Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 194

Effie's words had clearly struck a nerve-Fidelia's face twisted with anger as she snapped, "Effie, you wicked woman, go to hell!"

She shoved Effie hard.

Caught off guard, Effie stumbled backward.

A flash of smug satisfaction crossed Fidelia's eyes, but before she could savor her triumph, Effie's hand shot out, grabbing her sleeve. The next second, both of them tumbled straight into the ornamental fish pond.

The pond, designed for aesthetics, was deceptively deep-deep enough that someone who couldn't swim might well drown.

Fidelia wasn't worried; she'd learned to swim when she was little. In the Etheridge family, you didn't have to be a genius, but ignorance was out of the question. Even if your grades weren't the best, you were expected to master every skill. Along with swimming, Fidelia could ride horses, arrange flowers, and even brew a perfect cup of tea.

But what Fidelia didn't know was that Effie couldn't swim at all. The moment Effie hit the cold water, she began thrashing in panic, fear tightening every muscle in her body. She clung to Fidelia like a drowning octopus, arms and legs wrapped tight.

had been on her own, she could have easily made it to the edge. But with Effie latched onto her, their soaked clothes dragging them down, she felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been strapped to her back. Forget

Fidelia's head underwater. As she played the part of the panicked victim, Effie kept a careful eye on Fidelia's condition, calculating just how much longer she

footsteps reached them. Effie forced Fidelia under once more, then released her grip and went limp, feigning

few figures plunged into the water,

one cradling Effie was

Effie

up water, but soon she seemed to recover. Lyman finally let out a shaky sigh

came running up, their faces tight with concern as they saw their daughter,

asked,

Fidelia spotted her parents, she burst into tears, clutching at them like a lifeline. "Daddy, Mommy, I don't know what happened. My cousin's wife just pushed me into the

"I was so scared... I

at Fowler and Marcia's

to