She Walked Away

Chris's POV

I couldn't believe she had resigned.The letter was still sitting on my desk. I had read it three times already, yet the words refused to make sense. Ayesha wasn't the type to quit. In four years, she had never once threatened to leave the company. She came to work even when she was sick. She stayed late whenever a project demanded it. She followed rules so carefully that sometimes it annoyed me.

Yet she had walked away without even speaking to me. More than anything, I felt guilty. I pushed her to do it. I loosened my tie a bit. The air was getting really stuffy. So that was the statement she was trying to make when she didn't pick up her phone.

I exhaled heavily. Before I could think any further, my gaze drifted to the pregnancy report still lying on my desk.

The report.

The reason this entire mess had exploded in the first place. I picked up my phone and called Gemma.

"Meet me at eleven. We're going to see the doctor."

"Alright, sir. Give me a minute," she answered in a fruity voice.

I put down the phone and clenched my fists. Something about this situation still didn't sit right with me. The hotel incident, the missing memories and the pregnancy.

None of it felt normal.

Yet every piece of evidence seemed to point back at me. By eleven, I was waiting in my car outside the office building. I had asked my driver to take the day off. This was something I wanted to handle personally.

A few minutes later, Gemma came out through a different exit. She opened the passenger door and sat down beside me as if she belonged there. Then she pulled out a compact mirror and started touching up her makeup.

I looked away.

"So, Chris," she said after a while. "You're doubting me?"

I remained silent.

"You don't believe this baby is yours?"

"We're about to find out."

She laughed lightly."That's not an answer."

I turned to look at her. "If it turns out you've been lying to me, I'll make sure you regret it."

Her smile disappeared.

"And don't speak informally to me. Remember, we were never a thing. Don't give yourself false hope."

She pouted but didn't argue. The rest of the drive passed in silence. Azul Hospital belonged to my company. That was exactly why I chose it. I trusted the doctors there. If there was any truth to be found, I would find it there.

We arrived and were directed into a consultation room. The doctor was a middle-aged woman with dark hair tied neatly behind her head.

Mrs. Vivian.

She had known my family for years. The moment she saw me, she smiled.

"Well, look who we have here. Christopher Azul."

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Vivian."

She folded her arms. "You haven't visited in ages."

"I've been busy."

"You always say that."

I smiled faintly. Then her eyes shifted toward Gemma. The smile on her face changed.

"Your wife?"

"No." The answer came out immediately. "She's Gemma Arterton. An employee."

"Oh." Mrs. Vivian nodded.

Fortunately, she didn't ask further questions. Instead, she focused on her work. After reviewing the previous report, she suggested running another examination to confirm everything properly. Gemma followed her into another room.

I stayed behind. The waiting period felt longer than it actually was. I stared at the wall clock, at the floor. Then at my phone.

I almost called Ayesha again. But I stopped myself. What would I even say?

Sorry I publicly rejected your proposal? Sorry another woman claims she's carrying my child? Or sorry I shouted at you afterward?

None of those sounded sufficient. Eventually, the door opened. Gemma and Mrs. Vivian returned. My stomach tightened. Mrs. Vivian sat across from me.

"The pregnancy is confirmed."

The words landed heavily.I closed my eyes briefly. So there was no mistake. Gemma was pregnant. When I opened my eyes again, she looked almost triumphant.

"I told you."

I ignored her. "How far along?" I asked.

Mrs. Vivian looked at the file. "A little over two months."

Two months? The timeline matched. That fact alone made me feel worse. I thanked the doctor and collected the documents. The ride back was quiet. My thoughts wouldn't stop racing. If the child was mine, then this wasn't just a personal problem anymore. It affected my company, my reputation, my future and Ayesha. Especially Ayesha.

When we left the hospital, Gemma suddenly grabbed my sleeve.

"Can we stop somewhere first?"

I frowned. "What for?"

"I haven't eaten."

I looked at her. She quickly placed a hand over her stomach.

"The doctor said I need to take care of myself."

I hated how effective that argument was. Ten minutes later, we were inside a shopping mall.

Gemma insisted she wanted food first. Then she wanted juice, then she wanted to look around. The entire thing felt suspiciously convenient. But creating a scene in public would only attract attention. So I endured it.

While she wandered through a clothing section, I checked my phone. Still nothing from Ayesha. My chest tightened. I had never realised how much I relied on her answering my calls. Then again, she always answered. Until now.

I looked up absentmindedly. And froze. A few stores away stood a familiar figure.

Ayesha.

She was browsing through a rack of oversized sweaters. For the first time in days, she looked peaceful.There was even a small smile on her face. A strange feeling settled in my chest. It was relief.

Before I could stop myself, I started walking towards her.

"Ayesha."

She turned.The smile vanished instantly.

The change hurt more than I expected.

"Ayesha."

She didn't speak.I stopped in front of her.

"What happened yesterday?"

Her eyebrows lifted."What happened yesterday?"

"Why did you leave work so abruptly?"

She stared at me. I suddenly realised how ridiculous that question sounded. Of course she had left. Anyone would have. I tried again.

"You resigned without speaking to me. I called you."

No answer.

"I wanted to explain."

That finally got a reaction. A short laugh escaped her. It was not a happy laugh. It was the kind of laugh people made when they were exhausted.

"Explain what?"

I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. Because I didn't actually know where to start. There were too many things.

"Didn't you see my resignation letter?"

I frowned. "Of course I saw it."

"Then why are you asking why I left?"

Her voice wasn't loud, just disappointed. I suddenly felt like the villain.

"Ayesha, listen to me."

"No."

Her answer was immediate. I stared at her. She had never spoken to me like that before. Not even once.

"Please."

The word slipped out before I could stop it. Her expression changed slightly.

"I don't want to do this right now, Chris."

The use of my name made my chest tighten.bShe never called me that. It was always Mr. Chris. She was always respectful.

"Ayesha."

She looked directly into my eyes.bFor the first time since I'd known her, there was no warmth there.

"Go away, Chris."

The words struck harder than they should have.

"I have nothing to say to you."

Then she turned around and walked away. I stood there watching her disappear into the crowd. For some reason, I couldn't move. The resignation letter had shocked me, the unanswered calls had worried me.

But this?

This was the moment it finally sank in. Ayesha wasn't throwing a tantrum. She wasn't waiting for me to fix things. She wasn't coming back after she calmed down.

She was done with me.