Johan's hands cupped around the hot coffee mug, feeling its heat to release tension each time he talked.

He was seated at the same table with Leon, Ariel and the police officer beside him at a private room allocated to them not far from Andy's ward.

"As you know, me and Emily married quite young. We moved to Norway right after we graduated from Uni, and had kids almost quite quickly after we married. Emily always wanted to have a family. I helped manage my family's fishery business and was the main provider, while she was a full-time mother to our kids, our daughter, Emma and our son, Einar. I thought we had it all. I didn't understand the extent of the post-natal depression Emily suffered. She became overwhelmed emotionally and physically."

Johan took a sip of his coffee before continuing.

"Of course, we had marital problems, just like any other married couple. Emily would make-believe in alternate fantasies that she conjures in her head. I thought it was her way to cope at first. She would snap at our kids for no reason and tell them bad things about me that were not true. The time came when she could no longer differentiate fantasy from reality and started reminiscing those care-free high school days with you in order to escape the mundane, day-to-day family responsibilities," He looked at Leon.

"Emily followed your every move and imagined every woman you dated to be her. She wished she was part of your fun, partying high-life. I tolerated her nonsense just so as to keep the family together. Whenever we had disagreements, Emily would cruelly compare me to you, said I couldn't love her the way you did and accuse our marriage as a pile of shambled lies. Once, I was horrified to discover how she pasted cut-outs of your face over mine in many of our pictures. I was so angry that we quarrelled and fought. She accused me of tricking her to leave you for me and started telling people that she was your wife. She even entered the chef competition you held but did not make the cut."

Leon was shocked at the revelation. He could not imagine what he would've done if he had directly seen Emily's video entry, but he never did. Someone in his team must have seen it and thankfully, she was never selected.

"One day, she told our kids that their father was not me but you. She showed them old pictures of her and you together. That did it for me," Johan wiped his forehead and took a big slurp of his coffee. "So, I moved out with our kids away and refused to let her see them until she stopped her nonsense and sought professional help. I never intended to give up on her cos she's still the mother of my kids. Eventually, she packed her bags and flew to the States. We never heard from her again until the news broke of what she did. I flew here immediately and left my kids with my parents."

Johan took a deep breath and drank his coffee.

"I saw the video of what happened," he referred to the video that the police retrieved at the crime scene. It was from Paolo's phone. "I never expect Emily could be capable of...of.." He choked on his words and wanted to gulp down all his coffee but the mug was empty.

Ariel refilled his mug and he thanked her before taking another sip and continued warming his nervous palms with the hot mug.

"I love her, I still do and I always will. But my kids..." his eyes went downcast. "How do I explain to them what happened? Especially about their mother and that she may never come back?" He blew his nose in a tissue.

Leon was overwhelmed along with him, "Must be hard."

Johan looked intently at Leon, "I know you loved her a lot then, but Emily was mine the first time I saw her, right before you entered high school. I couldn't understand why she went for you. I was mad that you stole away the girl of my dreams away, but she fell head over heels for you. My only consolation was whenever you were too busy for Emily, I would step in and be her company. I remembered the day she came into my dorm and cried to me about the death threats she received from your fans. How could I not comfort her? Later that day, we did it, and that was three weeks before she left you for me."

Leon knew what he meant by they "did it". It confirmed the suspicion that Emily had cheated on him, but she was never forthright with about it. It made sense how she was quick to enter into a relationship with Johan Olsen right after they split. The sick revelation made Leon feel even more guilty about what he did to Ariel with the one-night stand with that model.

"You truly reap what you sow, and I've swallowed more than a fair share of what I deserve," Johan let out a bitter laugh. "Oddly enough, I'm not mad at you for kissing my wife, cos I know you had to do it to save the others. If anything, I'm mad at myself. I'm so sorry for what happened to all of you. And I'm sorry for being a jerk to you at high school."

Leon was stunned. The almighty Johan Olsen finally apologised to him!

"I appreciate that. It really means a lot." It was all Leon could say.

"I don't think you and your kids deserve what happened, and I hope your family will eventually find peace," said Ariel.

"Thank you, Miss Ariel Lee. I wish your son a speedy recovery," Johan stood up and shook her hand.

"And thank you, Leon," he offered his hand and Leon stood up to shake it. For the first time, Leon felt those years of unspoken pain and injustince being lifted off his shoulders.

"What do you plan to do now?" he asked.

Johan shrugged with a weary sigh, "I don't know. Emily's right now in police custody and under psychiatric observation. I don't know what her sentence will be. But I won't stop loving her. I'll be there for her no matter what. She's the only thing I don't regret snatching from you."

"Good," Leon smiled.

After Johan and the police officer left, Leon wrapped his arms around himself and threw his head backward.

"Wow," said Ariel. "That was deep."

"Yeah," Leon let out a sad sigh. "Emily was my trauma. Even when the years have erased her from my thoughts, the pain she left never left me. She tricked me to give up my virginity to her when I actually did not want to do it cos I wanted to reserve it for after marriage. She betrayed me for that bully whom she once tried to protect me from. That's why I fell into alcoholism and promiscuity. To numb all that she did."

Ariel was astonished. Leon was not so different from her after all. The only difference fell on how they dealt with the betrayal and pain from their first loves.

"I thought every woman out there was like her so I never took them seriously, until you came into my life, Ariel," he took her hand and looked into her eyes. "You're so different from the rest, even from Emily. You've been there for me in my darkest while she left me. You saved my life a few times but she almost killed me. I hated myself for losing you the way I did and for being like her. I don't wanna be like her. I want to be Leon Waltz, not the brand but the real me and I-"

The last sentence caught him hard that he froze.

"What is it?" said Ariel. She noticed a sudden wave of anguish engulfing his eyes but Leon could not carry on what he wanted to say.

"I....I need to go," he let go of her hand and stood up.

"Where to?"

Leon did not answer and put his jacket on.

"Leon, answer me," Ariel grabbed his hand as he headed towards the door.

"I can't subject you and Andy to danger anymore because of me," his voice was tight with pain.

"What are you talking about? We're together now, but now you're leaving?" she gathered her brows, worried that he was acting strange again like she recently noticed. Was he leaving her? Was this all a lie?

Leon cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers, "I'm not leaving you. Just don't wanna hurt you."

"And how will you do that?"

He hesitated before speaking, "I've decided to go back to rehab."

Ariel's heart dropped, "But you came out of rehab. Why do you need to return?"

"To find the real me. I've got issues to sort out."

"There's got to be another way," she was confused although she was trying to understand him.

"This is the only way I know that's best for me."

"How long will it take?"

"I don't know, but I know if I don't do it now, I may repeat the toxic cycle," his voice trembled.

"Leon, let me come with you," she said.

"No!" he insisted. "I need to deal with this alone."

"So this means, you're really leaving?" her eyes began to well up.

He hugged her and they embraced in silence so tight as if it was the last.

"Can you wait for me?" he asked.

"I will," Ariel bit her lip to stop herself from crying.

Leon gave a long kiss on her lips, "Love you. Tell Andy I'll see him again soon."

She nodded, "Love you, too."

Leon slipped from her arms and walked out, and she stood at the door, forlorn to see him leave until he was completely out of her sight.