Chapter 343 Mitchell was convinced Effie was just putting on an act. He remembered times when he was in a rare good mood and would peel fruit for her, only to accidentally nick his finger. Back then, Effie would fuss over him for ages, genuinely worried.
So how could she possibly stay this cold when he was standing here in such a miserable state? He tried to play on her sympathy. "Effie, it really hurts," he said, voice soft and pitiful.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAt last, Effie reacted. She shot him a frosty glance and replied, "If it hurts, go see a doctor. Don't just stand in the doorway blocking everyone." Mitchell's face tightened in disbelief. He never expected to hear words like that from Effie.
"Effie, I know you're just pretending," he pleaded. "You still care about me, don't you? I can tell you're just acting angry. I get it now-I finally know how miserable I am without you. Please, forgive me. Let's start over, okay?" His voice grew thick, eyes rimmed red as if he might break down any minute. "I really can't live without you! Do all these years we shared mean nothing to you? Do they really matter less than the few months you've spent with him?" Lyman's grip on Effie's hand tightened abruptly.
Effie glanced at Lyman, offering him a small, reassuring smile, as if to comfort him and ease his worry. Then she turned to Mitchell. Her tone was calm, but her words were sharp. "The depth of a relationship has nothing to do with how long it lasts. You don't need years to prove you love someone. If you'd really lovedas much as you say, you wouldn't have fooled around behind my back. And don't givethat nonsense about 'just having fun' or 'needing to unwind'-like it's skind of game. I'm a living, breathing person with feelings, not sdisposable thing you can toss aside when you're bored!" "I can't accept someone who betrayedand our relationship, only to cback and claim it wasn't on purpose. You makefeel dirty, Mitchell. You disgust me." "Even if I hadn't chosen Lyman, even if I'd picked someone else, I still wouldn't have chosen you. You make my skin crawl." Her eyes were icy, her gaze so cold it could freeze him in place. "This is the last tI'm saying this: we're over, so have the decency to move on. Stop with all these pathetic little stunts." "And another thing-don't even think about going after my grandmother. If you do, I won't let you get away with it." Mitchell looked utterly deflated, like a rooster after a losing fight. He may have heard every word Effie said, but he refused to accept it.
But Effie no longer cared whether he accepted it or not. Her mind was made up, and nothing would change that. A smart person never goes back to chew old grass.
"Effie, are you really sure?" Mitchell tried one last time, locking eyes with her as if hoping for a miracle.
"I'm sure," Effie replied, voice steady.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMitchell took a deep breath, clenching his jaw. "Fine. I'm calling the police. I'm reporting Lyman for assault!" Lyman's eyes narrowed. He stared Mitchell down. "Are you sure you want to do that?" Mitchell scoffed, trying to sound braver than he felt. "What, are you threatening me? You hitfirst. Even if the police show up, you can't talk your way out of this." Lyman shrugged. "Suit yourself." vel Mitchell's heart pounded with nerves he couldn't shake the feeling Lyman was plotting something-but he refused to let Effie see him back down.
Gritting his teeth, Mitchell called the police.
Effie and Lyman grabbed a couple of chairs and sat outside the door, e watching as m
on the Mitchell sprawled tically on t ground, playing dead. The Content is of novelenglish.net!
The police arrived quickly. After listening to Mitchell's complaint, they Mitchell's asked to see the security footage. But the manager just shook his head and forained, "The cameras near the haunted house have be down days. There's nothing recorded."