Jay-jay's POV
"Let's just sell her. At least she'd be useful for something."
Who was that? Who were they planning to sell? Why were they looking at me?
"Are you insane? I haven't even scored with her mom yet, and you already want me to get rid of her," one of the men said before lighting a cigarette.
The other man, the one who suggested selling me, laughed.
"That woman is something else. It's like she never even had a child. Her body still looks amazing," he said before turning his gaze back to me. "The kid's a boy too, just like her mom."
They exchanged glances, both of them smiling in a way that sent shivers down my spine. The man with the cigarette leaned in and whispered something to his companion. The other man then left, leaving me alone with the one holding the cigarette. He shut the door before walking toward me.
Who are you? Don't come near me.
"Jay, wake up. Move to the room, it's too hot here."
What? I don't want to move—wait! Why is my body moving on its own?!
"Your mom's not here yet, so sleep with me for now," he said, grabbing my arms.
D-don't touch me!
He stood up and held my hand. My body kept moving against my will, following the man I didn't even know. We entered a dark room.
I don't want this! MOM! ARIES! KUYA! HELP ME!
Why couldn't anyone hear me? Why wasn't my voice coming out? What was happening? Why couldn't I move?
Please help me!
Keifer.
"JAY-JAY!"
A voice screamed my name, shaking my arms and shoulders.
I opened my eyes, and the faces of Aries, Kuya Angelo, and Tita Gema came into view.
"She's awake," Aries said, stepping back.
Tita Gema moved closer and helped me sit up. I noticed Tito Julz standing by the door, looking ready to make a phone call.
"Jay, what did you dream about? Tell me," Tita Gema said, wiping my face.
That's when I realized my cheeks were wet with tears. My entire body was trembling—my hands, my legs, everything.
What is happening to me?
Tita Gema held my hands. Kuya Angelo knelt down so that we were at eye level.
"It's okay, you can talk," he said gently, his voice reassuring. "Go on. Tell us."
I wanted to speak, but I couldn't. My tongue felt stiff, like it refused to move. And when I tried harder, more tears fell, and I broke down completely.
Tita Gema immediately pulled me into a hug. That's when I finally recognized the emotion overwhelming me.
Pure, unrelenting fear.
And it was so intense that my body refused to obey me.
"Sshh… It's okay. We're here. No one's going to hurt you," Tita said while rubbing my back.
I felt Aries take my hand. Kuya Angelo moved closer and kissed my forehead.
"I'll get her some water," Tito Julz said before leaving the room.
I kept crying. I had no idea where that nightmare had come from. But even if I tried to deny it, deep down, I knew—it wasn't just a nightmare.
It was a piece of my past.
I didn't understand why these memories were coming back. I didn't need to remember. I didn't want to know what had happened to me. I wanted all of it to disappear.
"T-Tita… I-I don't want it. Please take it away… take it out of my head… please," I sobbed.
"Sshh… It's over now. We're here. We won't leave you," she whispered, holding me tighter.
I didn't know how long I cried. Tito Julz returned with water, and the house staff even brought food upstairs just to help me calm down.
But all they brought were fruits. I wanted fried chicken.
After drinking some water, I tried to fix my hair, though my nose was still clogged from all the crying. But I was fine now—at least, I thought I was.
"Can you talk now?" Kuya Angelo asked.
"I don't want to talk about it, Kuya," I mumbled, lowering my head.
He let out a deep sigh before standing up. "Alright, get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."
He left the room, followed by Tito Julz. Tita Gema stayed for a moment to make sure I was really okay. She tucked me back into bed, leaving the lamp on.
She smiled at me before closing the door. The silence was unsettling. The sound of someone biting into an apple was even worse.
I turned to look at Aries, who was sitting at the edge of the bed, focused on his phone while eating.
"That's mine," I muttered under my breath.
He glanced at me briefly before looking back at his phone. "Go to sleep."
I turned my back to him and hugged Snorlax. "I'm not sleeping."
I heard him stop chewing and set the plate down. Then, I heard him get up and walk toward me.
"Jay," he called, sitting beside me. "Can you tell me about your dream?"
I shook my head. "I don't want to remember it again."
"Okay then, I won't force you," he said, about to stand up, but I grabbed his arm.
"Stay."
He looked at me for a moment before nodding and lying down on the other side of the bed.
"Was your dream really that bad? You don't want me far from you now?" His tone was teasing, but I could tell he was serious.
I adjusted my position to face him. I wasn't looking at him, but I could feel his gaze on me.
He's staring at me.
