Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Grace's eyes flickered. She avoided Annabel's intense gaze, grit her teeth, and said, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Annabel stared at her without blinking, a cold sneer curling her lips. "Fine. If you won't admit it, that's your choice. I'll just pretend you're sick again and send you back to the clinic. And don't even dream of seeing him again."

Grace's eyes widened in panic. She grabbed Annabel's wrist, her voice trembling with anger. "No! You can't do that! I'm married now-I have a husband!"

Annabel narrowed her eyes and replied, “But I have your medical records. The pills you're taking right now-I wonder, Grace, who do you think people are going to believe? You, or me?"

"Annabel!" Grace shrieked, her voice raw. "I'm your sister! Why are you doing this? Do you really need to push me over the edge?"

Annabel regarded her coolly, her tone devoid of warmth. "Grace, you know perfectly well why you married Clay. And you know even better than anyone why Andie got sick. If it hadn't been for your greed, none of us would be in this mess. And Fenton and I would still be together."

Grace could accept blame for many things, but Annabel and Fenton's divorce— she would never admit to that. That had absolutely nothing to do with her.

"Annabel, you're just too controlling! You always have to be right, you never let anyone breathe. That's why everyone leaves you including me! So go ahead- spend the rest of your life alone. You brought this on yourself!"noveldrama

The words had barely left her mouth when Annabel slapped her across the face.

Grace's head snapped to the side; her cheek burned like fire. Annabel never did know how to hold back.

But instead of crying, Grace started to laugh, tears shimmering in her wild, desperate eyes.

"Ha... ha ha..."

Annabel's gaze hardened. "What's so funny?"

Grace wiped her eyes, her voice trembling with a strange joy. "Annabel, you're always the same. The minute you run out of arguments, you start throwing punches. Ha... always."

Effie and Lyman sat in the car, Lyman's hand clamped tightly around Effie's.

“It's alright. I'm here," Effie reassured him gently.

Anyone else, after witnessing something so disturbing, wouldn't have calmed down so quickly.

Lyman's voice was low. "Grace is friend's

e. She just got back to

my

the country, and now something's happened to her in my house. I feel like I failed him."

Effie shook her head. "This wasn't your fault."

Lyman forced a thin smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Stop the car," Effie said suddenly to the driver.

She looked at Lyman. "Want to get out and take a walk?"

Lyman gestured to his disheveled state. "Looking like this?"

Effie pointed toward a display stand up ahead. "Look, there's some kind of event going on over there."

"Hm?"

Only then did Lyman notice the Halloween festival happening

nearby crowds of people in all sorts of spooky costumes, the whole place bubbling with mischief and eerte fun.

Effie nodded toward a booth not far away. "They're renting costumes over there. Let's go pick something out."

"Alright," Lyman agreed.

He wasn't usually interested in this kind of thing, but Effie seemed eager, so he was happy to go along.

"What would suit you?" Effie mused aloud, scanning Lyman from head to toe

costume racks.

ss stummaging through the

"Oh! I found something you should try this."

Lyman didn't know much about costumes, so he simply did whatever Effie suggested.

"Turn around, let me see."