Chapter 2

"Trevor, is that you?" The unmistakable voice echoed, forcing him to halt in his steps.

Trevor's brow furrowed, the promise of a peaceful lunch break shattered. Internally sighing, he turned on his heel to confront the disruptor.

"Mari, of course, it's me. You're in my company's lobby, who else could it possibly be."

A timid chuckle escaped Mari as she acknowledged the obvious. Despite Trevor's disinterest. She pressed on.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a flat tone.

"I'm here to take you to lunch. Are you free?" she inquired, her demeanor shifting between shyness and eagerness.

"As a matter of fact, I do have plans, so I️ will not be joining you." Trevor glanced at his wristwatch, signaling the limited time he had.

"Oh, I see. Maybe next time?" Mari suggested, her optimism undeterred.

"I highly doubt it." Trevor muttered, his response delivered with a touch of finality.

"Why did you come unannounced? Please call me 'next time' to find out whether I'm free. It would save you the trouble of coming all the way here only to be rejected." Trevor remarked, his tone a mix of annoyance and frustration.

"Would you have agreed if I had asked? I know you're avoiding me." Mari's glare bore into him, challenging his resolve.

"Hmm, you know, but yet still you show your face to me every time," He shot back, his own gaze unwavering.

"I love you. Is it wrong to want to see the person I love?" Mari's confession hung in the air.

"Yes, it is. Especially if they don't love you back." Trevor responded tersely, his emotions concealed behind a stoic facade.

"Trevor, I'm not going to give up. I promise that you will fall in love with me one day. Your mom supports our union. And now that she's out of the picture, you don't have to hold back and neither do I. You're no longer married to her. It's not like you ever loved her. I know she was a charity case. Please don't be absurd and love me too." Mari declared with unwavering confidence, her words a bold challenge to the complexities of their relationship.

A bitter taste coated Trevor's heart as Mari continued her ceaseless chatter. Despite the urge to react, he restrained himself, safeguarding the secret he harbored. His teeth clenched tightly, masking the emotions bubbling beneath the surface, before he calmly retorted.

"What is it to you what I do? I don't know what ideas my mother has been filling your head with to make you speak so confidently. Just know, you and I are never going to happen." Trevor gritted his teeth, and without waiting for a reply, he abruptly turned to leave.

He walked towards his car, swung the door open and started his car. The engine's hum echoing his vexation as he drove away. A somber and chilling atmosphere enveloped him during the journey to meet his lunch companion. Amidst the annoyance, he let his mind drift to his sanctuary, a place of solace. Thoughts of her invaded his consciousness.

"I wonder what she's doing now. Did she eat lunch? Is she studying hard and taking lots of rest? She eats horribly. I bet she has a stash of junk food in her study room." His thoughts meandered. Gradually thinking of her became a habitual remedy for his anger.

Trevor ruffled his black hair and loudly sucked in the late October air. There was a hint of freshness in the mid-fall air. I'm always thinking about her; I️ even try to see her once a week. What would she think if she found out I came to her building once a week? Forget it, Trevor! He mumbled as his grip around the steering wheel tightened.

Following the lunchtime traffic toward the restaurant he had chosen calmed his mind after Mari's despicable remarks. Trevor parked the car when he arrived, then went in to wait patiently for his client to walk in. Even with the trafficky road, he was ten minutes early.

Whilst waiting, he pulled out his phone and browsed through Saya's social media. She had not posted anything. The only pictures she had on her profiles were the same ones she had posted before he met her. She had not uploaded anything since 2016. Thinking about her was like a drug and Trevor hadn't noticed he was gradually becoming addicted to her. He never once wondered what would occur when thinking about her was no longer enough. All he ever wondered about was her safety and well-being.

Trevor scrolled through her Facebook timeline eagerly, as if he had not done so many times before. Hoping to find something new, he merely practiced this when he deeply longed to see her. At that very moment he desperately wanted to see her. He continued to read her posts. Only to smile when he saw the cute picture of her holding a cat and smiling happily. She had a warm smile. Watching her, anyone would want to protect her innocence.

"Isn't Boosie cute?" She had written above the picture. 

You are cute! Trevor internalized, admiring her. Thumbing through her page, his mind slowly drifted to their first meeting. Time seemed to have slowed down as he sat there entranced.

She had been extremely rebarbative when he first met her. Although he had thought her physical features to be beautiful the more he stared at her, he was not emotionally moved.

Trevor had gone to her university to deliver a presentation when their paths crossed. She had given him a hard time simply because she disagreed with his methods of teaching. Her tenacity and confidence had annoyed him very much. Being a man who always had things go his way, he wanted to hurt her pride. Still sitting alone at the table, he was smiling as his mind revisited that moment.