Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Just thinking about Evelina’s Facebook post about changing the dressing made Lizetta wanna hurl.

When Remington’s gaze floated over, Lizetta quickly looked down, scalded the curry with hot water, and placed them in front of Yolanda and Hogan.

“Remi! Are you just gonna stand there and watch them pick on me?” Shirley whined for ages, but Remington didn’t even bat an eyelid, which really ticked her off.

Remington’s eyes were still on Lizetta, noticing how her smile vanished into thin air the moment she saw him, and how she fussed over some other dude.

The man’s handsome face turned a shade darker as he withdrew his gaze.

“What do you mean, ‘picking on you“?”

“I went over to say ‘hi‘ to Hogan and Lizetta, all excited, and her friend comes at me with water to throw in my face! Lizetta doesn’t even take my side and starts mocking me, saying I’m cheap.”

Shirley made up a sob story, looking all wronged.

Lizetta stood up and strutted over, chin up, her gaze at Remington dripping with sarcasm, “Remington, why are you hanging out with these two?”

Evelina’s eyes welled up, “Sis, are you mad?” Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

“Not at all,” Lizetta said, the picture of innocence.

“Then why’d you talk to Remington like that? You must’ve gotten it wrong.”

Shirley felt like she’d heard Lizetta’s words before. Realizing what was happening, she quickly tugged at Evelina.

Evelina turned, seeing Shirley looking all panicky. She was confused, but Shirley was mentally cursing her for being such a lousy wingman today.

Lizetta smirked, “You got it wrong. I was just saying ‘hi‘ to you guys, exactly like Ms. Shirley Dashiell did just now!

Evelina was mortified, and Shirley was on the verge of actual tears.

Remington cast a cold glance at her, “You call that a happy greeting?”

Shirley felt embarrassed and wronged. Evelina opened her mouth to defend her, but she was the one who had just accused Lizetta of having an attitude.

“Apologize!” Remington commanded Shirley coldly.

04:14

Shirley bit her lip, stubborn as ever. Lizetta scoffed and waved it off, “Forget it, it’s more than you can handle. Just don’t disturb our meal, okay?”

She turned to leave, but Remington grabbed her wrist.

“Shirley,” he said, his voice calm but clearly displeased.

Shirley looked up, eyes red, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry to whom?” Remington’s patience was wearing thin.

Shirley’s tears started to fall; this time her apology seemed a lot more genuine, at least on the surface.

“Lizetta, I’m sorry for disturbing your meal.”

Lizetta nodded coolly and struggled to signal Remington to let go. Remington looked at Yolanda and Hogan, “Since we’ve bumped into each other, let’s all head to the private

room.”

Lizetta pulled her hand away, “No need, we’ve already ordered.”

Evelina said with a smile, “They can bring the dishes to the private room; come on sis, it’s been ages since we had a meal together after I came back.”

She tried to link arms with Lizetta, who dodged with a raised hand, fed up, “No, thanks.”

Evelina bit her lip, “Sis, are you still mad at me?”

Yolanda walked over and put her arm around Lizetta’s shoulders, “Ms. Hawthorne, you always have so much on your mind. I get social anxiety, I get indigestion around strangers, and of course, Liz needs to consider that.”

She walked off with Lizetta, while Remington’s gaze lingered on Hogan for a moment before leading the others away.

Lizetta sat back down, and Yolanda gave her a thumbs up.

“Liz, your acting’s not bad either; you nailed that Shrew Shirley!”

“Shrew Shirley?”

Hogan explained, “She’s like some woman who always stay with nostrils in the air, stinking to high heaven, and is practically a rat.”

She turned to Hogan, “Hogan, you know Shirley?”

Hogan simply said, “Met a few times, not close.”

“But Ms. Shirley Dashiell seems to have a huge crush on you, Dr. White,” Yolanda teased, her eyes like a love radar.

Hogan’s smile grew slowly, “But I’ve already got someone I have a crush on, and it’s not

04.145

Ms. Shirley Dashiell.”

His gaze unintentionally fell on Lizetta, who caught the overly tender look behind his glasses and paused, her mind elsewhere.

Shirley had got her nose in the air, and Hogan was clearly from a notable family. But Lizetta hadn’t heard Hogan talk about it, nor had she seen him in the usual circles; she always thought Hogan was just a regular doctor.

“Evelina’s planning to break into showbiz? The folks she was with are big names in the industry,” Yolanda mentioned, as she was from a film academy and, though she hadn’t landed a role yet, she’d been on movie sets doing stunts, so she knew her showbiz folks.

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