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, but she didn't

even called out to her for help-loud enough for anyone to hear. She just glanced back at me and then stood there, watching

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

harsh, but Marcia had never

wasn't the only one. Even Lindy

why, even though Isabel had once been the only woman-besides family- to be close to Lyman Etheridge, Lindy

she'd been watching Marcia and Fidelia

hands balled into fists so tightly her nails dug into

a stain she

Foster family's daughter, but the truth was, no

the family had

she was close to

her back, the

had

woman, nothing more. One night, after Mr. Foster had too much to drink, things got out of control. Her mother insisted she was innocent, but the gossip

gotten pregnant—and that's how Isabel

up in the

ignored, left to