Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 40. get back on track

The uproar rang out through the open window and reached Kyle's ear behind his tightly shut bedroom door.

“Hai, Mrs Etman! Out now! Now!"

Kyle slowly lifted his tired body. His booming cry and his whale-like voice were familiar to his ears.

“...Uncle Bill?”

Kyle jumped out of his bed in surprise. He hurriedly walked to the window and witnessed the quarrel between Bill Remmer and a housekeeper at the front door.

What kind of commotion is this? Bu Etman appeared while shouting haughtily.

"Mrs. Etman, are you the damned thief? Is this an act that can be done by someone who has been honored as a noble? No matter how much you hate Leyla, how can you do this?!”

Kyle, who rushed towards them to break up the brawl, suddenly stopped like a dead man in the middle of the road.

Propagate?

Why did Uncle Bill call the thief?

For mother?

Kyle stands frozen in a riddle as Bill throws an absurdly gruesome story in a state of rage. His body suddenly became like a rigid board as he listened to those unbelievable words.

“Not-Omong is empty. How could he accuse my mother of such heinous crimes..”.

Murmuring blankly, Kyle walked out of the room. He walked down the stairs in staggered steps.

He could not accept Uncle Bill's mistreatment of his mother, no matter how angry he was at the theft.

“Did Leyla say that?”

bu Etman asked sharply after Bill stopped shouting.

“Jeez, how could he slander me like that... ..”

“Does Leyla look like a child capable of saying such a thing?”

Bill cried out as Kyle was about to step out the front door.

“If Leyla told me, my heart wouldn't be torn like this!”

“If you want to make a fuss by saying nonsense, come back now! Before I call the police!”

“Do you dare call the police?! Do you think you can take the police when the postman sees your cousin being taken to the police station?”

“... A-what?”

Mrs Etman staggered. He took a step back.

'Please, mother.'

Kyle prayed while looking at his mother's back.

'Please say no, you're not the culprit, just say it's just slander'.

Ms. Etman remained silent, but her breathing was tight. Out of fear, his grip on the fence started to tremble.

Kyle walked towards his mother.

"Mother."

Bu Etman was stunned. Only after hearing her sad voice did she realize the presence of her son standing behind her.

“That's not true, right?” Kyle grabbed his arm. “It was just a misunderstanding, right? Tell me. ?”

Kyle tried to laugh but failed. It was obvious that this moment was real, but a thick fog seemed to envelop his head.

For him, these past few days have been a very bad day. She visits, persuades, and pleads many times, but Leyla refuses to change her mind. In his deep sadness, time just passed by.

Even so, Kyle still held a vague hope. His father, who attended Ratz, had already paid part of Leyla's tuition. He was sure everything would be fine as long as he could persuade Leyla and convince her. So he planned to visit Leyla tonight and persuade her once more;

'If the wedding is too burdensome, then what about the engagement? Let's go to college together while we're engaged.'

Engaged.It was enough for him.

As time goes by, he is convinced Leyla's feelings will grow into a lover. In this way, they will live happily ever after.

But now….

"Mother!"

Kyle flinched as his voice was blocked by tears.

Mrs Etman froze and stared down at the fence. His face was pale and his lips were tightly closed.

That was when dr. Etman arrived at the scene. He got out of the car with two police officers. Bu Etman's legs limp when he sees her and falls to the floor.

Dr Etman pleaded with police to allow him to approach his wife alone. A tense expression was plastered on his face.

“I'm really sorry, Mr. Remmer.” He went towards Bill Remmer first and took off his hat. “Even if I have ten mouths, I cannot say anything. I'm sorry."

Kyle's eyes glazed over in despair as he watched his father apologize repeatedly.

“As you can see, the situation is now very bad, and it seems difficult to have a good conversation. Can I meet you and apologize again after things have calmed down?”

“... Let's do that.”

Bill Remmer angrily wiped his tears and nodded his head. As he stepped back, the officers advanced.

“Why did you do that, baby?” Dr Stares. Etman turned to his wife who was crouching.

"NO. That's not what you think...”.

“Daniel is at the police station. He admits everything. You bribed him.”

As soon as the name was said from the lips of her husband, Mrs Etman's lips clenched tightly. He couldn't say anything to defend himself.

“So don't even try to lie to me, Linda.”

“Are you going to pretend to accept Leyla and do something like that in the future? You are not only my wife, but also Kyle's mother!”

Dr. Etman eventually lost his temper. Waves of uncontrollable anger that he could no longer bear changed his face.

“This is all your fault!”

Ms. Etman threw out her anger while crying.

"Why? Why did you let Leyla ruin my life?!”

“What kind of trash did you throw out now after you committed such a crime?”

