Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lizetta handed Remington's phone to the nurse at the desk, asking her to deliver it to Remington before turning to leave. The nurse, true to her word, immediately took the phone to him.

Barbara had been rushed into surgery, and Remington was pacing anxiously alongside Martin in the waiting area. Seeing the nurse with his phone, he had his brow furrowed in irritation as he took it and asked, "Who brought this?"

"She left it with me and then took off," the nurse replied.

Clutching the phone, Remington told Martin, "I'll be right back."

Without waiting for a response, he strode towards the elevator.

But by the time he got to the lobby, there was no sign of Lizetta. He quickly dialed her number.

After a few rings, she answered.

Remington, now in the elevator, asked in a deep, worried tone, "Where are you?"

Lizetta was on her way out of the hospital; her voice was calm as she replied, "I'm beat. Caught a cab home. I know you're busy; just carry on." Remington could detect the chill in her tone.

heart squeezed. He knew she must have overheard

a moment of silence, his grip on the phone tightened, and he barely managed to say,

right words to explain, Lizetta cut him off. "My ride's here. Gotta go.

"Alright, just text

do," she said before

board any cab. She

because she hadn't even seen a cab

hear his explanations; they

even without hearing them, she

was all about making Barbara feel at

Stella that he had played along with Barbara's demands,

yearned for a husband who would stand by her side, steadfastly, under

didn't realize how long she had been sitting on the

answered; her expression changed

the DNA

hailed a cab and headed to

she off to in such a hurry? April,