Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 453

Marcia had been fuming the whole ride over, muttering under her breath about how she was going to give Fidelia a stern talking-to the moment she saw her.

But when Fidelia appeared in front of her, eyes wide with fear and lips trembling with hurt, Marcia's resolve melted away. All thoughts of scolding her daughter vanished in an instant.

She knelt down, her voice gentle as she soothed Fidelia. "Sweetheart, where's Effie? How could she just leave you on your own and let you wander off like this? It's dangerous-she should've known better."

At the mention of Effie, Fidelia's expression shifted.

"No, Mom, it's not like that," Fidelia blurted out, shaking her head.

Marcia stared at her in disbelief. "Fidelia, what are you saying?"

Fidelia bit her lip, hesitating, clearly struggling with her words.

“What's going on? I thought you didn't even like Effie. Why are you sticking up for her?"

Marcia's confusion showed plainly on her face.

Fidelia had intended to keep quiet-she still held a grudge against Effie, after all— but after what happened today, she realized maybe Effie wasn't as bad as she'd always believed. So, swallowing her pride, Fidelia recounted the events that had just unfolded.

saw Isabel there,

called out to her for help-loud enough for anyone to hear. She just glanced back at me and

face twisting with anger. "Unbelievable! I can't believe Isabel would do something

hadn't meant to say something so harsh, but Marcia had never approved of Isabel's

Even Lindy Etheridge, she suspected, felt

why, even though Isabel had once been the only woman-besides family- to be close to Lyman Etheridge, Lindy had never tried to

short distance away, but she'd been watching Marcia and Fidelia closely, and heard

fists so tightly her nails

was a stain she could

always claimed to be the Foster family's daughter, but

family had ever acknowledged

only tolerated her because she was close to Lyman.

her openly, but behind her back, the whispers never

had been

Mr. Foster had too much to drink, things got out of control. Her mother insisted she was innocent, but the gossip was merciless: folks claimed she'd seduced him for money, schemed her way into his

that's how Isabel

grown up in the

ignored,