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 sh 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.


    If Fidelia had been on her own, she could have easily made it to the edge. But with Effietched onto her, their soaked clothes dragging them down, she felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been strapped to her back. Forget making it to shore-she could barely get her head above water to breathe. Her lungs screamed for air.


    Several times, Effie''s desperate iling forced Fidelia''s head underwater. As she yed the part of the panicked victim, Effie kept a careful eye on Fidelia''s condition, calcting just how much longer she could keep this up. She figured she''d let go once she thought Fidelia was about to pass out.


    Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps reached them. Effie forced Fidelia under once more, then released her grip and went limp, feigning exhaustion.


    A few figures plunged into the water, pulling both girls out.


    The one cradling Effie was Lyman.


    Pale with worry and barefoot, Lyman didn''t hesitate-he scooped Effie into his arms, ready to rush her to safety.


    Effie coughed violently, spewing up water, but soon she seemed to recover. Lyman finally let out a shaky sigh of relief.


    Fowler and Marcia, Fidelia''s parents, came running up, their faces tight with concern as they saw their daughter, drenched and shivering.


    "What happened here?" Marcia asked, her voice trembling with worry.


    The moment 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 water out of nowhere!"


    Her sobs were raw and desperate. "I was so scared... I thought I''d never see you again..."


    Her cries stabbed at Fowler and Marcia''s hearts like invisible knives.


    Both parents turned to re at Effie.


    Effie was stunned. She hadn''t expected Fidelia to turn the tables and use her!


    She was just about to speak up when Lyman, still holding her, spoke coldly. "Fidelia, are you sure about that? Are you saying Effie pushed you?"


    "I..." Fidelia faltered, avoiding his gaze.


    Lyman''s expression darkened. "Good. There''s a security camera right here. Let''s check the footage."


    Before Fidelia could protest, Lyman had already ordered someone to pull up the video.


    The truth was in: it had been Fidelia who pushed Effie into the pond.


    Marcia squeezed Fidelia''s hand and said gently, “Fidelia, why would you say something like that? You must have been so frightened, you got confused. Isn''t that right?"


    "Don''t worry, sweetheart. Tell me again, what really happened?"