Eight Years Married to a Liar

Chapter 2 I Was Such a Fool

The group chat exploded.

One woman replied: In a public bathroom? That's disgusting.

Another chimed in: I always said those instructors there were shady. The way she looks at my husband? He's never going back there.

A third added: Exactly. Cancel the membership.

Cedric's coworkers glanced at their phones, then at him. The looks on their faces said it all.

They muttered among themselves.

"So much for the cousin story. That's definitely his wife."

"She's the one who posted the photos, bet on it. This is gonna get interesting."

They shot him glances, waiting for the drama to unfold. Cedric had no idea what was coming.

Ophelia checked her phone. The color drained from her face.

Her hands shook as she held it out to him. "Someone took pictures of us."

Cedric saw the sender's name—Seraphina—and his jaw tightened.

He shouted, "Seraphina, I don't know where you were hiding, but you've got it wrong. She was just helping me with my swing. You post something like that without even asking? Do you have any idea what you just did?"

Seraphina laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Helping with your swing? Right. With both of you naked."

Cedric reached for her arm. "Take it down. Now. Before this gets worse."

The moment his fingers touched her, she flinched like she'd been burned. "Don't touch me. You make me sick."

Cedric's patience snapped. He grabbed her wrist, hard, and went for the phone.

She yanked back. They struggled. His grip tightened, and then—he slapped her.

The whole place went quiet.

Seraphina pressed her hand to her cheek, staring at him—hurt, furious, humiliated.

She had never imagined the man she loved for eight years could look like this.

Watching him breathe hard, that familiar anger coiled in his face, she forgot her own pain for a second.

Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "All that rage. Shouldn't you be careful? You know, with your heart condition."

His coworkers exchanged looks.

"He has a heart condition?"

"I thought he ran a marathon with that client last week. For the new project."

Cedric's face went pale, then red. He couldn't hold it together anymore.

Right then, he hated her. "Are you done? You think this makes me look good? In front of all these people?"

The commotion drew a crowd.

A course manager walked over, took one look at Seraphina, and gestured toward the exit.

"Miss, this is a private club. Members only. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

He signaled the security guards. "Please escort this woman out."

Seraphina turned back before she left. Her eyes found Cedric one last time. The pain was raw, impossible to hide. "Cedric, I was such a fool."