His Betrayal: The Truth of Lies

Chapter 2 They Cheat, They Lie

Breah's POV

The first time I heard those phrases from Mark and Lisa was just a week after he proposed to me. I had gone out to dinner with my work colleagues and saw Mark and Lisa at a cozy table, on what looked like a romantic evening for two. That didn’t sit right, especially since Mark had told me he had to work late. Their body language screamed ‘intimate lovers’, which one of my colleagues was quick to point out before going quiet when he recognized Mark.

I had immediately walked over to their table to say hello, and, not so subtly, told them I knew he wasn’t in his office working at the city’s Planning and Development department, as he had told me. “Mark, Lisa, fancy meeting you two here. I thought you had to work late this evening,” I said as casually as I could manage, all the while seething inside.

Lisa, who I suspected viewed Mark as more than ‘just a friend’, looked nonplussed for a brief moment then was quick to speak up. “Breah, it’s not what it looks like,” as she slyly brushed her hand over Mark’s, which was placed very close to her own. I didn’t miss that her thigh was pressed closely to his, her short skirt riding up, showing a lot of bare leg. Nor was it lost on me that Mark’s other hand was on his own thigh, mere inches from Lisa’s exposed leg.

Mark didn’t flinch. His whole demeanor was that of a man familiar with lying glibly. How had I not seen this before now? “Breah, what a surprise! Thanks to Lisa’s assistance, I was able to finish the project sooner than expected. I knew you were going out this evening with your work colleagues, though I didn’t know you were coming here. Of course, I knew you wouldn’t mind if I treated Lisa to a meal by way of thanks. Especially since her husband is out of town on business. No one likes to eat alone.”

“Why would I mind you having what looks like a romantic dinner with your female BFF? I mean, doesn’t everyone do that after a long day at the office? It’s so convenient since Noah is out of town. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” I snarked in a dismissive tone as I turned my back on them and walked over to my work colleagues who had been watching the whole interaction with unabashed curiosity.

The rest of the evening, I sat with my back to the table Mark and Lisa shared. That didn’t mean I didn’t see how they behaved though, as I could see their reflection in the now darkened windows. Lisa was doing her best to mark what she considered her territory. The two of them didn’t even try to hide their inappropriate behavior.

I wondered if they realized this restaurant had CCTV cameras for security purposes. If they knew, they didn't care. I on the other hand, would take great pleasure in securing any footage that had them in it. Call it intuition, but I had a feeling I would need proof of their cheating at some point in the future.

I wasn’t paying attention when Maggie, our department's newest intern, made sure to take a selfie photo and posted it on our company’s social media page. I realized what happened when my cell phone pinged with a notification. I glanced at the screen only to see the post, a photo that included Mark and Lisa clearly in the background.

The two of them were holding hands, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. No doubt that post would get seen by a lot of people, especially as she tagged every one of our work colleagues. By the end of the evening, that post had been shared over a hundred times. Mark and Lisa’s intimate meal for two was now out there for anyone and everyone to see.

They finally finished their meal, as well as another glass of wine, before Mark paid the bill. As they were leaving the restaurant, Mark made his way over to my group, politely greeted everyone, then leaned in to give me a kiss. Instinctively I leaned away from him, turned my head, so his kiss landed in the air near my cheek.

His eyes flashed with surprise and a hint of anger before he gave a low chuckle to mask his anger. “Do you want me to come over later this evening?” he asked suggestively, as if I would want to spend time with him after what I had just witnessed.

“No.” My blunt response seemed to hit him like a slap in the face.

“What? Why not?” His aggrieved voice grated on my last nerve.

“If you recall,” I sneered, “I mentioned to you yesterday, and every day for the past week, that I’m catching the 10:40 p.m. flight to Toronto this evening.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot,” he muttered. “How long will you be gone?”

I met his eyes, mine glacial cold. "That is no longer your concern." Before he could form a response, I slid his engagement ring off my finger, held it up to his face, my voice now as cold as my gaze. "We are done. I refuse to have anything to do with a man who would cheat on me. Take your ring, take your so-called BFF and go. We are done."

Mark refused to accept the ring. He refused to acknowledge my words. He refused to accept the break-up.

"I'm not doing this in front of your work colleagues, Breah. We'll talk when you get back to the city. Let me know when you get back,” Mark murmured, trying to sound like the concerned fiancé.

Not a ‘call me, or I’ll call you to talk while you’re gone.’ Nope, just a perfunctory ‘let me know when you get back’. How terribly romantic, I scoffed to myself. Asshole.

I caught a movement behind Mark. It was Lisa, waiting impatiently for him, the venomous look she was directing at me almost deadly in its intent. I met her gaze, smirking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Lisa is looking for you,” I said coldly. “You don’t want to keep your girlfriend waiting.” I slid the ring into his jacket pocket, turning away from those two snakes.

He opened his mouth to respond, but I very deliberately focused my attention on my colleagues, ignoring him completely. Mark walked away, Lisa immediately entwining her hand with his. He didn’t disengage, rather he gave it a squeeze as she lifted it to her lips to kiss his fingertips.