Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Cedric sent the video out and was on pins and needles waiting for Lizetta's reaction.

He was so distracted that he caught Remington's stern glares more than a few times throughout the day.

When the afternoon rolled around without any word from her, Cedric started to sigh heavily, feeling more dejected than if he'd gone through a breakup himself.

By the fifth time he let out an involuntary sigh, Remington had had enough and reassigned Cedric to run errands at a branch office.

But as Cedric left, Remington couldn't help but notice the odd look in his eye, akin to how one might gaze at the infamous stray dog of Oakridge Heights, Archie.

Little did they know, Lizetta only saw the video that evening.

Her belly had grown a bit larger over the past few days, prompting her to stay in and cut down on her phone use.

After dinner, just as she was about to head out for her usual walk, she realized her phone had died.

Charging it up, she finally saw the video.

"Do you love Liz, Remington?"

In the video, Stella's face was streaked with tears, looking utterly pitiable.

"Yes, I love her. We had many misunderstandings, and I've hurt her in many ways, leading us to the brink of divorce. But I never wanted to truly separate, nor did I ever intend to give another woman a chance. My wife, my love, it's always been her!"

The man's figure was turned away from the camera, hiding his expression from Lizetta, but his voice was clear and resolute.

Her breath became erratic, her grip on the phone tightening.

Suddenly, she turned the screen off with a snap as if fearing that staring any longer would unleash some heart-wrenching virus.

Catching her breath, her lips curled into a mocking smile.

If it wasn't for Remington's instruction, how could Cedric dare to make such a video?

Since when had Remington become such a show-off?

Her phone charged rather quickly. After doing some stretches, the battery was more than half full.

Unplugging the charger, she stepped out, walking slowly along the greenery-lined paths of her complex.

But for some reason, Lizetta felt like she was being watched these last few days, especially today, making her quicken her pace after only a lap and a half instead of her usual three.

This eerie feeling of being followed persisted, yet every time she looked back, no one was there.

As she neared her building, she glanced behind her one more time to find no one, only the dancing shadows of trees.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Relieved, she turned back around only to be startled by a dark figure emerging from a side path.

Her heart clenched in fear, but she

soon recognized the figure as

janitor from the complex, we just

the standard uniform cap.

Perhaps sensing her tension, Daisyy stirred within her.

Lizetta touched her belly, her lips curling lightly, "Daisyy, are you laughing at mommy for being a scaredy-cat?"

Lifting her head nonchalantly, she saw the janitor approaching, his face illuminated by a street lamp.

He was a man in his fifties, with

deep furrows between his browset

and a grim expression, half of his right ear missing, making him appear rather sinister.

This face was both familiar and strangely foreign, triggering a flood of brutal, chaotic, and bloody memories.

Hans Gardenia!

In an instant, Lizetta's face turned ashen, her body tensing up in terror.

She wanted to scream and run, but her feet felt nailed to the ground, and her mouth seemed too heavy to open.

She could only watch as the ghastly face drew closer, reaching out to her.

"Ah!"

Lizetta clenched her eyes shut, finally screaming out.

Her vision was a sea of red, the air thick with the smell of blood.

But the expected pain never came. Instead, she felt a familiar broad embrace envelop her from behind.

A thud followed by a scream filled the air.

It was Remington, rushing over to kick Hans away, steadying the trembling Lizetta in his arms.

"Liz! It's me, open your eyes and look, your brother kicked him away, he can't hurt you now."

Remington held Lizetta close,

continuously comforting her as she

shook uncontrollably, lost in her

haunting memories, sweat beading on her forehead.