Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Chapter 349 Lizetta tried to stifle it but still, the sound of her sobbing leaked through her fingers.

Remington turned his head and saw her eyes, brimming with tears, and he paused. Then, he quickly turned around, wapping her in his arms, “Why the sudden tears?" Lizetta bit her lip, unable to speak.

Seeing her like this, Remington suddenly remembered how, as a little girl, she would react in the sway.

henever he got a bruise or a scrape and didn't complain, she would be the first to cry He chuckled a bit pulling away Lizetta's hands from her mouth and kissed her damp checks, coaxing her "Feeling sorry for me? Liz, are you being a little silly? It's all healed up and not hurting anymore. There, there, no need for tears." Lizetta, comforted by his gentleness, felt her tears about to break through the dam She clenched her fists, trying to hold back, and looked up at him, "You're right, it's not worth crying over It wasn't even her pain, so why the tears? She thought, "Lizetta, aren't you being ridiculous?" Remington felt something was off with her, but before he could probe further, his phone rang.

He glanced at the phone on the table, his expression changing slightly before he let go of Lizetta and picked up the call, "Alright, I got it. I'm on my way now." After hanging up, Remington tumed to Lizetta with a helpless expression, "I gotta head out. Stop crying, you're acting like a child." Saying so, he patted Lizetta's head and left before she could respond.

Lizetta's tears were still not dry, and she didn't feel comforted, only sensing his impatience and perfunctory attitude.

She raised her hand, gently wiping her face clean.

Downstairs, the sound of a car driving away could be heard, and Lizetta sat there, dazed, until her phone too rang It was Yolanda calling. Lizetta picked up.

"Choosing love over friendship, huh? Have you forgotten about our dinner plans with Jenny because you're too caught up with Remington?" Yolanda's lively voice cthrough, and Lizetta opened her mouth, "Yoli, I think I might give up on him." Silence fell on the other end of the line.

After a moment, Yolanda's voice grew louder, furious, "I knew it, that jerk Remington can't change his ways! Did he get tangled up with that witch Evelina again?" "It might be more serious this time." Lizetta said with a bitter smile, and then she actually laughed.

But that laugh was worse than crying, filled with absurdity.

Yoli, you know? Remington might have had a childhood sweetheart he's liked for two or three decades, and now she's back." "Wait, two or three decades? He liked her since he was in the womb?" Yolanda was confused.

Lizetta briefly shared with Yolanda what Evelina had told her It felt like a boulder was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Liz, Evelina's mouth is like a sewer, never saying anything nice. She's the queen of exaggeration. According to her, Stella disappeared when she was just twelve. What does a twelve-year-old kid know about love? If Remington has been pining for Stella all these years, you would've noticed something, night? You haven't noticed anything in all these years, maybe you're overthinking." Yolanda tried to console Lizetta, not that she was taking Remington's side, but even through the phone, Yolanda could feel Lizetta's crumbling emotions.

She felt sorry for her.

But after she finished, she didn't hear Lizetta speak, and a chill went down Yolanda's spine.

"Don't tellI hit the nail on the head, and you actually remembered something?" Lizetta's breathing becerratic, indeed, she remembered something It was when she was ten, back when she and Remington hadn't started sleeping in separate rooms.

1/2 09:20 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Lizetta tried to stifle it, but still, the sound of her sobbing leaked through her fingers. Remington tumed his head and saw her eyes, brimming with tears, and he paused. Then, he quickly turmed around, wapping her in his arms, "Why the sudden tears?" Lizetta bit her lip, unable to speak.

Seeing her like this, Remington suddenly remembered how as a little girl, she would react in the sway. Whenever he got a bruise or a scrape and didn't complain, she would be the first to cry.

He chuckled a bit, pulling away Lizetta's hands from her mouth and kissed her damp cheeks, coaxing her.

"Feeling sorry for me? Liz, are you being a little silly? It's all healed up and not hurting anymore. There, there, no need for tears." Lizetta, comforted by his gentleness, felt her tears about to break through the dam.

She clenched her fists, trying to hold back, and looked up at him, "You're right, it's not worth crying over!" it wasn't even her pain, so why the tears? She thought, "Lizetta, arent you being ridiculous?" Remington felt something was off with het but before he could probe further, his phone rang.

He glanced at the phone on the table, his expression changing slightly before he let go of Lizetta and picked up the call.

"Alright, I got it. I'm on my way now" After hanging up, Remington turned to Lizetta with a helpless expression, "I gotta head out. Stop crying, you're acting like a child." Saying so, he patted Lizetta's head and left before she could respond.

Lizetta's tears were still not dry, and she didn't feel comforted, only sensing his impatience and perfunctory attitude.

She raised her hand, gently wiping her face clean.

Downstairs, the sound of a car driving away could be heard, and Lizetta sat there, dazed, until her phone too rang.

It was Yolanda calling. Lizetta picked up.

in with "Choosing love over friendship, huh? Have you forgotten about our dinner plans with Jenny because you're too caught up Remington?" Yolanda's lively lively voice cthrough, and Lizetta opened her mouth, "Yoli, I think I might give up on him." Silence fell on the other end of the line.

After a moment, Yolanda's voice grew louder, furious, "I knew it, that jerk Remington can't change his ways! Did he get tangled up with that witch Evelina again?" "It might be more serious this time" Lizetta said with a bitter smile, and then she actually laughed.

But that laugh was worse than crying, filled with absurdity.

"Yoli, you know? Remington might have had a childhood sweetheart he's liked for two or three decades, and now she's back." "Wait, two or three decades? He liked her since he was in the womb?" Yolanda was confused Lizetta briefly shared with Yolanda what Evelina had told her It felt like a boulder was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe

"Liz, Evelina's mouth is like a sewer, never saying anything nice. She's the queen of exaggeration. According to her, Stella disappeared when she was just twelve What does a twelve-year-old kid know about love? If Remington has been pining for Stella all these years, you would've noticed something, right? You haven't noticed anything in all these years, maybe you're overthinking." Yolanda tried to console Lizetta, not that she was taking Remington's side, but even through the phone, Yolanda could feel Lizetta's crumbling emotions.

She felt sorry for her.

But after she finished, she didn't hear, Lizetta speak, and a chill went down Yolanda's spine.

"Don't tellI hit the nail on the head, and you actually remembered something?" Lizetta's breathing becerratic; indeed, she remembered something.

It was when she was ten, back when she and Remington hadn't started sleeping in separate rooms.

09:29 Chapter 349 Once, she couldn't find something and was searching everywhere, eventually finding a small wooden box in the top of Remington's wardrobe.

Curious, she opened it, but before she could see what was inside, Remington got furious and snatched it away. By that time, he was already very fond of her.

His room was also considered her mom, and he allowed her to rummage through it at will.

But that time, he was genuinely angry, scaring her, and she never touched that box again.

A memory she had forgotten suddenly becclear.

Lizetta had a premonition that the box might also be related to Stella.

"Yoli, don't hang up, stay with me." She lacked a bit of courge.

"Sure, don't be scared, I'm right here." Lizetta opened the wardrobe, and the box was indeed still there

hair She placed the phone aside, took out the box, and opened it. What caught her eye first were shiny crystal NO clips, the kind little girls would love, along with yellowed comic books, a small doll, a snow globe. Clearly, they were all Stella's belongings, preserved by Remington here.

He didn't let others touch these, but neither the box nor its contents had any dust.

He must have been personally cleaning and opening it regularly.

m Lastly, Lizetta picked up an album, flipping it open to see a picture of two toddlers sitting together, wearing birthday hats and making wishes over a cake-an old photo that cinto view.