Mitchell froze for a moment at Effie''s words-was that really how she saw him now?


    Hadn''t he once been the most important person in her life?


    "Effie, don''t forget-your grandmother''s medical bills are still being paid by me. Without me, do you really think you''ll find another man this generous?"


    He raised his voice, trying to sound authoritative, but Effie''s expression remained calm and unmoved.


    "Mitchell, let''s not kid ourselves. Even my grandmother''s treatments are paid for with my own money-the dividends I earned at E&M. You haven''t given me a cent these past few years. In fact, now''s a good time for us to settle up."


    Mitchell had the nerve to bring up money? The shamelessness was almost impressive.


    He stared at her, his anger quickly turning to embarrassment. "Unbelievable," he snapped, before storming out and mming the door behind him.


    Effie stood there, her face serene.


    A small, rueful smile tugged at her lips. Had she been blind all these years?


    How had she never seen just how cold and self-serving Mitchell was?


    She''d truly believed she''d married for love, but in the end, love was no match for harsh reality—or for the lure of something new.


    She was still lost in thought when her phone suddenly rang. She answered without checking the caller.


    "Effie, have you seen what''s trending online? Quick, go look!" Nita''s voice on the other end was practically buzzing with excitement.


    "What''s trending?"


    “The business gst night! That whole mess with Suzan using you of pushing her into the pool-the security footage just got released. Now everyone can see it was actually her that dragged you in. Can you believe how shameless she is? It''s the number one topic right now-everyone finally sees Suzan for who she really is!"


    Effie blinked in surprise. That had happened even faster than she''d expected.


    Then again, Mitchell and Suzan had always been a perfect match-shameless to the core.


    "Effie, tell me the truth-was this your husband''s doing?" Nita pressed, her voice full of awe. "Who else could pull this off but Lyman?"


    The idea of a powerful man standing up for his wife-it was almost too romantic.


    Effie''s heart softened as she remembered Lyman speaking quietly to his assistant the night before.


    With her phone pressed to her ear, she couldn''t help but smile. "I think it was him," she said softly.


    "Oh my god, Lyman is incredible! The way he protects you-he''s what every woman dreams of! Effie, you''re so lucky!" Nita gushed.


    Effie couldn''t help but feel her friend''s excitement rubbing off on her, a gentle warmth blooming in her chest.


    She thought of the quiet tenderness hidden behind Lyman''s cold exteriorst night, and something inside her melted.


    Their marriage had started as a twist of fate, but Lyman''s care and protectiveness had given her a sense of safety she''d never known before.


    "Nita, you''re being ridiculous," Effie said, pretending to be annoyed, but there was


    a sweetness in her tone she couldn''t quite hide.


    "I''m not! Lyman''s amazing-don''t let him slip away!" Nita teased with augh. "And seriously, Suzan got what she deserved. Serves her right! Maybe she''ll think twice before going after you again."


    Effie''s gaze turned icy. Suzan had iting.


    After hanging up, Effie opened her phone. Sure enough, the top trending story


    was "Suzan''s Lie Exposed-Security Footage Reveals the Truth."


    She tapped on the headline. Thements section was flooded with people calling out Suzan—just reading them was cathartic.


    Effie was still scrolling, absorbed in the whirlwind of reactions, when her phone rang again.