The Devil's Good Girl-Chapter 208: Not a word

"You loved me. You truly, deeply loved me without conditions. Thank you for everything. I would regret losing you for the rest of my life, but I’m letting you go."

"Thank you, Vincent." Fil nodded in appreciation. "Hearing you say all that makes me think you’ve grown."

"I didn’t grow. I just... woke up after reality slapped me right across the face."

"Did it hurt?"

"I lost a tooth."

"Then, good for you." Slowly, a smile dominated her face as she picked up her teacup once more. "If reality didn’t slap you, I would do it myself."

Vincent casually spread his arms on the armrest. "So, are we good?"

"Depends on how long you could keep that facade."

"Then, I guess we’re good tonight."

They chuckled in unison.

"So, how’s Valerie?" she asked out of pure curiosity.

"She’s... okay." Vincent nodded. "She’s back in school."

"I thought she was going to skip for a year for her acting career?"

"She can do that once she finishes school." He shrugged. "After the incident, Valerie had some time to think, and she didn’t want to waste her second chance. She considered this her second chance in life."

"That’s good."

"I know, right? So, how long are you going to be here?" he asked, wiggling his brows. "I know you’re just here to report to the office. I had a few people working remotely."

"One week and I only got five after tonight."

Vincent rocked his head in understanding, making her squint her eyes mildly.

"You’re not thinking of bothering me for the rest of my stay, right?" she asked, earning a chuckle from him.

"If I did that, that is like me going back to where I was three months ago," he quipped. "I’m just thinking if you want to visit Grandpa."

"Grandpa? What happened to him?"

"He had been staying at the hospital since last month." Vincent forced a smile. "It’s not really serious, but he’s been bored. He asked me one time about you, so I sort of lied."

"What did you lie about?"

"That you’re kicking everyone’s asses out there and that you’re too busy." He shrugged, making her sigh in relief as she expected a ridiculous lie. But as if he could see through her, he added, "Don’t worry. Lying about us getting back together is like shooting myself in the foot. He would ask for you for sure. I’m not stupid."

Fil smiled at him in satisfaction while Vincent smiled back at her. Throughout the rest of their short time, they simply talked about the little things. Vincent didn’t beg her or point his finger at her. He did nothing or said nothing she expected from him which was a good thing.

Just like that, their short time together ended with Vincent hailing a cab for her instead of insisting on driving her home.

*

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[Fil’s Apartment.]

"So, let me get this straight. You met Vincent while you were leaving Michael’s place? And not only did he not put any malice on it, he told you that he’s letting you go?" Kenzo simplified everything he heard from their five-minute phone call. "You believe what he said?"

Fil smiled as she looked away from the printouts in her hand. "Not a word."

"Oh, good!" he intoned. "I thought you fell for it."

"He said what I wanted to hear, Ken. But I know three months isn’t enough to change him. After all, he didn’t change from good to bad drastically." Fil plopped her butt down on the couch. "Three months isn’t enough for him to change. But what I think doesn’t matter. Whether he changed or not, he knows I’m not getting back to him."

"Ahh..." Kenzo hummed as he glanced at his phone. "Then what made you sound so worried?"

"Well." Fil hesitated. "If there’s something I genuinely believed in what he said, that is his grandfather’s health."

"Ah."

"Did you know about it?"

"I heard from Cole." Kenzo shrugged. "How bad it was, I don’t know. But the Hale Construction is expected to welcome a new president."

"It’s that bad, huh?"

"Fil, a shift in power in the company isn’t always that bad," Kenzo explained. "Chairman Hale is already old and he should’ve retired a few years ago. Having health problems at his age is normal, so I don’t think it’s that bad."

"I know." Fil cocked her head back, thinking of the good old Felix Hale. "Still, I’m worried."

"You’ll see him?"

"When I have the time. Right now, there’s still a lot going on."

"Why did you meet Michael, by the way?" Kenzo asked curiously as he never got to ask before. Or rather, Fil diverted the subject and he never got a proper answer.

"Just... some things."

"Some things?"

"Yep." Fil sported an innocent look. "What? You don’t believe me?"

"No. I just think it’s weird that you and Michael are on good terms, considering this is Michael."

"I don’t think he is as bad as I thought he was."

"Really?"

"I know you don’t have a good impression of him, considering he participated in that vile incident involving you." Fil let out a deep exhale. "We’re not friends. It’s just that I had some matters to discuss with him, which I should’ve had with him three months ago."

"Okay."

"Anyway, I’m going to hang up now. Thanks for checking up on me, but I’m alive." She giggled. "See you tomorrow."

"Good night and see you tomorrow, Fil."

As the line disconnected, Fil habitually checked Jackson’s message log. Her smile mildly faded as he hadn’t replied to her last message. Not that it upset her, but Jackson barely left her any messages throughout the day.

"He did say he would be busy for the next few days to get some work done to free his schedule," she mumbled with a frown. "Even so, I missed him."

Fil mindlessly collapsed on her couch, still staring at her phone. "Should I call him? It’s still a little early in his time zone."

*******

[LC MEDICAL CENTER]

Vincent sat by the chair right next to the chairman’s bed. He gazed at his sleeping grandfather, his eyes brooding.

"Grandpa, I met Fil today," he whispered, tapping his fingertips on the armrest. "I told her she should visit you."

After all, what Vincent truly believed was that it was the chairman’s fault that their relationship fell apart.

"If only you were fair..." he muttered as his jaw tightened. "... I wouldn’t have to hate her just as much as I did. It wouldn’t have been so unbearably painful to look at her if you just... died just as early as her grandfather."