Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption ( Lizetta )

I never expected to get caught in a downpour, with both the signal and the mountain roads cut off, delaying my journey. What I least expected was for Stella to come down with a relentless fever halfway

through, nor did I anticipate Yolanda's accident at the wedding."

It was his arrogance, always believing he had everything under control, but he forgot that things didn't always go according to plan.

Lizetta slowly turned her head to look at him. Perhaps it was the dim lighting of the hospital corridor, but the man's handsome features seemed shadowed, almost pale.

But Lizetta realized she no longer felt sorry for him.

With a voice as calm as it could possibly be, she said, "Whatever issues you're wrestling with, whether you've let go of the past or not, I don't care anymore. Mr. Dashiell, please, show some self-respect." Remington's grip on Lizetta's arm loosened slightly. She took a deep breath, about to pull her arm away to leave, but then he suddenly pulled her in closer, holding her tight.

His familiar scent overwhelmed her. But all Lizetta felt was revulsion as she pushed against him.

"Remington, what exactly are you trying to do!"

"Liz, that diary, the person you confessed your love to in your diary, it's me, isn't it? You've always loved me, haven't you?"

Remington's voice was hoarse, tightening his hold, keeping the struggling woman firmly in his embrace as if not letting go could somehow make her his again.

But now, with everything laid bare, Lizetta felt nothing but humiliation.

She struggled even harder, "Yes, I did love you! Loved you so much that I demeaned myself, but now I've woken up. I don't want to love you anymore! I'm begging you, let me go!" Lizetta managed to lift her head from his embrace, her eyes red but dry, her face ghastly pale, looking at him in despair.

Although Remington had known, hearing her admit that she'd always loved him felt like a painful strike to his heart, cruelly torn apart. His eyes bloodshot, he held her even tighter.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know. I accidentally came across that diary once, and I've been misunderstanding you and Lucian all this time. I've been so foolish; Liz, you can't do this! You can't just let me know about your love and then take it back!

If you love me, then continue to do so. I refuse to believe that you can just stop loving me!"

A blaze of emotion raising in his icy gaze. His demand was fierce; he commanded her to keep loving him.

But Lizetta suddenly stiffened; then in a burst of anger, she slapped Remington hard across the face.

Remington froze, momentarily lost, as if he couldn't understand what he'd said that made her angry so suddenly.

Lizetta, however, gave a bitter laugh, her voice trembling.

"Remington, falling out of love doesn't happen overnight. It's the culmination of disappointment reaching its peak, a qualitative change brought on by quantitative accumulation. Believe it or not, I truly don't love you anymore."

She closed her eyes, and then tiredly added, "Also, it's not that I never told you, but you never believed me! Four years ago, when I said I didn't drug you to get into your bed, you didn't believe me! When I said I liked you, you didn't believe it either. The year we got married, I gathered the courage to say I liked you again, and you still didn't believe me! Now your realization was because of that diary?

Ha, but a few days ago in the hospital, someone slandered me with that handwriting, and you said you believed me, said you'd get to the bottom of it. Clearly, you never did. If you had, you would've found out the diary was tampered with! Then, today's episode wouldn't have happened.

Remington, I slapped you not because you didn't love or protect me - you have no obligation to do that - but you can't demean me, trample on my sincerity over and over again! Not believing in me! I've exhausted all my courage on you. There's no other option for us but divorce."

After speaking, Lizetta pushed Remington away.

This time, Remington, his expression dark, even with his tall frame, was easily pushed aside by Lizetta.

Lizetta turned to leave, but after a few steps, Remington caught up and hugged her from behind.

Exhausted in body and spirit, her lips trembling, Lizetta was about to shout in anger when she heard Remington's husky, indistinct voice by her ear.

He said, "But honey, I still love you."

He never realized until now how much he loved her, how he couldn't lose her.