Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon novel Chapter 153

Effie slipped her phone back into her purse, an involuntary smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

She glanced up at the crowd clustered around Sarah, who was soaking up the attention, her face glowing with smug satisfaction as their classmates showered her with praise.

“Sarah, your boyfriend is seriously impressive! Mr. Etheridge must really think the world of him!” Harriet gushed, her envy barely disguised.

Sarah gave a modest little laugh, playing coy. “He’s just doing his job, really. But he’s got talent—otherwise, there’s no way he’d have gotten promoted at The Etheridge Group, considering how competitive it is.”

Nita, who’d been biting her tongue, couldn’t help herself. She cleared her throat softly. “Um… is it possible Mr. Etheridge was actually here for someone else?”

Harriet rolled her eyes, scoffing, “Oh, come on, Nita! Who else among us could possibly know Mr. Etheridge? Don’t tell me you mean Effie?”

Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

But Nita nodded emphatically, “Yeah, actually!”

Harriet let out a short, mocking laugh. “You must be dreaming.”

Effie quickly reached out to stop Nita, shaking her head in warning.

The last thing Effie wanted was to become the center of attention. If people found out about her connection to Lyman, she could kiss her peaceful life goodbye. She needed to stay under the radar.

Nita swallowed her words, though the look on her face made it clear she wasn’t thrilled. One day, these people would be in for a rude awakening.

Magee soon broke through the tension, rallying everyone with cheerful enthusiasm.

After all, someone had brought delicious food—no one was going to complain about that. And these treats were the kind they rarely got to indulge in.

The mood quickly lightened as people paired off and drifted into casual conversations, swapping stories about their families and lives.

Effie was quietly enjoying her meal when a glass slid into her field of vision. She looked up, startled to see Granger standing right in front of her. She scrambled to pick up her own glass.

“Effie, it’s been ages. How have you been?” Granger’s eyes were gentle, his smile soft and warm.