"Clare..." AJ said with almost no voice. I looked around at the two of them and Annika. I don't know what to do now. Will I run away or explain everything? I do not know.

"I-I-I'm not..." I was interrupted when Annika interrupted.

"Tell me, Ria, if that's your real name. Why are you avoiding me like that if you're not Clare, why are you reacting like that?" I turned to Annika. I don't know if he is teasing or what?

"Sorry. I know understand" then I turned around but suddenly AJ grabbed my wrist causing me to look back at him.

"Tell us the truth" there's begging in his eyes. I do not want this! My life is fine. I don't want to go back to my old and chaotic life. I do not want to be hurt anymore.

My gaze kept shifting between the two of them. I don't know what to do. Should I tell the truth or not?

"I-I don't think I have to tell you guys the truth. You don't know me. You don't know me at all. So, please I have to go" and I turned around. I was about to take a step when Annika suddenly spoke again.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe we don't know you. But can you explain to us the behavior you're showing? Ever since I talked to you about AJ, You're acting weird. If you're not Clare, why are you so affected like this?" I couldn't stop my tears. Yeah! She's right. I am Ria on the outside but deep inside I'm still the old Clare. The old Clare is weak, a crybaby.

"Yeah! I guess you're right. Is it too obvious?" this time I faced them. AJ's face showed shock because I fell. "Sorry. I'm perfecting my acting." I'm still teasing. Trying to hide the pain I have inside.

"So, It's true. Clare is not dead because she is here pretending to be Ria" Annika applauded. Seriously! This girl is getting on my nerves "What a brilliant idea Clare. You've done a great job."

"So, what do you mean by that?" I will be with him. My eyes are burning with annoyance. As for AJ, He was just watching us. Guess, He's still shocked.

"Tell me, Clare. Why do you have to pretend?"

"Is it bad to pretend you're strong even though inside you're about to give up?"

Annika could not speak. This time, my tears stopped.

"Maybe, I made the right decision to leave the country and introduce myself as Ria, do you know why? I feel like I have escaped the past"

"Escaped? You left me" replied AJ. It seems that he has composed himself.

"Gosh! Wow! Look who's talking? Did I leave? It's the other way around. If I'm not mistaken, you left me for that girl. And for sure, she's bringing your daughter" I almost shouted. said to him. My tears also fell.

"Kenneth is not my child" answered AJ calmly. I just laughed at him sarcastically.

"Don't play like you're a good guy here AJ. I know. He's your son. If only you had told the truth right away, I would have distanced myself from you. I would have walked away from you myself. ."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you that day. Believe me, it's not my intention."

"Save it. I don't need it anymore. You're just my past. You're just nonsense here" I pointed to my heart. And I abandoned them. And I left.

What is he talking about? Not my intention? More like he meant it. I almost died at that time. Thank God, Lord Jesus has not taken me then.

Then he said, I was the one who left? He left me in the air. To think that he is still proud to tell me that he hurt a Clare. Gosh! What an insensitive person.

Fortunately, this is my last day of shooting here in the Philippines and I will be able to go home to Japan.

AJ's Pov

"He has really changed" was all I said. My fault. It's all my fault. If only I hadn't hurt her then this wouldn't be happening now. If I had, I wouldn't be looking for Annika. Hopefully, this thing didn't happen.

"You're in love with that kind of girl?" I turned to Annika. Annika is just a friend to me. I thought, I still love her so I did everything just to get us back together, but when she was with me, I made a mistake. It was Clare who made my heart beat.

Within a year, Annika and I went public. During those times, I didn't want her to feel alone because even her parents rejected her because she had a child at such a young age.

Annika told me everything. She was raped and the rapist was about to kill her, but someone suddenly passed by and immediately reported the rapist. When Annika was pregnant, she couldn't tell her parents the truth, so when I was with her again, she was happy because she felt like she wasn't alone anymore.

But soon we also told his parents that he was raped. His parents accepted this and welcomed Kenneth wholeheartedly.

"She's not the Clare she used to be"

The days passed and my heart tried to find Clare. I just can't accept it myself. Now that I have seen Clare, I will let her go. How stupid am I if I do that, right?

So even though I went to Japan, I did it just so I could see him again and talk to him. Meanwhile, I left the company for Papa first. He agreed so here I am now at the hotel I booked here in Japan and I have also hired private investigators to find Clare's address here in Japan.

"Be sure to find her" they just nodded and then left.