She thought back to thest time she went back to the house with Remington, how he had slipped a


    ring on her finger to pull the wool over the olddy’s eyes.


    They had stood by the olddy’s bed, promising to patch things up. But truth be told, they never did


    make amends. Some things one just couldn’t hide under the rug.


    *Grandma Fiona, nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable. Remi and I have decided to let each


    other go; we’re really getting a divorce.”


    Lizetta gritted her teeth, took the olddy’s hand, and decided toe clean.


    Fiona’s face turned ashen, her pale lips trembling, her breathing bing ragged. Lizetta’s heart


    raced, her eyes welling up with tears, I’m sorry. I’ve let you down. You can yell at me or give me a piece


    of your mind; just don’t work yourself into a state over this!”


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    She patted Fiona’s chest to help her calm down and then signaled to Tina to fetch the medicine. After


    popping a couple of pills, Fiona’s breathing eased, and herplexion lost its ghostly pallor.


    But Lizetta was scared stiff, tears streaming down her face, soaking her cheeks. Clutching the old


    lady’s frail hand, she kept on repeating, “I’m so sorry, Grandma Fiona; so sorry.”


    She felt utterly ashamed facing the olddy, knowing how much she had hoped Lizetta and Remington


    would walk hand in hand through life.


    Yet she had let Fiona down; she just couldn’t hang in there any longer.


    Terrified, she was afraid Fiona might be so upset by her that something terrible would happen, and


    even more scared that the olddy wouldn’t forgive her and would withdraw her affection.


    But Fiona, seeing Lizetta reduced to tears, wrapped her in an embrace and soothed her, patting her


    back, uttering, “Kid, stop saying sorry. I know you’ve done your best. If there’s someone to me, it’s


    Remington that brat’s fault. I’m not upset, and I’m not ming you either.”


    The olddy patted Lizetta with her frail hand just as she did when Lizetta was a child.


    Lizetta leaned on the olddy’s stooped shoulder, her tears flowing even more, choking on her words,


    “Thank you for not ming me, Grandma Fiona.”


    There, there, no more tears. Tell me, is it all because of that Evelina? Just spill the beans, I’ve got your


    back!”


    Fiona let go of Lizetta and used her wrinkled hands to wipe away her tears. Lizetta, trying


    to stem the flow of tears, shook her head, “It’s not because of Evelina.”


    “Nonsense! How could it not be her! It all kicked off when she showed up, didn’t it? I only found out


    today about the wee–back party where you ended up taking a dive! Did that no good Remington


    rescue Evelina instead?”


    Lizetta froze; the incident of falling into the water had happened a month ago. She was puzzled “How


    did you find out about the fall, Grandma Fiona?”


    Shirley had visited the house today, spilling the beans over the phone to her toxic friend, mocking how


    Lizetta had been aplete mess then.


    The video of Lizetta’s most embarrassing moment was still making the rounds in the high society chat


    groups.


    Fiona had overheard and demanded the video from Shirley, and watching it had made her blood boil.


    “Don’t worry about how I know. Just tell me, is that why you’re divorcing Remington?”


    Lizetta hastily shook her head again, managing a wry smile.


    “Honestly, Grandma Fiona, it’s not. The spark between me and Remi has gone out. You saw it yourself;


    he doesn’t care about me anymore. That’s why he chose to save Evelina when we both fell into the


    water. You don’t know how frantic he was.”


    “Baloney! Remington is my own flesh and blood; do you think I don’t know whom he cares. about? He


    cares about you! And I’m going to prove it to you today!” Fiona interrupted Lizetta sternly.


    Lizetta was dumbstruck. How could she possibly prove that? As she stood there bewildered, Tina came


    back and said, “Mrs. Fiona Dashiell, Mr. Remington Dashiell has returned.”


    Fiona immediately stood up, dragging Lizetta behind a dense thicket, instructing her firmly, “Liz, you


    stay put here; no matter what happens, don’te out! I’ll prove to you. that Remington does care


    about you!”


    Fiona let go of Lizetta and left. Lizetta was confused but from a distance, she saw Remington’s tall


    figure striding toward them.


    It had been a while since she’d seen him, and whether it was the angle or just the deste early winter


    scene of the garden setting him off, the man in the long coat still stood ramrod straight, yet his


    handsome face seemed somewhat thinner.