Chapter 365
Fowler was getting desperate. “But is it really fair to punish your own sister for the sake of an outsider?” he protested.
Lyman fixed Fowler with a hard stare, his eyes turning cold.
“Outsider? Effie is my wife. She’s legally part of this family. The fact that none of you respect her or treat her as one of us just proves you don’t see me as family either, does it?”
With such a heavy accusation hanging in the air, Fowler realized that if things escalated, he might end up in trouble himself.
“Lyman, that’s not what I meant, I—”
“Then what did you mean?” Lyman pressed, his tone icy. “Just tell me: if someone disrespects the wife of the Etheridge family’s eldest son and heir, should they be punished or not?”
Fowler knew there was no salvaging the situation now. He gritted his teeth and muttered, “Yes. She should be punished.”
Lyman’s window began to slide up, but he paused while there was still a crack open.
“Oh, and Fowler,” he said coolly, “be sure to tell Fidelia I’ll be home tonight to keep an eye on her. She shouldn’t get any ideas about slacking off.”
Without waiting for any further response, Lyman signaled the driver to go. The car pulled away, leaving Fowler in a cloud of exhaust.
Fowler stood there, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, glaring after Lyman’s car as if he could burn holes through the trunk with his stare.
“Just wait, Lyman,” he muttered under his breath. “Your day will come.”
After a moment, he turned and stalked off.
Effie was still standing where Lyman had left her. Just then, Shirley happened to pass by. She glanced at Effie with cool indifference and walked on without a word.
A moment later, Effie spotted Peter in the distance. She shook her head, drawing a deep breath to steady herself before heading off to work.
…
At last, the lights above the operating room flickered off. Mitchell and the others, drained and anxious, rushed to the doctor. “Doctor, how are the mother and baby?”
“After more than ten hours of effort,” the doctor replied, “we managed to save both mother and child. However, the patient’s condition is still fragile. She’ll need strict bed rest until delivery.”
Adeline exhaled, relief flooding her features. As long as her grandson was safe, nothing else mattered.
Vera pressed anxiously, “But doctor, won’t it be uncomfortable for herto
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stay in bed all the time? Is she really not allowed to get up at all? Not even for ten minutes?”
Adeline’s glare was icy and sharp as a knife. “Your daughter almost cost me my precious grandson. Now, after all this, you’re worried about her comfort? If anything happens to my grandson, I swear-you’lkanswer forit.”
IMS
Vera’s eyes widened in fear. She knew she couldn’t match Adeline’s authority, and
in that moment, she lost all her nerve, falling silent.
She turned pleadingly to Shepard, but he too was silent-he relied on the Lloyd family’s support now and dared not speak.
Though Vera was boiling with anxiety and resentment, she could only swallow her anger and endure.
Thankfully, the doctor added, “It’s alright for her to get up and walk a little—just no strenuous activity.”
“Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much!” Vera exclaimed, relief in her voice.
She felt Adeline’s sharp gaze on her but pretended not to notice.
…
That evening, after work, Effie—still feeling the sting of being ostracized-rode home with Lyman to the Etheridge estate.
Lyman led her to the family chapel. Sure enough, Fidelia was there, kneeling on the stone floor, with the butler keeping a watchful eye nearby.
The butler addressed Lyman respectfully, “Don’t worry, sir. The master instructed me to watch Miss Fidelia, and she’s been kneeling here as ordered.”