Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

"Mama D, as mothers, you have to see what's happening here. Lizetta, she's not just ignoring me, her own mom, but she's letting one of the help push me around. Look at me, I'm all bruised up from it... Let go!"

Daisy struggled once more, her hand swiping across Zora's face in the process.

Hanna's face turned stormy as she barked at Zora, "Let her go!"

It wasn't that she felt sorry for Daisy; she just thought the whole scene was embarrassingly tacky. If Daisy wanted to leave, Hanna thought she should just disappear quietly. As the matriarch of the Dashiell household, Mrs. Hanna Dashiell had always carried an aura of authority.

Zora flinched, panic flashing across her face, ready to release Daisy.

Lizetta quickly interjected, "Don't let her go!"

Zora, acting on instinct, tightened her grip. With her strength from years of caregiving, Daisy had no chance of breaking free.

Daisy's eyes burned with desperation as she appealed to Hanna again.

"Mama D, it's my fault for not raising my daughter right. She mistreats me, her own mother, and doesn't even respect you, her mother-in-law. I'm so ashamed to face you..."

"Well, then don't," Lizetta cut in coldly.

She then turned to Hanna, who was about to explode with rage, and said with a smile, "Aunt Hanna, you must've heard about me and Remington filing for divorce. If you really can't bear to let me go and still want to act as my mother-in-law, I could reconsider the divorce application?"

"Are you threatening me?!" Hanna's face darkened.

Lizetta just smiled lightly, "Just a friendly reminder."

A reminder that since she was no longer going to be her daughter-in-law, it was best to stay out of her business. Hanna gave a cold laugh through gritted teeth and turned away from Daisy's complaints, addressing Lizetta instead. "Stella saved you; she's your lifesaver. If you have any decency, you'll go thank her properly and take care of Stella!"

Lizetta frowned slightly, blocking the assertion. Was being a lifesaver that easy? Although grateful to Stella, she couldn't help but feel the description was an extion. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

But Hanna didn't give her a chance to argue and walked away.

Lizetta looked at Zora. "The recorder, she has it?"

"Yes, ma'am. You asked me to secretly record. This morning, as soon as she arrived, I hid the recorder under Mr. Gardenia's pillow. After Jolin left, I tried to retrieve it, but she came back, saw the recorder, and ran off with it chased her..."

Zora explained.

Lizetta shot Daisy a cold look and began to search her.

Despite thoroughly searching Daisy, even shaking out her dropped wig and hat, the recorder was nowhere to be found.

"Where's the recorder?" Lizetta asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "What recorder? I didn't take or see any..."

"It's true, ma'am. I saw her take it and run. What happened?"

Zora, both anxious and confused, released Daisy to join the search. Daisy, unfazed, retorted, "I didn't take anything. This is absurd!" "Why run then?" Lizetta clearly trusted Zora.

"She chased me, and I didn't know what she was up to, so of course, ran. If you can't find it, can I leave now?" Daisy argued, attempting to walk away again.

Lizetta signaled Zora to stop her, then looking at the bruises on her face, inquired, "Did Hans hit you again?"

Fists clenched, Daisy's eyes filled with resentment.