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Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption ( Lizetta ) novel Chapter 3

Chapter

Lizetta watched their sidebyside figures, feeling a chill in her heart. No wonder she mentioned divorce and he didn’t even turn his head. Turned out his old flame was back

Remington strode over, his gaze sweeping across Lizetta’s overly pale face, frowning, Feeling under the weather?– 

Evelina also came over, grabbing Lizetta’s hand with concern

Your hand is freezing, Lizetta. Don’t tell me you got the wrong idea. Today’s my birthday, see, and after being away for four years, my folks insisted on throwing a birthday bash. Who knew right after the cake I’d get a tummy ache, so Remi had to accompany me to the hospital.” 

Lizetta swiftly withdrew her hand, moving so fast that Evelina’s hand was left hanging in the air, causing Remington to disapprove with a darkened gaze

Lizetta noticed and felt a wave of bitterness swell in her heart

She shared a birthday with Evelina, and it wasn’t that Remington had forgotten or hadn’t prepared a gift, it was just that he had someone more important to be with, someone more important to pamper

Hiding her fragility, Lizetta forced a smile and tiptoed to remove the headband from the man’s head

This doesn’t suit you,” with a casual flick, she tossed the headband straight into the trash can

Evelina’s smile froze on her face

Joseph’s sick, in the pediatric ward; we have his brain CT scan.” 

Lizetta handed the report to Remington and then bolted, her steps quickening. She stepped out of the outpatient hall and couldn’t help but look back

Remington was accompanying Evelina upstairs, and from start to finish, he hadn’t looked back at her even 

once

Eyes brimming, Lizetta spun around only to bump into someone headon. She fell to the ground, the familiar voice of a middleaged woman scolding from above

Young people these days! Can’t you watch where you’re going? Honestly!” 

Forget it, Eve’s waiting for us.” 

Regaining her senses from the pain, Lizetta looked up only to see the anxious backs of the Hawthorne parents as they hurried away

Memories flooded back of when she was a child, sick and rushed to the hospital late at night in her father’s arms. Elara Hawthorne would hold her little hand and say, Be brave, Liz, mom and dad are here.” 

She and Evelina were the true and false heiresses switched at birth, and once discovered, the families had immediately swapped the children back

At six, she lost the parents who loved her and gained an abusive father and a selfish mother

At eight, Lizetta nearly died at the hands of the abusive Hans Gardenia, and at ten, her older brother Thaddeus Gardenia carried her, who was bloodied, to kneel at the Dashiell family’s mansion doorstep

Begging Fiona to adopt Lizetta out of an old friendship with the grandmother, Remington braved the snowstorm to bring Lizetta back to the Dashiell family

Sixteen years ago, Evelina appeared, and Lizetta lost her home. Now, Evelina had reappeared

Like fate, Lizetta sensed she would lose everything. But she was too weary to hold on any longer

Late summer, clouds heavy, tree branches dense overhead, the evening breeze already cool, Lizetta, holding her shoulder and limping, walked down the street, passing young dancers laughing and joking loudly as they went 

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Chapter

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Lizetta stopped and stared blankly

She was six years younger than Remington and had skipped grades to catch up with him, getting into the top dance academy by fifteen

Graduated at eighteen, her professor recommended she study abroad, but Lizetta had declined

For the past four years, she did just one thing waiting for Remington, waiting for him to turn around and marry her, clinging to the shell of a marriage, day after day, year after year

Now twentytwo, compared to her peers brimming with youth, she felt like an old soul

Last month, her senior mentioned that a worldclass dance master, Dories, was taking on mentee, a golden opportunity. He offered to help her apply for an interview

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