"NO. It's all your fault! Like I said, I didn't like it in the first place! I'm not going to get this far if you listen to me then! If it wasn't for you, me, me...”.

A loud crackling came out from his mouth, and the hand that covered his face was immediately wet with tears.

With a breath, Dr. Etman woke his sobbing wife. The officers showed their respect to the prominent doctor by allowing him to take his wife in the car.

Kyle stood motionless, watching the nightmare scene with his eyes wide open.

Before long, a thick layer of twilight began to envelop the blue there, and he had yet to awaken from the nightmare.

Kyle closed his eyes in the middle of the dazzling twilight.

He hoped the whole world would be buried in a blanket of darkness.

That was his only hope at the moment.

“Uncle, please don't cry.”

Leyla gently placed her handkerchief on the table. Bill, who was staring at his beer glass intently as if it was his enemy, raised his head in confusion.

“Crying?! Who's crying?”

Despite stern objections, Bill wipes the corners of his wet eyes with Leyla's handkerchief.

His untouched food had cooled on the plate, but no one had urged him to eat. Both Bill and Leyla were cautious; they could not eat.

While Bill gulped and emptied his glass, Leyla turned her gaze to the edge of the table. His face looked drained.

Leyla was unaware of what was happening until she heard words of comfort from the Arvis employee who had come to the cottage. Madam Etman couldn't possibly have leaked the incident alone, and she also covered her mouth. Nevertheless, everything about that day was finally revealed.

Leyla did not know who told the police about their private talks. That day, the old teahouse on the outskirts of town had no other visitors except him, Ms. Etman, and a stranger.

'Then who leaked the rumor? Who's he?'

Leyla couldn't even make a hazy estimate, no matter how hard she thought about it.

Whatever the case, one thing was certain; he had inflicted a permanent wound on Kyle. He had broken his heart that he wanted to protect. Etman's mother was taken to the police station by several officers accompanied by Dr. Etman. And Kyle was there watching it all.

“Leyla, don't cry.” Bill put down his glass and handed him a handkerchief.

“Crying, who is crying?”

As Bill had done a while ago, Leyla stubbornly denied and rubbed the corner of her blushing eyes.

"sorry. I don't know about the world out there, but I encourage and encourage you until you suffer painful things like this.”

“If you say so, Uncle, you will piss me off.”

“Wedding is. I'd rather not let you get married. Right, better like this.”

Leyla remained silent, but she nodded her head deeply. Her lips sparkled faintly as she smiled, moistened by her tears.

“But, I want you to go to college, Leyla. Dr. Etman already paid your tuition, and returning that money to them is the same as I paid your tuition. College has nothing to do with Kyle.”

"NO."

“If you need something like a house or boarding house, I will give you more money. My finances may be a bit limited, but don't worry, I'll work harder to cover all your living expenses..

“Uncle, I'll go to college,” Leyla said. “I did not give up. But not now."

He reached out and held Bill's hand. “I'll be a teacher.” she added. “I will save money and take the exam back once I am able to study in the Capital City. That was my initial goal and dream. It's just that the shortcut blinded me for a while, but now I'm back on track.”

“But you can't just give up after what you've been through. You have been accepted to College.”

“Do you not believe me?” Leyla smiled peacefully, “Even if I take her exam again, I am sure I will still pass. At that time, I will be accepted with a higher grade to qualify for the scholarship. You'll see."

“Leyla, my dear...”.

“Uncle, did you not tell me? I'm gonna be a good adult. So please trust me once again.”

'This good boy, what should I do to him?'

Bill thought that it would be better if he cried, Leyla instead laughed cheerfully. It seemed that he was not aware that his smile had hollowed out Bill Remmer's heart.

'And Kyle, what should I do with you?'

Bill's shoulders began to tremble because he couldn't control his overwhelming mixed feelings. He hurriedly lowered his head, not wanting to show his pitiful state. Her thick, hot tears streamed down her face and fell onto the table.

“It's okay, Uncle.”

Leyla got up from her chair and approached her.

“I'm fine.” He hugged her with his little hands. "really. I don't want to punish Mrs Etman. It's okay now because our money is back.” Leyla comforted him in a soft voice and patted him on the back.

'What should I do with you?'

Tears almost spilled from his eyes as his suffocating words gushed out from his throat.

Bill nodded while wiping away the tears.

He thinks what he does is unforgivable. But Bill felt uncomfortable the whole time after he saw Mrs. Etman collapsed in front of him and Kyle looked extremely pale. Linda Etman is Kyle's mother, no matter how evil she is. To Leyla, she was like a second mother, because she was the mother of Kyle that was precious to Leyla.

“Let's do that. If that's how you feel, then I'm fine, Leyla