Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

She was over the moon, thinking maybe Cassius was secretly crushing on her but was too proud to show it. Imagine her shock when, after she'd hauled the guy home and was about to plant one on him, he suddenly blocked her face with a frown, muttering in disgust.

"Yolanda, what's with that new perfume? It stinks. Go take a shower before you even think about kissing me."

That's when Margaret realized Cassius wasn't calling for her at all. A little digging revealed this Yolanda was a nobody, a newbie barely seen in the entertainment circuit, daring to vie with Ms. Miller for a man's attention.

The humiliation was something Margaret had never experienced before. She was determined to make Yolanda disappear from the industry, to vanish from the public eye. How was she supposed to cultivate any romance with Cassius with Yolanda fluttering around him all the time?

So, with a little maneuvering, Margaret turned Yolanda into the villain of the story, making Cassius believe Yolanda had betrayed him for Charles. Killing two birds with one stone.

Margaret was gleeful, reveling in the scandalous headlines that had taken over the internet these past few days. She thought Yolanda would be holed up somewhere, crying her eyes out. Yet, there she was, causing a scene.

And there was Mrs. Davis, yanking Jane by the hair, trying to drag her out. Margaret stormed up to Yolanda, glaring daggers.

"Is this all your doing tonight?!"

Yolanda just smirked, shrugged nonchalantly, not even trying to hide it.

"Oh, so Ms. Miller gets to manipulate the truth, use Mrs. Davis as a pawn, and I can't show a little sympathy, let her in on what's really going on?"NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.

That got Margaret fuming.

"How dare you, a nobody, mess with my scene! Think I can't make you disappear without a trace?"

"Of course, believe you. After all,

Ms. Miller only needs to lift a finger to frame someone, to have me blacklisted. Do you really think your family's Glory Media can manipulate the truth and fool everyone?"

"So what if we can! Yolanda, the truth doesn't matter. What matters is what the media shows the world You think causing a scene with Mrs. Davis here will turn things around for you? Go ahead, see who believes you, who dares to go against me, Margaret Miller, to support you!"

Margaret lifted her chin in disdain. That's when Stella, nursing a slap mark, frowned and nudged Margaret, whispering, "Someone's filming."

Margaret's face fell as she turned to see a figure by the door, phone in hand, recording. Yolanda had been blocking her view; she hadn't noticed at all.

"Bitch! Take that phone!" Margaret

spat angrily. But as the women moved to act, the figure by the wall, Lizetta, simply pocketed her phone and stepped forward into the light. The backlighting had obscured her features from Stella and the others until now.

As Lizetta's distinct and striking features became clear, Stella and Shirley's faces fell.

Shirley pointed at Lizetta, "Lizetta? It's you! A divorced woman and still showing your face around?"