"When are you going to be home?" Ian asked Alexandrea, while on the phone.
"I'll be home before Christmas, maybe by the end of December," she replied.
"Okay, take care always," Ian said.
"Don't worry about me, my mom is here to take care of me," Alexandrea assured him.
Little did Ian know that Alexandrea was pregnant, and she couldn't tell him because the father of the child was Yuan. She was due to give birth in September, and she didn't know what to do yet.
Alexandrea didn't know about Yuan, and she hadn't heard from him since that night. As promised, Yuan didn't want to bother her anymore. However, unbeknownst to both of them, Alexandrea was pregnant with Yuan's child. Neither of them was aware of the pregnancy.
Just recently, Alexandrea became certain that she was going to have a baby girl, who would be Yuan's daughter. The thought of Ian finding out that she had a daughter and Yuan being the father was unimaginable for her. She was unsure of how to navigate this situation and the potential consequences it could have on her relationship with Ian.
September arrived, and as expected, Alexandrea gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She decided to name her Aryan.
Realizing that she couldn't properly take care of Aryan while also trying to mend her relationship, Alexandrea made the difficult decision to leave Aryan in the care of her own mother. She believed that her mother would provide the love and support that Aryan needed while she focused on resolving her personal matters.
"Mommy will be home soon, okay?" Alexandrea's tears flowed, causing her mother to cry as well.
"What's your plan?" her mom asked, concerned.
"I don't know yet, Mom," Alexandrea replied.
"Fix your relationship," her mother advised.
"I will, Mom!" Alexandrea promised.
December arrived, and Ian lost contact with Alexandrea. He grew increasingly worried and made numerous attempts to reach out to her. He even contacted her mom, unaware that Alexandrea hadn't returned to him.
Meanwhile, Alexandrea's mother still kept the secret about her pregnancy and baby Aryan.
After a month, Alexandrea finally called her mom.
"Mom, I'm sorry," she said, her voice filled with regret.
"We've been so worried about you. Where are you?" her mom asked.
"I'm in my condo. I still can't face Ian," Alexandrea confessed.
"You need to fix everything, Andrea," her mom urged her.
*****
Andrea cautiously stepped outside, venturing beyond the confines of her condo for the first time in a while. As she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her, causing her to quicken her pace.
"Alexandrea... Alex, please!" Ian's voice called out desperately. "Wait up!"
But Andrea ignored his pleas and continued to walk away, determined to keep her distance.
Ian, determined to catch up with her, reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. As he looked at her, he noticed something different about her appearance. Her hair was now curly, and her style had changed significantly since the last time he saw her.
"Where have you been? I've missed you so much," Ian said, his voice filled with longing. However, he couldn't help but feel that something was off.
Andrea feigned surprise at the unexpected hug, maintaining her act.
Ian, feeling remorseful, quickly apologized. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it," he pleaded, realizing that he had mistaken her for Alexandrea.
"You're Ian, right?" Andrea asked, still pretending to be a different person.
"Yes, Javier's brother," Ian confirmed.
"Yeah, I remember you. We went to high school together," Andrea replied, still playing her role.
Ian's confusion grew. Andrea and Alexandrea looked identical, yet there were clear differences in their style and appearance.
"Do you know where Alexandrea is?" Ian asked, hoping for answers.
"I thought you two were together now, boyfriend and girlfriend?" Andrea responded, continuing her charade.
"Yeah, but we lost communication. I haven't been able to reach her since the last time she went on vacation," Ian explained.
"Sure, I'll let you know as soon as I hear from my twin sister, okay?" Andrea replied, still maintaining her pretense.
"Thanks, Andrea. I'll inform Javier that we talked," Ian said. "If you have time, would you like to come and visit us?"
She was about to say yes when Ian interrupted her.
"By the way, Javier is with Jan Mae now," Ian revealed.
"I'm okay with it," Andrea responded, hiding her true emotions.
Ian brought Andrea to Javier, and upon seeing her, Javier immediately embraced her tightly.
"I've missed you so much," he whispered. "Alexandrea told me that you went to New York to study medicine."
"Yes, that's right. I'm here for just a year, and then I'll be heading back to New York," Andrea confirmed.
The reunion brought a mix of emotions for Andrea, knowing that she had to maintain the charade and keep her true identity hidden.
"I need to tell you something," Javier said.
"I already know what you're going to say," Andrea replied. "You have a girlfriend now, Jan Mae, right? She's your girlfriend?"
"How did you find out?" Javier asked, surprised.
"Ian told me," Andrea responded. "But that's okay. I don't have time for a relationship right now. I need to focus on my career."
Andrea tried her best to maintain composure, hiding her true feelings about Javier moving on with someone else. Deep down, it still hurt, but she was determined to prioritize her own goals and aspirations.
"So, how's New York?" Ian asked.
"Well, to be honest, I don't know what to say," Andrea replied with a laugh. "I've been quite busy with my studies and everything."
She continued to maintain the pretense, not revealing to Ian and Javier that she had been playing the role of Alexandrea and was now back to being Andrea, her true self.
"By the way, do you want to grab something to eat or have some drinks?" Javier asked.
"No, I'm okay," Andrea declined.
"Maybe we can have some fun together sometime," Javier suggested.
"Sure, just message me," Andrea replied, maintaining her friendly demeanor while keeping her true feelings hidden.
As time passed, Andrea couldn't help but wonder if Javier and Ian would eventually discover that she and Alexandrea were actually the same person. The weight of her secret grew heavier with each passing day. She knew that if the truth were to be revealed, it could potentially shatter the relationships she had with both of them. The question loomed in her mind: What would happen if they were to find out? The uncertainty left her on edge, anxiously awaiting the moment when her carefully constructed facade might come crashing down.