“Fate . . .” a voice softly uttered which suddenly made her turned around with fright.

“M… Max…” she nervously uttered. “Why… Why are you here?” she asked as different emotions quickly raced into her heart.

As Max slowly moved closer, she somehow wanted to just ran away and leave. All her fears suddenly made her into a coward again.

“Why are you here? Who let you in?” Fate asked again this time with a much higher tone.

Max sadly smiled at her. “Is that your way of greeting me… after being away for so long? I missed you.”

Fate felt like her heart had instantly stopped with the last three words that Max said. She was immediately made speechless by those words. She missed him badly as well. And it was too painful for her as she realized that she can never go back to him..

Max was already standing right in front of Fate when he slowly reached out and gently caressed her left cheek. It was the usual gesture that he always makes before he greets her. “Hello… Fate,” he said with a sad tone in his voice.

Fate couldn’t stop herself from staring straight into Max’s eyes. The longing and sadness were all so visible and it was shattering her heart into pieces.

“Max…” she suddenly uttered his name.

Within seconds, Max quickly drew Max into his arms.

“I missed you,” he again uttered like he was about to cry.

Fate stood like a frozen statue as Max tightly held her in his arms. Her mind was telling her to break free from his embrace, but her heart was also telling her that it is where she truly belonged.

“Why? Why did you leave me? I know I was a fool! And I’m sorry for all the bad things that I did to you. I… I was jealous and so consumed by anger that I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t see the truth,” he tried to explain. “Please forgive me, Fate…. Please let me make it up to you.”

Fate didn’t know what to say. Somehow she wanted to just forget everything that had happened and pretend that there were no problems in their lives. She wanted to pretend that she was free to love just like before.

“Fate, please forgive me. Please…. come back to me,” Max uttered as he slowly released Fate and went down on his knees.

“Max, what are you doing?” Fate suddenly asked out loud. She tried to make Max stand up again, but he just kept on kneeling down in front of her with his head bent down.

“Please don’t marry, Norman. I want you back. I need you. I still love you… I am willing to do anything you say just promise me… you’ll return to me. Please,” Max continued to beg.

Fate felt like her heart was slowly being crushed. She never imagined that Max would do something so degrading to himself just to ask her forgiveness. It was hurting her to see him in such a situation.

“Max, I forgive you. I already forgave you a long time ago. So you don’t need to do this…” she said in a tone like she was about to cry as well.

Max quickly hugged Fate as he knelt down. “If you really forgave me, then come back to me. Let’s go back to Japan. Then… then… let’s start all over again,” he said as his hold on her tightened.

Fate bit her lower lip to stop herself from bursting into tears. She needed to control her feelings. She needed to lie for everyone’s sake.

“Max, I’m sorry… but it’s all over. We can’t go back to the same way we used to be. Things have changed and there are a lot of complications now. So I’m sorry. But you will need to let me go,” she said as her voice quivered continuously.

“No, I will never let you go. I… I just thought that you needed some time to be alone. That’s why I didn’t go after for you. I decided to give you enough time to heal yourself. I thought that … that… Aaahhh! I can’t let you go. I won’t let you marry Norman. You’re mine, Fate! I love you and I know you love me too. Please come with me… Let’s start again… I promise I will change and make it up to you. I promise I will never hurt you again,” Max said as he finally cried and his body trembled as he sobbed.

One by one, Fate’s tears started to fall. She wanted to say that she was willing to start all over. But Norman’s threats wouldn’t leave her alone. She was afraid of all the consequences once she backed out of her agreement with Norman. She knew Max and the other members of DBSK would suffer greatly once Norman decides to ruin them.

With trembling hands she started to loosen herself from Max’s embrace. Then she started to move away from him.

Max was stunned and hurt. He looked at Fate with questioning eyes as he continued to kneel down.

“What’s wrong? Why? Don’t you love me anymore?” he asked out loud.

“I… I am sorry. But we can’t be together anymore. You just wasted your time coming here. Go back! Just pretend that you never met me… and I will just do the same,” Fate uttered as tears continuously fell from her eyes.

Max quickly stood up and he tried to hold Fate’s hands, but she avoided him and moved farther away from him.

“Stop it Max! It’s over! Can’t you understand? We’re finish. What we had before is already in the past. We can never go back…. You have already hurt me in a way that the scar will never heal. I think parting ways is the best for us. You can concentrate on your career and fans. I can go back to racing and face a new and happy married life with Norman,” Fate started to say.

“No! You can’t marry him. I am sorry. Please let’s start all over,” Max begged continuously as if he was going mad.

Fate shook her head. “I don’t think we can ever work out Max… Even from the start, we already had so many problems. I tried to hold on and stay strong because I loved you. But you just took everything for granted. You were selfish. You never even considered how I was feeling or what I was going through. Do you know how many times, I just kept on dreaming that you would suddenly come to me and say that everything would be all right? But it never happened. You just took care of your own hurt feelings. And you just kept on hurting me more and more. So I guess it’s just fair that this time. I think about my own feelings and take a different path, a path away from you. Yes, I have forgiven you… but the pain is still here in my heart. No matter how many times you say sorry… it won’t bring back the life of our child. So forgive me…But let’s just move on and live like we never met. I don’t think I can live my life with you by my side. Just looking at you…. makes me sick and remember all the pain and especially my poor baby… I can’t go back to you, Max. I don’t think I have the strength to do so. I am sorry…” she said as she slowly turned and started to walk away.

“I love you… Can’t you forgive me?” Max cried out.

Fate suddenly stopped walking. “Not anymore… my love for you was something I had forgotten the moment my child died,” she coldly uttered before she finally walked away and went straight to her room.

Max slowly fell down on his knees and started to weep uncontrollably. He couldn’t believe what he heard. He couldn’t believe that Fate could no longer be with him.

“Aaaaaahhhh!!!” Max cried out. He hated himself so much that he wanted to just die. He was the one to blame for everything that happened. Everything was his fault. And now he could no longer be with the only woman he ever loved. He was a fool, a coward and a bastard. Fate was right. He didn’t deserve to be with her again. She deserved someone better… someone who wouldn’t hurt her… someone who would take care of her no matter what happens. She needed a new life… a life without him.

Inside Fate’s room…

Fate cried continuously too… “Sorry Max, but I have to do this, for your sake and your friends as well. Please be happy, Max… And even though I am already in another man’s arms… you will still be the only one in my heart. I love you, Max. I will be praying for you everyday”