Chapter 987
She had on a cream-colored trench coat, one hand wrapped around that of a little girl who appeared to be around four. The girl’s hair was divided into two tiny pigtails, framing a round face and a pair of bright, innocent-looking eyes.
My first instinct was to steer Tracy away, but she showed no intention of retreating.
Daisy noticed us too. She stopped, her attention immediately settling on Tracy. A chilly smile touched her lips. “Well, well — if it isn’t Tracy. What a surprise. It’s been quite some time.”
Tracy regarded her without the slightest warmth. “What do you want?”
Still holding the girl’s hand, Daisy approached a little closer. Her words sounded polite on the surface, but every syllable carried a hidden barb. “Can’t I greet an old acquaintance? I heard you finally got what you wanted and married Jeremy. You certainly played your hand well.”
Tracy’s expression hardened. She answered without hesitation, “Jeremy married me because that’s what he wanted. If that bothers you so much, maybe you should’ve tried harder to keep him when you had the chance.”
The smugness vanished from Daisy’s face. Her jaw tightened, and she bit down on her lower lip, apparently unable to come up with a response.
Seeing the tension escalating, I became concerned for Tracy. I stepped closer, took hold of her arm, and lowered my voice. “Tracy, let’s leave. She’s not worth your energy.”
Tracy inhaled slowly before giving a reluctant nod. Together, we turned away.
We hadn’t gone far when a small voice suddenly rang out behind us. “Miss!”
Both of us looked back instinctively.
The little girl had broken away and was running straight toward Tracy. She collided with Tracy’s stomach before either of us could react. Tracy staggered backward several steps, all the color disappearing from her face.
I immediately caught hold of the child and pulled her away. “What are you doing?”
The girl stared at me for a second before bursting into loud sobs.
Heads turned almost immediately. Shoppers nearby began gathering around us, watching with puzzled expressions.
The child sobbed, “The lady pushed me.”
Her crying drew whispers from the growing crowd. “Are they bullying a child?” “I heard that woman stole her mother’s boyfriend.”
Within seconds, the scene had become chaotic.
A wave of unease washed over me. Nothing mattered except getting Tracy somewhere safe. I pushed through the people surrounding us, trying to clear a path so I could get her away from the commotion.
Then Tracy suddenly went deathly pale. Her fingers clamped around my arm, trembling violently. “Lianne…”
I turned toward her. The fear in her eyes made my stomach drop.
She murmured quietly, “…I think I’m bleeding.”