Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lizetta glared at him; her almond–shaped eyes almost popped, “Can’t you tell that I’m talking about taking gunpowder?”

Remington raised an eyebrow, “If you’re so full of fire, just don’t blow me up with you.”

Lizetta was fuming, but the head nurse couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Worried she might shake and hurt Remington further, Lizetta quickly told her, “Easy does

It.”

The head nurse, a woman in her forties, couldn’t help but smile at Lizetta and said, “You’re all bark and no bite, sweetie. Relax, I’m a pro. Won’t hurt your boyfriend. Besides, he’s a big boy, can’t he handle a little scratch?”

By then, Remington’s sleeve was cut open, revealing his wound.

It was a good ten centimeters long cut, with his skin peeled back, which was quite bloody

to behold.

Lizetta’s heart clenched, and she bit her lip. “That looks pretty bad, how can you say it’s nothing? Nurse, please, no more chatting.”

She was more nervous than the head nurse, and even more than the injured Remington.

The head nurse found it amusing, while Remington, somewhat resigned, reached out with. his uninjured hand and clasped Lizetta’s neck from behind.

With his warm touch, Lizetta was pulled into his chest, with her forehead against his heart. She couldn’t see anything, and Remington’s voice came from above, tinged with. laughter, “It’ll be over soon.”

“Oh.”

Lizetta nestled in his arms, listening to his steady and strong heartbeat, and for some reason, she felt a tinge of sourness in her nose.

She didn’t move, and the nurse quickly disinfected the wound.

“Need to stitch this up.”

The moment Lizetta heard about stitching, she anxiously tried to lift her head, but his big hand gently caressed her neck.

“Don’t move.”

The tingling sensation made Lizetta soften again, and Remington nodded at the nurse.

“Thanks, she’s always been a drama queen, sorry for the laugh.”

The head nurse worked skillfully; after finishing the stitching and applying medicine, she

10.13

took the gauze from a colleague and said with a smile, “You’re lucky, having a girlfriend who cares about you so much.

Lizetta moved again, and Remington’s thumb brushed her earlobe, pinching the reddened flesh.

“She’s my wife.”

The head nurse was a bit surprised, mainly because Lizetta looked just like a college gid

After she finished bandaging Remington, she stood up and pulled down her mask to speak.

“You need to cherish her, roping her in so young.”

The head nurse and her assistant left, and Remington let go of Lizetta. She looked up at him with a barely suppressed smile in her eyes.

Remington looked down, meeting her smiling eyes, whose curving looked pretty attractive

“What’s so funny?” His tone softened.

Lizetta blinked, “The nurse was implying you’re robbing the cradle, didn’t you catch that?”

Remington pursed his lips, thinking that the point of the nurse’s comment was to take good care of her, yet she sure knew how to pick up on things.

He leaned down, brushing his nose against Lizetta’s.

Their breath mingled in the intimate space and filled it with a palpable tension.

Lizetta stiffened, “What are you doing?”

Her voice trembled despite her efforts.

“Checking just how tender this grass is.”

Lizetta, embarrassed and annoyed, pushed him away.

The man let go, then he stood up and ruffled Lizetta’s hair, “Stop fussing. I asked Cedric to tidy up for you. Head back to Oakridge Heights early, okay?”

Lizetta watched him; his arm was wrapped in bandages, and his torn suit jacket was draped over his shoulder, the evening light cast a warm, gentle hue over his broad shoulders and the sharp lines of his face, making him irresistibly handsome.

Her hand quietly rested on her belly, and she thought, for the baby’s sake, maybe she should try again.

Pinching her palm with her fingertips, Lizetta asked almost timidly, “What about Evelina?”

Remington thought she was asking whether he would visit Evelina and, recalling Evelina’s Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

gesture of holding her belly as she left, he said, “I’ll check on her. You go ahead, I’ll be back

soon.

Lizetta felt her heart turn cold in an instant. The warmth and flutter she felt moments ago turned to nothing because of his words.

She shook her head, “I’m not going back.”

Remington’s handsome face darkened, and as she stepped away, he grabbed her shoulder in a firm grip.

“Lizetta, what do you really want?! I’m hurt, shouldn’t you move back in to take care of me?”

Lizetta found it funny, struggling to get free, “Weren’t you injured for Evelina? Let her move in and take care of you, and she’d probably be happy with that.”

Remington scoffed, “She’s afraid of blood.”

Lizetta was generous, afraid she couldn’t push her husband out the door fast enough.

Indeed, Evelina had a fear of blood, supposedly from childhood trauma due to domestic violence by Hans, but Lizetta had been beaten even worse by Hans. Didn’t she deserve to be traumatized?

Feeling her heart ached, Lizetta pulled her shoulder from Remington’s grasp.