Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Chapter 3

Lizetta watched their side–by–side figures, feeling a chill in her heart. No wonder she mentioned divorce and he didn’t even turn his head. Turned out his old flame was back.

Remington strode over, his gaze sweeping across Lizetta’s overly pale face, frowning, “Feeling under the weather?“–

Evelina also came over, grabbing Lizetta’s hand with concern.

“Your hand is freezing, Lizetta. Don’t tell me you got the wrong idea. Today’s my birthday, see, and after being away for four years, my folks insisted on throwing a birthday bash. Who knew right after the cake I’d get a tummy ache, so Remi had to accompany me to the hospital.”

Lizetta swiftly withdrew her hand, moving so fast that Evelina’s hand was left hanging in the air, causing Remington to disapprove with a darkened gaze.

Lizetta noticed and felt a wave of bitterness swell in her heart.

She shared a birthday with Evelina, and it wasn’t that Remington had forgotten or hadn’t prepared a gift, it was just that he had someone more important to be with, someone more important to pamper.

Hiding her fragility, Lizetta forced a smile and tiptoed to remove the headband from the man’s head.

“This doesn’t suit you,” with a casual flick, she tossed the headband straight into the trash can.

Evelina’s smile froze on her face.

“Joseph’s sick, in the pediatric ward; we have his brain CT scan.”

Lizetta handed the report to Remington and then bolted, her steps quickening. She stepped out of the outpatient hall and couldn’t help but look back.

Remington was accompanying Evelina upstairs, and from start to finish, he hadn’t looked back at her even

once.

She fell to the ground, the familiar voice of a middle–aged woman

these days! Can’t you watch where

waiting for us.”

to see the anxious backs of the Hawthorne parents

in her father’s arms. Elara Hawthorne would hold her little hand and say, “Be brave, Liz, mom and dad

birth, and

she lost the parents who loved her and gained an abusive father and

hands of the abusive Hans Gardenia, and at ten, her older brother Thaddeus Gardenia carried her, who was bloodied, to kneel at the

grandmother, Remington braved the snowstorm

lost her

fate, Lizetta sensed she would lose everything. But she was too weary to hold on any

evening breeze already cool, Lizetta, holding her shoulder and limping, walked down the street, passing young dancers laughing and

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and stared blankly.

Remington and had skipped grades to catch up with him, getting into the top dance academy by

professor recommended she study

for him to turn around and marry her, clinging to

compared to her peers brimming with youth, she felt