Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

"Grandpa, Jerome, why are you both looking at me like that? If you don't agree, I'll just use my own allowance to sponsor Mrs. Johnson's trip abroad." Andrea was being stared at, but she maintained an innocent and cheerful demeanor.

It seemed she was completely oblivious to the fact that her words were a form of belittlement and insult to Liz, something that could hurt someone's pride.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, but Liz laughed, breaking the awkward silence. "Mrs. Madden is really too kind-hearted, a veritable fairy godmother eager to shower me with money. But I really don't need this kind of help. Oh, and please take this credit card back too."

Saying this, Liz pulled out a credit card and handed it to Andrea in front of everyone.

Andrea's eyes flickered, surprised that Liz would bring this up publicly. She thought Liz would keep the embarrassing incident of being given a credit card to herself and just swallow the humiliation. Nelson frowned at the card, "Liz, what's this about?"

Liz just smiled calmly, "Oh, nothing much. Just that Mrs. Madden mentioned the card had fifty thousand dollars..."

interrupted, "Grandpa, I was in such a hurry when I left this morning, I didn't even have time to buy some gifts to bring over. I'm really thankful for Mrs. Johnson's help at the bar the other day, and I wanted to show

Liz hadn't accepted the card at all;

thrown it back

it

fallen to

Ine

pick it up, especially since she heard Mrs. Bernice

up herself before leaving. But now, Andrea was insisting that she had accepted the card. To say she had accepted it and then pulled it

that there hadn't been a third person in the room earlier, and now that the card

smile faded, and she

and you didn't take it; it fell to the ground. Besides, you said these fifty thousand dollars were for hiring a caregiver, so I wouldn't bother Grandpa Nelson and Grandma