Chapter 7

Mark crossed the room to where Layla was and popped a tablet into her mouth. A pained look flickered over his face as he stared at her. "Swallow the hemostatic tablet. I'll bandage your arm." Layla obediently chased the tablet down with a gulp of water, then put her arm out before Mark to let him work on the wounds. Seth did not miss how she did not brush Mark off with the same indifference and agitation she had shown him. Seth felt like his heart was being ripped apart as the realization settled in. His breath hitched as he watched Mark peel off the layers of gauze from Layla's arm and coolly tossed them on the ground. Mark took up a bottle of hemostatic spray and applied it on Layla's cuts. His movements were swift and seamless. Seth's heart had cracked when he saw Mark feeding Layla the tablet, and now, it tightened painfully as he watched the man bandage up Layla's arm. Seth recalled the years when Layla had been head over heels for him. They had been together for four years, only for her to treat him like a stranger by the end. She had told Mark about her condition, yet she had never breathed a word about it to Seth. The double standard drove Seth insanely jealous, and he could no longer leash his temper as he snapped, "You never told me about your bleeding disorder, Layla! We were together for four years. Did you ever see me as your husband?" Layla's lips were pale from her blood loss, but that did little to distract from the shock on her face when she heard Seth's accusation. Throughout their four-year marriage, he hadn't picked up on her coagulopathy, yet he had somehow found a way to blame her for his oversight. He would have learned about her condition sooner had he been more attentive to her. Layla had kept her condition a secret from Seth at the time of Benjamin's delivery so that he wouldn't worry. At the time, she believed that he loved her. She thought he would stop her from having the child if he knew what she was risking. She had given her all to keep their marriage. She had poured her heart and soul into it, and all she had asked for in return was a happy family. She hadn't expected to become the sacrificial lamb in an elaborate conspiracy. Seth had wanted the baby for Clarissa. Even if Layla had mentioned her coagulopathy, he would have made her risk her life to deliver the child. He wouldn't have cared if she lived or died. Layla had been foolish enough to believe that Seth had loved her. But her worries had been wasted, for he had just been using her all along. Regret filled her as the memories flitted through her mind. She was lucky to have emerged from that hellscape alive. Ignoring Seth's question, Layla focused on Mark and said, "I was planning on making braised beef short ribs for Daisy today, but I guess I'll have to break my promise." Mark glanced up to meet her gaze. "You will do nothing but rest today. Look at all the blood you've lost. I'll make some bone broth for you. In the meantime, leave Daisy to me. I can take care of her." Seth's blood ran cold when he realized that Layla was pointedly ignoring him while speaking gently to Mark. He could tell from Mark's glittering eyes and the way he treated Daisy that the man was in love with Layla. Seth could even picture how happy they would look as a family of three. He had that once upon a time, too. A jealous gleam flashed in his eyes as his sharp gaze darted between Mark and Layla. He hissed in a low, menacing voice, "Is this your way of answering me, Layla? The fact that I was your husband meant nothing to you, huh? You'd rather trust this man than me. Is that right?" The warmth with which Layla had regarded Mark vanished as she eyed Seth expressionlessly. Steel edged her tone as she replied without hesitation, "Yes." Seth's heart sank deeper when he heard her response. Gritting his teeth, he retorted, "It's a shame you aren't an actress, Layla. You pulled off the role of a dedicated, loving wife so well for so many years. It must have been hard for you to keep up the act." Layla's lips curled into a mocking smile. "I could say the same for you, Mr. Parker. It must have been hard for you to play the role of a good and honest man for so many years." "What made you think it was an act? You know damn well how I was with you. It seems that my dedication to you had meant nothing. How have I never noticed how heartless you are?" Seth snapped. Layla had no idea where Seth got the gall to say such things. Had he forgotten how he had married her just so that Clarissa wouldn't suffer? Or how he had delicately and discreetly planned her pregnancy so that she could have a baby in Clarrisa's stead? Had he also conveniently forgotten that he had fed Benjamin, their biological son, vicious lies about her so that the boy would refuse to accept her as a mother? Layla had built a family and a home with Seth, only for him to destroy it. And the child she had risked her life to deliver was cruelly taken away from her. Seth had crushed all her hopes and dreams. He had caused her to fall into such severe depression that she had found herself treading the edge of death on more than one occasion. After the hell and hurt he had put her through, what right did he have to accuse her of being heartless? Layla's fists tightened at the recollection. "Heartless, huh? You made me the sacrificial lamb and tricked me into having a son. I think when it comes to cruelty, you're in a completely different league from me." Seth's face darkened. "Tricked you? What the hell are you talking about, Layla?" She snorted. She wanted nothing more than to stand up for her old self. She wanted to ask if Seth had ever considered her feelings when he had made all those decisions. But four years had passed, and whatever hatred she had felt for him didn't matter as much anymore. When she had first learned of Daisy's condition, she had wanted to make Seth pay for not only ruining her life but also causing their daughter's disorder. However, as time passed, Layla's hatred gradually waned. Now, her priority was to find a cure for Daisy and let her finally live her life. Her expression was bland as she said, "I don't want to dwell on the past anymore, and I want you to stay away from me. From now on, you and I have nothing more than a parent-teacher relationship." "Layla." Seth moved to grab her arm, but she evaded him. She fixed a steely look at Horace and pointed out, "Mr. Danes, Benjamin is the one at fault. This goes beyond a mere fistfight between boys; someone could have died. For William's sake, I hope this school will deal with this fairly and take appropriate measures." Horace had been watching Layla and Seth's argument from the sidelines when his name was called. A chill ran down his spine as he debated on his next move. Horace had offered Layla a handsome salary to procure her brilliant teaching skills for the school, but Benjamin was the scion of the formidable Parker family whom he could not afford to cross. Cunning as he was, Horace swiftly threw the ball into Layla's court. "Ms. Jenkins, I've left you in charge of the class because I trust that you can make the right call. More importantly, Benjamin is your child, too. I'm sure that you and Mr. Parker will be able to come up with a better way to educate him. "I'll leave it to you to decide on how this incident should be dealt with. I won't interfere." Layla did not so much as blink as she countered, "Benjamin has nothing to do with me. I'm not one to mix my personal life with business either, especially when it comes to dealing with incidents such as this one." Upon hearing this, Seth clenched his fists. "Layla, Benjamin is your son. Are you just going to wash your hands of him?" Layla cut an impassive look at him. "I'll do something about it, but only if you agree to cut ties with him and abandon your father-son relationship. Would you do that?" "Like hell I would," Seth bit out. "Too bad, then. I think we're better off keeping our relationship strictly professional. Your son's behavior has hurt another child. He will have to apologize to William and ask for his forgiveness. "He will also need to turn in a 300-word essay by tomorrow to show that he has reflected on his mistakes. If not, he won't need to bother showing up in my class anymore. "If you have any objections to the punishment, Mr. Parker, feel free to file a complaint with Mr. Danes and have me fired. I will hold nothing against you." She did not even flinch as she suggested the punishment. Benjamin might as well have been someone else's child for all she cared. She had even put her job on the line to make a point. Seth knew how stubborn Layla could be despite her gentle exterior. Once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. When he did not object, Layla took William's hand and said flatly, "Then, I take it that you agree with the punishment, Mr. Parker. Please excuse me while I escort William out." With that, she turned to leave. As Seth watched her walk out of the infirmary with her back straight and her shoulders squared, he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He couldn't believe that she still showed no sign of turning around even after his relentless questioning. At that moment, it finally dawned on him that Layla wanted nothing to do with him or Benjamin.