Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Liz had prepared the voice recorder the day she flew back home, a precaution she kept in her purse just in case.

If Liz hadn't thought letting Daisy speak to her big brother might help him wake up, she would have preferred Daisy not to linger. But Liz had her reservations about Daisy, sensing something off about her.

If Daisy truly cared about whether her son would wake, why hadn't she visited more when Thaddeus first fell into a coma? "Alright, ma'am, rest assured."

In the hospital room, Daisy, fuming, shut the door and glared at Thaddeus.

"Such a heartless girl, treating your stepbrother so well! But don't forget, you're my flesh and blood. If you wake up, don't go siding against your own family!

Two years ago, if you hadn't eavesdropped on me talking to your uncle, insisting on snitching to that girl, would you have ended up in that accident?"

After leaving the hospital, Liz returned to the Pine Villa apartment where Yolanda was staying. It was a place Hanna had compensated Yolanda with, and she had been living there for a while.

When Liz signed the divorce papers, Remington insisted she choose a property, and she picked an apartment in Pine Villa, right above Yolanda's. But it wasn't ready yet, so Liz was going to stay with Yolanda for the time being.

That night, they were in bed together, playing games on their phones and chatting away.

Upon hearing Liz had gone for a 4D ultrasound, Yolanda, excited, tossed her phone aside and sat up.

"Where's the scan? Come on, show me Daisy's pretty pictures!"

Liz, pulled by her enthusiasm, also quit her game.

"Remington took it with him."

Yolanda kicked the blankets, "Typical Remington, acting all high and mighty just for accompanying you to a prenatal checkup and even snatching the loot!"

Liz laughed, "Alright, let's sleep. It's been a while since I've slept with my godmother. Daisy's happy, right?"

She placed Yolanda's hand on her belly, and Daisy immediately started kicking happily.

Yolanda was overjoyed, "Did the doctor say if our Daisy's a little prince or princess?"

Liz shook her head, "I didn't ask."

To her, whether it was a boy or girl, Daisy was her surprise, her joy.

Remington hadn't asked either, but coming out of the exam room, he had hugged her, wishing for a sweet and lovely daughter. "Good, we'll have a surprise to look forward to."

Yolanda laid back down, then suddenly pulled off a wig piece, revealing a scar underneath where her hair hadn't grown back.

Liz leaned in to inspect the scar.

"Stop looking!"

Yolanda struggled, but Liz touched the scar, murmuring.

"I need to see."

Not just to see, but to remember, to harden her heart when she shouldn't be soft.

Yolanda, thinking Liz felt guilty again, chuckled and pushed her away.

"This scar is my golden ticket to financial freedom, you can't even begin to envy it."

They turned off the lights and settled down, but Yolanda's phone buzzed several times.

She silenced it, turning to Liz's curious gaze and explained, “Just spam.”

Then, quickly stuffing the phone under her pillow, she closed her eyes.

The night she wrapped up her shoot, she and Cassius had a one-night stand on set.

She still remembered Cassius's words, drenched in sweat, pressing down on her.

"What do you want? The role of a second lead in a big production, will that satisfy you?"

He had defined their relationship in clear terms.

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Having seen Liz suffer over the years, Yolanda knew she and Cassius were not meant for a love story.

Their beginning was best kept away from notions of romance.

So, she turned the tables on him,

and Cassius indeed enjoyed the

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of the night even more, holdingst

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That's men for you, always enjoying a relationship they can control while seeking thrills.

So, at dawn, Yolanda packed up and left, decisively.

Neither contacted the other after that night.

Half a month later, she received a WhatsApp invite from Cassius for a wrap party.

She declined, but Cassius persisted.

Typical, men always crave what they can't have.

Downstairs, Cassius's luxury car was parked by the flowerbed.

Wrapped in a black coat, wearing a hat and mask, he leaned against his car, incessantly sending messages to Yolanda, begging her to let him in, all to no avail.

Suddenly, headlights flashed towards him, causing him to shield his eyes and squint into the distance.