Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

“Where the heck are you planning to take your brother? He’s my only son, and I’m counting on him to wake up and take care of me in my old age. He’s not going anywhere!”

Jolin sat on the hospital bed, clinging to Thaddeus like her life depended on it.

Apollo, Jolin’s brother, stood in front of Lizetta.

“Lizetta, you’ve got it all wrong. Thaddeus is your mom’s pride and joy, her lifeline. And here you are. scheming to sneak him out of the country. What if something goes wrong on the plane, or he can’t make it abroad? Wouldn’t your mom be devastated if she couldn’t even see him one last time?”

Erica, Apollo’s wife, was nodding along, sweet–talking Lizetta with all the patience of a saint.

“Liz, I know you’re a good kid, full of heart and loyalty. You’ve taken on the tough job of caring for your brother and even want to take him abroad for treatment. That’s not easy, but you’ve got to think about your mom too. If he’s awake, he’d surely hate to leave your mom behind.”

Yolanda stood by Lizetta’s side, but when she saw them crowding around the hospital bed, she couldn’t help but scoff.

“How often have you even visited Thaddeus? You, his mom, showing up once or twice a month? And you, his uncles and aunties, have you even come by once this year? Now that Liz is trying to get him better treatment abroad, you all pop up out of the woodwork. What’s your game?”

Yolanda was so furious, she wished she could split their chests open with an axe to see if their

hearts were black.

How could they be so calculating with their own son, their own nephew?

“You can’t talk like that, young lady. We’re just ordinary folks, life’s tough. We hustle from dawn till dusk to make ends meet. Sure, we care about our nephew, but we’re not like you, Lizetta. You live it up as the Dashiell family’s lady of leisure with all the time in the world to make hospital visits. It’s not that we don’t care, we’re just powerless.”

Erica put on a pitiful face as she spoke.

Her words were not just nonsense but also a sly suggestion that Lizetta was just putting on a show at the hospital to build her persona.

Yolanda was fuming, ready to roll up her sleeves and say, “You won’t leave, huh? Alright, I’ll throw each of you out myself!”

“Oh my, someone call security! There’s a ruckus in the ward!”

Erica dramatically sat on the floor, clinging to the leg of Thaddeus‘ hospital bed, throwing a fit.

Lizetta grabbed Yolanda, her face cold as ice, and glared at the three of them.

“Spit it out. What do you want?”

Jolin and the others were obviously here to negotiate terms. Lizetta was all ears.

Jolin let go of Thaddeus and looked at Lizetta.

04

“My smart girl. Look, it’s not that I can’t let Thaddeus go with you. He’s my son, and if he can wake up, no one would be happier than his momma. But you two are all I’ve got. If you both leave, how am I supposed to,”

Lizetta had no patience for the theatrics, cutting her off, “Cut to the chase.”

“A cool million! Cough up a million for me to retire on, and you can take your brother,” Jolin demanded.

“A million? Have you lost your minds? Greedy much? Dream on! Do you think Liz is some kind of ATM or a cash cow? You want to push sick Thaddeus onto Liz and in exchange live the high life with a million? You guys must think the man upstairs isn’t listening. Ain’t you scared of getting struck by lightning?”

Yolanda was beyond outraged, almost sick to her stomach with their greedy antics. Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.

Lizetta was stunned by Jolin’s outrageous demand, responding coldly, “I don’t have the money. Go ahead and check my bank details if you don’t believe me. Not a million, not even a hundred thousand.”

Indeed, Lizetta was broke. She had paid Remington the three million, which had already cleared her out.

The little she had left was barely enough for the trip abroad and to live on a shoestring for a month.

How could she possibly scrape together anything to support the blood–sucking Gardenia family?

“How can you not have money? You’re Mrs. Dashiell. Even if you don’t get a billion in the divorce, you must have at least one million, right?”