Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Remington’s words hit Lizetta like a punch to the gut, making her eyes well up with tears as she glared at him.

“What are you trying to say? You think I’m just like Shirley, that I drugged your drink to dodge marrying Hogan?”

Remington clammed up, a slight frown creasing his forehead. © NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

His silence was as good as an admission–he really did believe those things about her.

Lizetta knew she couldn’t clear the air about the night four when he was

years an drugged, and the misunderstanding had festered ever since.

But she hadn’t expected him to think even lower of her.

Her eyes were red–rimmed, but she refused to let the tears fall, just biting her lip so hard. it started to bleed.

Noticing this, Remington reached out to touch her cheek, his voice deep and commanding.

“Let go.”

But Lizetta wouldn’t budge, stubbornly glaring daggers at Remington.

She was about to chew through her lips. A flash of intensity crossed his eyes as he pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to pry her lips apart with his own.

At that moment, Lizetta let go and chomped down on his chiseled jawline.

“Yikes!”

She bit down hard. Remington grunted, trying to shake her off.

Sensing his resistance, Lizetta wrapped her arms around his neck, kneeling up in his embrace to bite even harder.

Remington pinched the back of her neck, applying pressure until she finally let go.

By then, his jaw was sporting a deep bite mark, oozing with blood.

Touching it, his fingers came away red, and he was instantly at his wit’s end.

“Lizetta! Go ahead, keep acting out!”

He wouldn’t have gotten mad if she’d bitten anywhere else, but she just had to leave at big honking bite mark on his face, clearly made by a woman, no less. How was he supposed to show his face around town now?

15

09:50

His expression turned icy, but Lizetta just mocked him with red eyes and a scornful laugh.

“Mr. Dashiell, are you worried about saving face? After getting drugged by someone like me, you’ve already been the talk of Zion City. You lost face a long time ago!”

With that, Lizetta turned to yank open the car door to leave.

But Remington’s arm reached out from behind, pulling her back and plopping her down. on his lap.

“Let me go, I want out!”

“Let’s get things straight first,” Remington said firmly.

Hearing his deep voice, Lizetta couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

She choked up. “What’s there to talk about? You’ve already pegged me as that kind of person. I’ve explained more than once, but no matter what I say, you never believe me! If I explain now, you’ll believe me?”

She had told him more than once that the drugs weren’t her doing, but he never believed

her.

Remington stiffened for a moment before responding in a slow, deep voice, “This time you say it, I’ll believe you.”

He hadn’t believed her before because he thought she really was trying to escape the White family’s proposal, afraid to leave the Dashiell family, so she drugged him.

But if four years ago, Lizetta genuinely didn’t know about the White family’s proposal, then it didn’t make sense anymore.

Hearing Remington’s promise, Lizetta looked up.

Her tearful eyes searched his, as if to confirm he was for real.

Remington sighed and leaned in to kiss her reddened eyes, “Let’s both calm down and talk this through.”

Soothed by his gentle voice, Lizetta nodded and asked, “When did the White family propose? Who did they speak to? I really had no clue.”

“Helen came to talk to Grandma a week before your 18th birthday. At that time, Hogan had been in a car accident and was quite down. Helen came asking for your hand. saying her son was your classmate and had always liked you. Now with her son feeling so low, she wanted to ask for an engagement so you could come over to the White family and take care of Hogan until you both came of age to marry. She admitted it was selfish, but pleaded with Grandma to understand a mother’s heart, promising a sizable dowry in exchange.”