Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 32

She glanced down at her phone-it was a call from Lyman.

"It's you!" she answered, her voice softening almost instinctively.

"Did you see the trending news?" Lyman's voice was low, calm, and somehow comforting.

"Yeah, I saw it." Effie replied quietly. "Thank you."

There was a brief silence on the other end before Lyman replied, his tone even, "No need to thank me. It's the least I could do."

A gentle warmth bloomed in Effie's chest as she held the phone.

She knew Lyman was a man of few words, but every time, he showed his care through his actions rather than promises.

For a moment, she wondered if maybe just maybe this marriage wasn't as hopeless as she'd first imagined.

"Wait for me after work tonight. I'll take you out for dinner," Lyman said.

"Alright," Effie agreed.

After hanging up, Effie found herself a little distracted, her mind drifting.

was teetering on the edge

a jumbled mess, her heart hammering

out there, and the truth plain

when she caught Mitchell's questioning gaze-Suzan felt

Damn it!

leaked that surveillance

imagined last night's incident would be caught so clearly on camera, let alone that the footage would go viral overnight, sparking a

let me explain..." Suzan's voice trembled as she

that?" Mitchell sounded bewildered. Thinking back to how he'd stood

no words came. There was no way to talk her way out of this- the footage clearly showed her reaching

her voice choking, "I was just so angry. Effie always acts so

ever do that again. You know, the person I care about now

do it again." Mitchell immediately called someone, trying to

meant nearly everyone

beside herself

were in a panic as

Bagnold family, this was

moment Shepard saw the footage, he was so furious his blood pressure must have

Effie and Suzan

her eyes

her to come home at once,