Chapter 10
The next day at noon, Nita invited Effie to lunch at Elliott’s Cozy Room, worried that Effie might not be coping well.
Elliott’s Cozy Room was nestled in a bustling part of downtown, prime real estate surrounded by lush gardens—a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city’s chaos.
Halfway through the meal, Effie excused herself to the restroom, only to unexpectedly find Suzan standing in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup.
Suzan was dressed in a flowing Valentino dress, her makeup flawless, every inch a picture of delicate charm and innocent beauty.
Catching Effie’s reflection in the mirror, Suzan pressed her red lips together, then smiled slyly. “What a coincidence, Effie!”
Effie hadn’t expected to run into her nemesis here of all places. Just her luck. Suzan was like a stubborn stain-impossible to get rid of no matter where she went.
When Effie said nothing, Suzan flashed a challenging grin.
“I’m here with Mitchell, actually. He’s in one of the private rooms. Want to join us?”
Effie’s voice was cool. “No thanks. I’d rather not lose my appetite.”
“Are you still upset with me? I’m sorry, you know, Mitchell and I…” Suzan pretended to look remorseful, playing her part perfectly.
But Effie saw right through her act and refused to back down. “I’m not upset with you. In fact, I should thank you. If you like picking up someone else’s trash, Mitchell’s all yours. I don’t care. We’re done. I hope you two stick together- forever.”
Suzan’s eyes narrowed. “Come on, Effie. I know you’re crazy about Mitchell, but love doesn’t follow any order. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that?”
She kept pushing, clearly trying to get under Effie’s skin.
But the mention of her mother made Effie’s blood boil. Without thinking, she strode forward and slapped Suzan hard across the face.
“You steal my fiancé and then have the nerve to flaunt it? Tell me, don’t you deserve this?”
Effie’s voice trembled with anger. “Or maybe you’re just following in your mother’s footsteps—chasing after other people’s men. Is that your thing? Are you really that shameless?”
“Effie, you…” Suzan looked stunned, clutching her cheek in disbelief. The smug smile vanished, leaving her face blotchy and humiliated.
Effie had no interest in arguing further and turned to leave.
But suddenly, Suzan grabbed her arm, her eyes filling with tears as she put on her best wounded act. “Effie, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. You’ve got it all wrong! There’s nothing between me and Mitchell, please don’t be angry.”
Effie froze at the sudden shift-was Suzan possessed or something? A minute ago she was gloating, now she was acting like some helpless victim.
Suzan’s grip hurt, so Effie yanked her arm free.
Suzan collapsed to the floor in a heap, letting out a dramatic cry as if she were made of porcelain.
Effie stood there for a second, dumbfounded. Was Suzan made of paper? How could she be so fragile?
But when Effie saw a familiar figure rushing in, she couldn’t help but smirk.
So this was Suzan’s little performance.
Of course. Why was she not surprised?
Honestly, it was a shame Suzan wasn’t in show business-her acting was Oscar- worthy.
“Effie, what did you do to Suzan?” A cold voice cut through the air.