Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Her laugh in the car that day, light and breezy, has been a melody in his heart these past few days, making him feel uplifted, filled with hopeful ambition.

He had mapped out the time, plotting how to woo her, to start fresh, to love like teenagers falling for the first time.

He even planned on being there for her after the birth, to support her through the postpartum period, to take care of her and the baby...

But he hadn't anticipated it all crumbling down so suddenly, turning into nothing but wishful thinking.

What he least expected was to hear from her own lips that she was willing to give him another chance. Yet, that chance slipped through his fingers in the most brutal way imaginable, piercing his heart with profound pain.

"Liz, I..."

He wanted to say, give me another chance, we're still so young, we can have more children.

But such words choked in his throat, unsaid.

He knew how tender her heart was towards him.

Time and again, she approached him, bleeding, crying.

It was his fault, again. How could he ask for yet another chance?

Remington clenched his eyes shut against the burning pain, while Lizetta opened hers at that moment.

She saw his rigid silhouette by the bed and whispered hoarsely.

"Let's start over, part ways amicably. I don't deserve it, and neither do you."

A tear rolled silently down her cheek.

Lizetta brushed it away, leaving no trace.

"So, Remington, please leave. Later, we'll finalize the paperwork and then... let's never see each other again."

Remington's throat constricted as he opened his eyes.

"Liz, does it have to be this way? Is there really no chance for us anymore?"

Lizetta's lips twitched slightly. "Unless Daisy comes back."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Otherwise, there was no hope left for them.

Remington looked at her, his expression heavier than ever.

Lizetta, however, had already closed her eyes. Moments later, footsteps sounded as Remington walked out.

As the man closed the hospital room door behind him, he heard a muffled sob from within.

Buried deep in the blankets, barely audible.

The strength he applied to the doorknob was almost enough to snap it off.

Turning around, he saw two figures rushing towards him from the other end of the hallway, Yolanda and Cassius. Cassius had taken Yolanda to Windale for an audition for a lead role in a period drama at a director's recommendation. Yolanda had ditched the director's dinner immediately after the audition upon hearing the news about Lizetta's accident.

She had raced back, driving like a bat out of hell, with Cassius barely keeping it together, vomiting several times by the roadside from the rough ride. Yolanda stormed straight at Remington, her face a mask of fury. The bodyguards stepped forward to intercept, but Remington's deep voice halted them.

"Stand down."

The bodyguards hesitated, then stepped back, allowing Yolanda to confront Remington unimpeded.

She was livid. "Remington, what

right do you have to stand here? Where were you when Liz needed you? You couldn't even protect a woman and a child. What kind of man are you?"

Yolanda clenched her fist, aiming for Remington's face.

Cassius, fearing she'd act rashly, caught up and grabbed her arm in time.

"Have you lost your mind? Losing the baby hurts Remi more than anyone. Stop making things worse, alright? It was Hans' doing, Remi couldn't have predicted this."

Cassius held Yolanda back as she struggled, hurling accusations.

"He's upset? What right does he have to be upset? His mind was preoccupied with the West family, with Evelina's bastard child. How could he have thought of anything else?

Just assigning two bodyguards to Liz and he thinks he's off the hook? Yes, it was Hans, but who was it that didn't rush Liz to the hospital, huh?"