Chapter 480
They were all shaken, but a sense of helplessness washed over them—the driver was dead.
All of them were upstanding citizens, simply waiting for someone outside the mall, on a wide stretch that should have been perfectly safe. Now, even if they wanted to hold someone accountable, the driver was gone.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Effie turned her head and saw Lyman rushing toward her, his face tight with worry.
He swept her into his arms without a word.
The moment Lyman had heard about Effie’s accident, it felt as if his heart had nearly leapt out of his chest. His mind had gone completely blank during his frantic dash over; it was only when he finally saw Effie that he felt alive again.
“I’m okay,” Effie murmured, gently patting his back.
He was holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. For a moment, she thought she might not be able to get any words out at all.
Lyman finally loosened his grip, pulling back just enough to search her face. “Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked, voice low and urgent.
Effie shook her head, lips pressed together. “I’m fine, really. Maybe you could check on Mom? She was there too…”
As she spoke, both she and Lyman glanced toward Lindy.
Just then, Friedman Etheridge arrived, disregarding the curious looks from others
as he wrapped Lindy in a fierce embrace.
Lindy blushed, trying to push him away. “Alright, the kids are watching,” she whispered.
“I don’t care. I’m not letting go,” Friedman replied stubbornly.
Lindy’s face flushed even deeper, as if her entire bloodstream had rushed to her cheeks.
Effie looked at Lyman-handsome and reserved-and remembered a line she’d seen online: “A copy can only be as good as the original.” She thought it suited Lyman and
Friedman perfectly.
Lyman might have seemed awkward with affection, but he’d learned a lot from his
parents. He was thoughtful, caring in all the right ways.
“Actually,” Lindy said, “there’s someone we ought to thank for Effie getting through this unharmed.”
Even recalling the close call made Lindy shudder.
She continued, “It was Isabel. She dashed out and shoved Effie out of the way, I always thought Isabel might have some issues with Effie, but never imagined she’d do Something like that.”
Fidelia’s expression turned distant as she nodded slowly. “I still can’t figure out why she did it. Back when we were close, she saw me in trouble and just looked the other way. But now, she risked everything to save Effie.”
Lindy turned to Fidelia. “Are you sure you didn’t misread things last time?”
Fidelia wanted to believe she’d gotten it wrong, but the memories were too vivid- she still had nightmares about Isabel turning away as she was dragged off by that
man.
She couldn’t convince herself it was a mistake. If she hadn’t lived through it, why would it haunt her so deeply?
Lindy sighed. “Whatever the reason, Isabel was hit because she saved Effie. We should go see how she’s doing.”
Effie nodded in agreement. She didn’t fully understand, but in that critical moment, Isabel had been the one to push her out of harm’s way.
Even though Effie might have dodged on her own… still…
Soon, they found themselves waiting anxiously outside the operating room.