FOUR

"Hoaaahhmmm..."

 It was too early for Zaylee on her day off, yet she was already seated in a restaurant with a coffee latte. Sleepiness clung to her despite her efforts to ward it off with caffeine.

Before long, a man walked towards her. He was dressed casually, wearing shorts and a polo shirt, not matching in color but still quite elegant, with an expensive watch on his left hand. Zaylee glanced at the large clock in the restaurant; it seemed the man had arrived on time.

"You didn't order for me!" Griffin exclaimed, seeing that there was only a cup of coffee for the girl.

"Why would I? We only need to talk, and you have to leave!" Zaylee retorted, met with a smirk from Griffin. The girl in front of her seemed to have a dual personality. At times, she could act as if she was hopeful, but she could also behave as if she were throwing Griffin away, just as Zaylee had done to him years ago.

"Quickly, tell me! What do you want to talk to me about?" Zaylee impatiently demanded.

"How about changing restaurants? I feel uncomfortable here," Griffin suggested, looking around. Zaylee sighed; she knew that the man before her was buying time. She was curious about what Griffin was hiding.

"Griffin! You're really..."

 Ding...ding...

Anna is calling...

Zaylee's words were cut off as their attention turned to Griffin's phone, displaying a name they both knew. Even though the person wasn't physically present, their presence was still disturbing.

Griffin declined the call after ringing for a while, making Zaylee look at him puzzled. Griffin's face appeared serious, further intensifying Zaylee's sense of unease. Since the man had arrived, Zaylee's heart hadn't stopped pounding.

 Ding...ding...

Anna is calling...

The phone vibrated again, and Zaylee continued to stare at Griffin without blinking, observing his annoyed reaction to his phone's ringing. It forced him to interrupt his enjoyment of his favorite soto.

 "Hello!" Griffin said in as casual a tone as possible, trying to hide his irritation with Anna.

"Griffin! Where are you now?"

 "I'm out, Anna. What's up?" Griffin responded, hearing a slightly agitated tone on the other end of the call. Zaylee enjoyed her slowly cooling coffee latte, knowing she also wanted to know what they were discussing. However, her cold demeanor indicated she no longer cared about Griffin's life. Everything had changed drastically from their past love story.

"Coincidence. Can you pick me up? I need your opinion on the dress we ordered yesterday."

"Sorry, Anna! I can't. I have some business to attend to," Griffin refused, glancing at Zaylee, who seemed busy with her phone, not diverting her attention for a moment.

"What kind of business? Dad said you were on vacation for the branch opening preparations."

Anna's tone changed slightly, and she was clearly disappointed that Griffin didn't agree to pick her up.

"Yes, that's right. I am on vacation out of town with Zaylee, getting some fresh air for my mind," Griffin replied, surprising Zaylee. He had told Anna the truth.

"You're with Zaylee, that damn girl!"

Anna's voice raised slightly, shocked that Griffin was out of town with Zaylee. Anna knew that Zaylee had feelings for Griffin, just like she did.

"Well, you still have a personal driver, Anna. I have to go on another trip," Griffin said, dismissing Anna's question. He unilaterally ended the call, regardless of how Anna would report it to her father regarding Zaylee, a girl he had sworn never to have around him except for business purposes.

"So, what now? Are you going to another restaurant?" Griffin asked Zaylee, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"No need, let's stay here! Quickly, tell me, what's your purpose in meeting me? Couldn't you send me a message?" Zaylee said impatiently.

"It seems I've changed my mind about telling you," Griffin replied calmly, not feeling guilty about playing with Zaylee's emotions.

Without saying a word, Zaylee immediately got up and left, leaving Griffin busy trying to take deep breaths. He seemed to be trying to control himself, but he couldn't speak properly.

The man chose to chase after Zaylee, who had already left the restaurant. She had just opened her car door when Griffin quickly stopped her.

"What else, Griffin? I'm really angry now!" Zaylee said with a restrained, emphasized tone in each word.

Griffin didn't say much; he appeared to be searching for something in his shorts' pocket. Griffin handed a pill tablet to Zaylee, who accepted it and examined it to see what it contained.

 "What's this medication for? I'm not sick, Griffin!" Zaylee asked innocently, making Griffin hesitate to answer.

"I'm sorry, Zaylee, but you have to get rid of the fetus in your womb. Its presence was never expected, let alone desired," Griffin said sarcastically. Zaylee froze in her place. She remained silent, her tongue unable to respond.

"You jerk!" Zaylee muttered, turning away.

 "I can only give you memories of today, but I can't take responsibility for the baby in your stomach. I really can't. I hope you understand that we can't be together," Griffin said, leaving Zaylee's gaze empty and tear-filled.

 "I really can't take responsibility for an act I didn't even realize, Zaylee. You know I can't do it, even if I wanted to. Once again, I'm sorry!" Griffin walked away, leaving Zaylee frozen and struggling with her thoughts and emotions.

Her chest felt tight, and she couldn't utter a word. Until Griffin finally started his car and disappeared from Zaylee's sight. She stood there, not caring about the cold night air piercing her bones. She was shattered, as shattered as she could be. She clutched the pill in her left hand, rubbing her stomach with her right hand. Was she hesitant to kill her flesh and blood?