Chapter 8

Melanie pouted and muttered under her breath, "I guess we're being the third wheel today."

Her words were light, but Shermaine could sense the underlying truth in them. She had clearly seen the flash of jealousy and disdain in Melanie's eyes just moments before.

Melanie turned to her with a playful wink. "Ms. Stout, it's just a hike. You don't mind, right? There's a group of us here," she said, signaling her friends to chime in.

"Yeah, come on, Ms. Stout. Let us join you!" one of them said.

"We promise not to disturb you and Mr. Yarbrough. We'll just be hiking together. You're the nicest person in the world, Ms. Stout!"

Ezra barely suppressed a scoff. They were piling on the compliments, making it impossible for her to say no.

It was clear to Shermaine why Melanie had shown up today. There was no such thing as coincidence, not when she was involved.

Even Ezra, who usually kept his cool, spoke up in a tone that sounded almost too considerate. "Since we've run into each other, let's just go together. They're your students, after all. It wouldn't be right to ignore them. I'll cover everything, and I promise they won't be a bother."

Shermaine felt a sharp pang in her heart, but her face remained calm. She smiled lightly, her eyes carrying a depth of meaning. "Alright, then."

Out of sight from the others, her fingers curled into a tight fist, the pressure causing her fingertips to turn white.

The group made their way up the mountain, chatting and laughing along the way. Shermaine, however, kept her attention fixed on Melanie and Ezra.

All throughout the hike, Melanie did everything she could to get closer to Ezra. Every time she did, Ezra put on an act of annoyance, his lips tight as though he might snap at any moment. He was avoiding her like the plague.

Shermaine couldn't help but find his efforts laughable. His feigned irritation didn't fool her.

When they finally sat down to rest, Melanie slid over to Shermaine, the sickly-sweet scent of her perfume invading the air. It was the same perfume Shermaine had noticed in her bathroom at home.

"Ms. Stout," Melanie cooed, "I've been using this new skincare product lately. It works wonders, and I thought you might want to try it. After all, you're almost thirty, right? Better start an anti-aging regime before it's too late."

The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable.

Shermaine's heart tightened with a pang of hurt. She glanced up to see that Melanie was holding the very sample of skincare she had found in her bathroom. The smug, satisfied smile on Melanie's face was all too clear.

Shermaine didn't let her get her way. With a cold, indifferent tone, she replied, "Is that something to be proud of?"

But Melanie wasn't deterred. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Actually, I saw you peeking at the bar that night."

The words hit Shermaine like a slap in the face. The walls she had so carefully built around her vulnerability began to crack, exposing the raw wounds she had kept buried for so long.

Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes began to sting with tears she refused to shed.

Melanie continued, enjoying every moment of Shermaine's discomfort, "The truth is, Ezra and I have been together for a while now. He loves me. He can't get enough of me, always wanting to be with me every night. You know what he told me? He said you're like a corpse in bed. It's only with me that he can feel alive, feel passion. And while you were in the hospital, I was making love to him in your bed every day. Ezra was the one who took me back there. I'm sure you'll be surprised to learn that he created the department for Yarbrough International's partnership with our group just for me. The team knows. They even call me Mrs. Yarbrough behind your back."

She leaned in closer, her voice dripping with malicious glee. "So, tell me, Shermaine, what are you even holding on to? If I were you, with everyone lying to me and turning their backs on me, I wouldn't have the courage to go on. But here you are, more shameless than I anticipated. I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself any further."