Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

The diary's restoration was of museum-quality craftsmanship.

Not only was the name tampered with, but references to Remington were conspicuously cut out, and parts of the content were refilled.

Because of this, Remington never realized something was off. But upon learning the truth, Remington carefully pored over the diary's contents once more while Lizetta was asleep.

He could instantly distinguish which parts were genuinely written for him by Lizetta, and which had been deceitfully added to mislead him, like the passage that was blown up on the big screen at their wedding.

[Today marks day 1069 of loving for Lucian. It snowed today, just like the first day at the Dashiell's, making me fall in love with the snow because of you. Because of love, wishing to see you every snowy day for years to come.]

Reading this in the past, Remington thought of the night he carried Lizetta back to the Dashiell family villa, when Lucian sneaked into Lizetta's room while he was downstairs seeing the doctor off. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

When he came upstairs, he just caught Lucian running out of Lizetta's room, screaming, "Remi, that brat bit me!"

Back then, as watching this, he was insanely jealous, thinking Lizetta and Lucian were a pair of bickering lovers.

But reading it now, he finally understood. From such an early time, his little girl's heart had already harbored feelings for him.

"Liz, are you listening?"

After speaking for a while without hearing any response from Lizetta, Remington couldn't help but turn his head.

Lizetta slowly turned, "Where's the diary? Let me see."

Remington's grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly, of course, he had brought the diary along. Because Evelina was in the hospital, and he still had a score to settle with her.

The man opened the glove compartment, took out the diary, handed it to Lizetta, and then asked, "Why did you bury it back then?"

As Lizetta held the diary, her eyes reflected a complex mix of emotions.

When she wrote this diary, she was not yet eighteen, filled with girlish sentiments, both sour and cheesy.

She hid and guarded it, fearing

anyone would discover it. But one evening, when guests were at the house and a servant had an accident, she went upstairs to serve tea to the guests.

to

She overheard a conversation in the study; it was Nathan and a guest discussing Remington's marriage prospects.

They mentioned a few well-known

ladies from Zion City, and the guest

concluded, "These young ladies come from good families and are charming in every aspect. But we all know, at Remington's age, looks matter the most. Remington has already fostered a beauty himself; he

probably won't be interested in the matches you've arranged."

Nathan's voice was stern.

"Are you talking about Lizetta? If it weren't for the Dashiell family taking her in, she would've died in the streets long ago. The Dashiell family has supported her through thick and thin, expecting her to be grateful and dutifully await the marriage the Dashiell family arranges for her, to support Remington when necessary. If she dares to be ungrateful and harbors intentions towards Remington, the Dashiell family will not tolerate her! But Remington sees her as a sister; he doesn't have

those feelings. You worry too much."

"You can never be too careful. It's better to keep an eye out, and if there's any sign, it can be dealt with promptly."

The guest who spoke like this was Martin, Remington's godfather, naturally having a say in Remington's marriage.

Standing at the door, seventeen-year-old Lizetta was terrified. She feared being sent away, never seeing her Remi again.

She also feared that the Dashiell family would arrange a marriage for her early on. With her status, she would have no room to refuse. She ran back to her room and open the drawer, intending to burn the diary, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it.

Later, she cried all night as she ran up the hill and buried the diary in a hole.

Seventeen-year-old Lizetta knew all too well that Remington was out of reach, like the moon in the sky.

Their statuses were worlds apart; she didn't even have the right to love him. But as time went on, how did she become so foolish? She thought of the wedding, Hanna's dissatisfaction, Shirley's curses, and the ridicule from the guests.