A Weight She Refused to Carry

The next morning, Ezra woke up feeling an odd weakness throughout his body. However, as he lay there, everything seemed fine. Shermaine simply told him it was because he'd had too much to drink the night before.

On the table beside him was a beautifully wrapped box. Ezra's curiosity piqued, but Shermaine, looking a little embarrassed, explained, "That's your anniversary gift. Don't open it yet. Wait until tonight when you get back."

Ezra felt a warmth in his heart as he pulled her into his arms, a rare trace of guilt flashing in his eyes. He spoke softly, "Shermaine, after this week, I'll take you abroad for a month. We'll get away and clear our minds."

Shermaine gave a brief nod before quickly pulling herself from his embrace. "Hurry up. We're going to be late."

At the foot of the mountain, as they were getting out of the car, a high-pitched, sweet voice called out, "Ms. Stout, Mr. Yarbrough, what a coincidence! You two are here too!"

They turned to see Melanie, surrounded by a group of students from the project Shermaine was leading, resting at the base of the mountain. Shermaine's expression immediately turned cold, but she didn't move, instead watching Ezra's face closely. As expected, the usually composed Ezra was clearly uncomfortable. His lips were pressed tight, his eyes flickering with unease.

Ezra immediately grasped Shermaine's hand. "Shermaine, let's go up the mountain first."

But Melanie was quicker. She dashed over and blocked their path, flashing a seemingly innocent smile, but her gaze never left Ezra. "Ms. Stout, since we've run into each other, how about we all hike together? It's like team-building, right? It's better to enjoy it with others than alone, don't you think?"

Despite her words, Melanie was inching closer to Ezra.

Everyone else was dressed in warm hiking gear, but Melanie was different. Her jacket was purposely unzipped to reveal the curve of her sports bra, and her thin yoga pants clung to her long, toned legs—her body undeniably attractive in a way that would catch any man's eye.

Ezra hesitated for a moment, his eyes momentarily shifting.

Shermaine watched her, thinking back to when she had first met Melanie three years ago. At the time, Melanie had been struggling with financial issues, unable to afford the cost of continuing her master's program. One of the professors had offered to sponsor her. But Shermaine soon learned that this professor was far from innocent—he was a predator, exploiting many of his students.

Most of those victimized by him had to keep silent, fearing his power. Those who spoke out faced harsh consequences: They might not graduate or, worse, suffer a ruined reputation.

Shermaine had felt sorry for Melanie, unwilling to let the young Melanie be ruined by a despicable man. She had taken a risk of angering the professor to help her, funding her education and even bringing her into her project team. She had thought it was a genuine act of kindness. But now, it seemed she'd only raised a snake in the grass.

Shermaine didn't blame Melanie—she knew well that Ezra's nature meant their marriage would have problems even without Melanie's interference. She only blamed herself for not seeing it sooner.

Noticing the coldness in Shermaine's gaze, Melanie recoiled slightly. She then edged behind Ezra, speaking in an exaggerated, pitiful tone, "Ms. Stout, why are you glaring at me? Is it really such a big deal for us to hike together? Do you really dislike me that much?"

Ezra, clearly irritated, moved aside, pulling Shermaine closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his face dark as he scolded, "What's up with your tone? Don't you have any manners?"

Around them, some students chimed in teasingly.

"Ms. Stout and Mr. Yarbrough are so perfect together. It's too much to handle!"

"I envy Ms. Stout for having such a great husband!"

"Did you see how Mr. Yarbrough immediately stepped away when Melanie got close? He has such a strong sense of boundaries."

Shermaine listened to the chatter, almost letting out a bitter laugh. If she hadn't witnessed the passionate, tangled scene between Melanie and Ezra with her own eyes, she might have been fooled by their charade today.