Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon novel Chapter 140

The moment Effie realized how valuable the gift was, she shook her head in protest. “Mrs. Smith, you’re being far too generous. This is much too expensive—I really can’t accept it.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Mrs. Smith replied with a gentle smile. “It’s nothing extravagant, just something I picked up in a little shop while traveling abroad. I thought it was unique, and since fate brought us together, I wanted to give you a small token of appreciation.”

“Really, Mrs. Smith, it’s not necessary,” Effie insisted, trying to hand the gift back.

She knew deep down she couldn’t keep it.

Mrs. Smith hesitated, then spoke with some difficulty. “Effie, the truth is, I wanted to apologize. I’m honestly embarrassed—Rankin had too much to drink last night and behaved terribly. I feel awful about it.”

Effie was taken aback; she hadn’t expected Mrs. Smith to know.

“Mrs. Smith, you really don’t have to—” Effie started, feeling a twinge of sympathy for her.

It probably wasn’t the first time Mrs. Smith had to clean up after Mr. Smith’s messes.

Effie could see Mrs. Smith wasn’t happy. Especially last night at dinner, when she caught the look of envy in Mrs. Smith’s eyes as Lyman treated Effie with such care. On the surface, the Smiths put on the perfect couple act, but after spending a day with them, Effie knew the truth.

Mrs. Smith let out a bitter little laugh, as if Effie’s silence had confirmed her suspicions, and she decided not to hide anymore. “Effie, you’re a smart woman. I’m sure you’ve figured it out—Rankin and I don’t really have much of a relationship. Our marriage was arranged by our families. We barely met twice before getting engaged, but he seemed decent, honest… and he treated me well, at least at first.”

Her voice caught. She paused, gathering herself.

“If it’s too painful, you don’t have to go on,” Effie said gently. She could already guess the rest—she’d seen enough of these soap opera dramas to know how they ended.