Eight Years Married to a Liar

Chapter 3 Treasure This Forever

The second the security guards pushed her through the gate, Seraphina lost it. Tears streamed down her face.

Eight years of carefully protecting something, and it all crumbled in a single moment.

In that single instant, he dismissed all her effort and devotion.

Seraphina wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. The weight of it pressed down on her, crushing.

Her phone rang.

She forced herself to look. The screen said August—her birth father.

Years ago, the Reed family found her. She turned them down and chose Cedric instead.

She never even told Cedric about it—didn't want him to feel pressured.

Now? He'd betrayed her. There was nothing left to hold her back. She could finally return home.

Seraphina answered.

August's voice was warm. "Seraphina. How are you? It's been years. I have to ask again—sure you don't want to come back to me?"

Seraphina took a shaky breath. Her voice cracked anyway. "No. I changed my mind. I want to come back. And... I'm divorcing Cedric."

August went quiet for a second. He was happy—hearing she wanted to come home was everything. But he also heard the tears in her voice.

His jaw tightened. "Good. I'm glad you're leaving him. I'm overseas for a meeting right now. I'll be back in a week. I'll come get you myself. And listen. You're my only daughter. The rightful heir to Reed Group. Never forget that."

Seraphina murmured, "Okay." Then she said a few more things and hung up.

She walked home like a ghost.

Seraphina pushed open the door to the apartment she'd shared with Cedric. Everything was exactly the way she left it.

This morning, it felt warm. Now it felt like ice.

She collapsed on the couch. Her eyes landed on their wedding photo on the wall—both of them smiling, happy. The tears came again, hard.

Seraphina was little when she got separated from her birth family. Basil Gray and Isolde Gray took her in.

But they weren't kind.

Basil drank. Every time he came home drunk, he'd hit her.

She learned fast not to tell Isolde—it never helped. So she'd curl up outside their building and cry alone.

That was where Cedric found her, back then.

He'd bring her to his place, make her a plate of pasta, watch her eat, then quietly put medicine on her bruises.

His family was poor. His bedroom was a converted storage closet.

It was tiny, but being there made her feel like she belonged somewhere.

Watching him tend to her cuts, her heart burned. Seraphina thought that was love.

Later, Basil and Isolde died in a car crash. Isolde's mother, Lavinia Hart, took her in. Things finally got better.

After college, she and Cedric got married. It felt natural and right.

At first, Cedric said his heart condition kept him from working. So Seraphina worked two jobs and supported them both.

Then he found a job and wanted a nice suit to look professional.

Seraphina scraped together the money, then bought it for him.

Then he wanted a watch, a nice one—a hundred thousand dollars.

She didn't have that kind of cash. So she picked up a third job.

For months, she worked nights at a bar, sold drinks, and drank with customers until she was sick to her stomach.

Finally, she saved enough. She bought him the watch.

Cedric hugged her so tight. "Baby, you're amazing. I'll treasure this forever."

That was just a month ago.

Seraphina cried herself to sleep on the couch.

In the middle of the night, her phone buzzed—a w******p message.

She opened it, then saw a photo.

In a dark private room, Ophelia put her arms around Cedric, who was passed out drunk. On her wrist was the watch Seraphina had bought him.

Seraphina glanced at the sender's name. It was Ophelia—using Cedric's w******p.

Ophelia: He gave it to me. To make up for everything. Guess I should thank you for causing that scene today.