Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Chapter 98

Her hands always seemed to have this lingering stench of blood. Lizetta, with her head tilted back, let her tears mix with the water and disappear without a trace.

She felt pretty pathetic. Even when Evelina had answered her desperate call for help, she couldn’t bring Herself to hate Remington.

Because even though Remington didn’t come to her rescue, it was him who taught her how to survive on her

own.

That incident when she was twelve left a dark shadow in her heart. For a while at school, she’d freak out. whenever a middle–aged male teacher got too close – so much so that she couldn’t even function normally at school.

It was Remington who would cycle with her every day to clear her head and take her to see a therapist.

She didn’t have much faith in therapists, so Remington learned about desensitization therapy by shadowing one and did a ton of research.

Eventually, he took it upon himself to guide her through the desensitization exercises. In the dark, he’d play different roles, pushing her to face and overcome her fears.

He’d then take her out to meet all sorts of middle–aged men, offering encouragement and support until she got better.

If not for that, she would have been a complete mess tonight, trapped in her painful memories with no fight in her.

composed under pressure came from the patience and

him? He was her brother,

past four years of cold treatment into a

of having and then losing was like

knock at the door jarred Lizetta from her thoughts. By then, she was completely drained, slumped in a corner against

Open up, did you fall asleep?”

in the guest bathroom,

sound of running water answered from inside. Frowning, the man stepped back, ready to kick the door

a towel, her face ashen and her hair still

what the hell were you doing in

her head slightly at Remington, flinging droplets from her hair

sure enough, it was bone–chilling. “Lizetta! Are you trying to kill yourself? You were showering with

innocent and dazed, “Was I using cold

just stood under the showerhead feeling dirty. So filthy dirty, and she had scrubbed herself so hard that she

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Chapter 98

of her lips trembling and her whole body on the verge of collapsing, Remington’s instinct

up. “Has the cold water destroyed your brain? Just keep it