who breaks things off without words and all I did was love her and wait for her. You have no idea how anxious I was, how scared I was that I'll see her one day already in someone else's arms." I blubbered out.

"The two of you are so well damn good at protecting each other. As I said, both of you ignored things and it was Laila who crumbles at the end. Laila watched her mother kill herself in front of her, at that time she can't contact you, she was waiting for you but you never came. She buried her mother alone. And when you showed up, Laila wanted so much to tell you everything but seeing how stressed you are because of your own career she decided to shut up and not be a burden to you. She ignored herself and she supported you when at that time she was the one who needed it the most. She even lied to us that you were comforting her. She forced herself to fit into your world."

I tremble at the thought that Laila had to go through that pain, seeing her own mother kill herself. Was that the reason, when I looked into it the only record was that she died but it was never stated it was suicide.

"After graduations, Roxane's rumours still implicated Laila. People degrade her and told she just hit a jackpot being your mistress. No one respected her but she never complains. She's always careful just because she's afraid that whatever actions he does will affect you. You got so busy and Laila will always wait on you. I don't know what else happened, but when you got into that accident she finally snapped. I guess for her, her world collapsed but we are all surprised when she made the decision of leaving. She didn't say anything to us, not until Henry found her and she explained some things." Clarisse divulge.

"But why did Laila leave? She was so devastated at that time. I remember her not leaving Jer's side not until he wakes up." Brian softly said.

"She blames herself," I pulled on my hair knowing too well what happened. 

"It wasn't her fault you were drunk driving" Clarisse begrudgingly said.

"Before the accident, Laila was acting off but when I asked her she just shrugs it off so I just thought it was one of her days she's not feeling well. That day, she called me and she was sobbing and speaking incoherently. Then she demanded I went back, I thought something happened so I rushed back and that's when the accident happened." I told them.

Both Brian and Clarisse looked surprised. It was the first time I ever told this.

All of us were silent for a while. Only the sounds of our heavy breathing as we all absorb the story. It was Clarisse who broke the silence first.

"Laila never said anything. When we found her again she was barely hanging on. She won't accept any of our help. Vincent puts her into therapy and it was then that we got to know that Laila had trauma going to a hospital. She has seen her mother die in a hospital room and she saw you almost dying in a hospital."

"Vincent?" I asked.

"Apparently, Vincent is Laila's older brother. I don't know about their story, and we haven't asked Laila if she knows anything right now but if you want to know more details you just asked him."

Clarisse stood up and fixed herself. "Thinking about it now. All your suffering is because Laila couldn't be honest and you ignored all the red flags. You were scared that if you looked into it Laila will slip away from you so just as Laila always waits for you to come home, you waited for her to be okay and tell you."

Everything she said was true. 

I know that something was already wrong but I'm afraid that if I ask Laila's answer would be that she had enough. That she doesn't love me anymore and that she wanted to leave. I always had that sinking feeling in my gut that Laila wanted to tell me something so I'll always delay it. I'll come up with reasons for being busy. 

If I have only known that I was way off about everything, I should have listened and urged her to tell me.

Clarisse passed by me as she walks away. She opened the door to leave but she stopped and looked back at me.

"Right from the start, I was against the two of you. Every time I'll nag Laila not to endure it. That she'll be better off without you but she wouldn't listen. Because the moment she fell in love with you, you became her sun. Her world."