Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

“Evelina’s bun in the oven is super important, and it can’t be messed up. I’ll admit I jumped the gun today and gave you a hard time without getting the facts straight, but…”

Lizetta froze, and then everything before her eyes blurred.

He said Evelina’s kid was important.

What a joke, turns out it’s not that he didn’t want kids; it’s just that he just didn’t want to have them with her, his wife.

Before he dropped that bomb, she’d been in denial; she couldn’t believe that Remington would cheat on her, and that he could be so cruel.

But now, the ugly truth was staring her in the face.

Lizetta’s breathing was painfully tight; she nearly screamed as she cut him off.

“Remington, why do you have to be such a jerk!”

On the other end of the phone, the man’s breath hitched, and then his voice went cold.

“Lizetta, enough’s enough, quit your games and come home. I’ve told you a gazillion times that teaching dance ain’t your thing!”

When Evelina popped up at the age of six and took everything from Lizetta, it was just a cruel twist of fate; Lizetta couldn’t blame anyone.

Now, Evelina was about to take everything all over again, and Lizetta sadly realized that she was still as powerless and small as she was when she was a kid.

Because the Dashiell family was never really her home.

Even these two years with Remington, they were just a fluke; they seemed to be two years.

she’d stolen.

She laughed bitterly, “Go home? Do I even have a home?”

“That’s rich! Looks like I’ve been spoiling you rotten and letting you get all cocky!”

Listening to the anger in the man’s voice, Lizetta felt bone–tired. NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

“Spoiling me? Evelina’s already pregnant, where’s my place in all this? Let’s get a divorce, so you can go back to her, make a happy family of three, and get things back on track; just stop wasting your precious time on me, how’s that?”

Four years ago, the two families had been talking marriage, and Evelina had chased after Remington like there was no tomorrow.

Everyone had them pegged as an item, but then came the scandal of Lizetta climbing into her brother’s bed, and everything screeched to a halt.

10-100

Heartbroken, Evelina went abroad and hadn’t come back for four years, and Remington blamed Lizetta every single day.

Now she was ready to step aside, giving him back to Evelina and her kid, but why the heck wouldn’t Remington just let her go?

The man’s sneer came through the phone, “Mrs. Dashiell, aren’t you the generous saint! If you knew you were holding me back, you shouldn’t have done what you did four years ago!”

Lizetta swayed, “I regret it; I’ve told you I regret it!”

“Regret? That’s worth something only if I forgive you, and if I don’t, your regret ain’t worth a dime! Get back here on the double, and I want to see you at Oakridge Heights tonight!”

The call ended.

Lizetta clutched her phone; her knuckles turned white as if they were about to snap.

She wasn’t going back.

If Remington had cut her off one path, there were others to take.

But after getting rejected by several dance companies, and not having any luck with opera or ballet troupes, Lizetta was left in the lurch as the evening darkened, and her injured foot began to bleed again. She sat on the curb, all hungry, thirsty, and exhausted.

Then the light dimmed, and Lizetta looked up.

Under the tree, a familiar Bentley slowly pulled up; Cedric got out and opened the back door.

In the back seat, a man in a three–piece tailored suit sat with his legs crossed; his posture was relaxed, looking distinguished and as perfectly matched to the luxurious car as could

1. be.

Next to him was a big cake box, and on his lap was a red velvet jewelry box.

His graceful fingers tapped lightly on the velvet box, seemingly content to wait for Lizetta

to get in.

Was Remington trying to make up for a missed birthday by giving her a present?

Was this his way of compensating for knocking up Evelina?

But the cake and gift were just harsh reminders to Lizetta that when she needed him most, his attention had been all on Evelina.

In the past, just one look from him and she would’ve been over the moon, ready to forgive him for anything.

But now, she didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice.

Lizetta slowly got to her feet and turned to walk slowly down the long street.

Her gait was awkward because of her injury, but her silhouette was composed and resolute, without a single glance back.

Inside the car, a flicker of surprise crossed Remington’s deep eyes, which then frosted

over.

He watched her slender figure, and suddenly gripped the velvet box on his lap.