I stayed quiet, so Aries did too. Thanks to the lamp's glow, I could still make out the other side of the room—the horoscope board on the wall.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fists. I didn't know what had happened in that dark room. I hoped that was all I'd remember. I prayed nothing else would come back to me.
Not from before.
"Aries," I whispered.
"What?" he replied.
"Where were you back then? When I was still with my mom?"
I felt him turn his head toward me. "Why are you asking?"
I shook my head. "I just want to know."
He took a while to respond. Like he was thinking about what to say. Maybe he was afraid I'd get mad.
"I was here," he finally said.
I knew that. I just wanted to know if he ever thought about me while he was having fun.
"Were you with them?" He didn't answer. "Yuri, Percy, and Keifer."
Still no response.
He must've fallen asleep. It was past midnight, after all. I didn't even know how long he helped Kuya Angelo earlier, and then the chaos happened because of my nightmare.
"You were all still friends back then," I continued, even though I knew he wouldn't answer. "You were all a bunch of idiots. Now, you're just an idiot. But Percy—he's still a full idiot. And you—you're just an—ouch!"
Something flicked my forehead.
When I looked up, Aries was glaring at me, his brows furrowed. Oh, so he was awake.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he grumbled.
I pouted, rubbing the spot he flicked.
"You really don't plan on sleeping?" he asked as he adjusted his position.
"Fine, I'll sleep now, and you keep watch over me. Someone might suddenly grab me."
My eyes widened as I remembered that. It was just a blanket—I was just teasing Ella! Does he really think of me that way? As a pervert? To my own sibling, no less? His mind is so dirty it needs scrubbing.
"I thought you were the one who was supposed to keep watch over me?" I asked, frowning at him. "That's what you did last time."
He used one arm as a pillow. "Let's switch. Hey, that was exhausting too."
Oh wow.
I scowled at him. "Just go to sleep. Your beautiful sister will keep watch over you." I said sarcastically.
He looked at me seriously, his brows furrowing as he slowly moved closer.
"I only have one sibling." He leaned in even more. "And he's not beautiful." Then he flicked my forehead.
Out of shock, my hand instinctively moved to smack him—hard. He looked just as surprised as I was. I thought he'd get mad, but instead, he just suddenly smiled.
"You're okay now. You can hit people again." He said, then hugged me. "Go to sleep. Whatever your dream is about, I'll make sure it never happens again."
I hugged him back. "Even if I wanted to sleep, I can't anymore. Your armpits stink so bad they woke me u—AAARRGGHH!"
He pinched my back. I immediately let go, thrashing on the bed like a fish out of water.
"That hurt!" I complained, desperately trying to reach the spot he pinched.
"You're always fooling around," he said. "And you even dragged Ella into it."
I sat up, eyes wide. "Did she tell on me? It was just a joke!"
"Stop teasing her, or you'll end up fighting for real next time," he said, as if it were some serious issue. "You'll regret it if—"
"Oh no! 🎶Johnny, Johnny, no papa!🎶" I sang, and he immediately shot me a glare. "It's late, Aries. You're just sleepy."
He raised a hand, about to hit me on the head, but I quickly blocked with my arm.
"You! You always have a comeback. If only you were this sharp during exams." He said before getting up and walking toward the table where he had placed a plate earlier.
He picked it up and handed it to me. Only half of the food was left, and the fruits were almost gone.
This Horoscope guy is a real piece of work. It wasn't even meant for him, yet he ate it.
"Finish it."
I would've done that even without him saying so. I started devouring the remaining fruits. But even while eating, I couldn't help thinking about my brother and Ella. I really couldn't tell if they truly loved each other. Their relationship didn't seem that solid.
Aries didn't react much. He wasn't the type to go all out for a girl. Plus, he was often grumpy, like he was carrying the weight of the world.
Ella? She was bratty.
There was something about her I couldn't pinpoint. She had told me before that she made a mistake—that she thought she still loved Yuri when it was actually Aries. But something still felt off.
I watched Aries as he fixed his bedding. I hadn't planned to ask about them, but I wanted to know.
"Aries..." I called his attention, but he kept doing what he was doing. "Do you love... Ella?"
He glanced at me briefly before continuing.
"Isn't it obvious?"
I nodded. "Then what is Freya to you? Were you two ever together?"
He stopped what he was doing, sighed, and sat beside me.
"You might not believe this, but Freya is like my girl best friend. We just argue more than we get along."
Girl best friend?
"Next time, stop reading other people's conversations," he added, making me avert my gaze. "So, what exactly did you read?"
I shoved the remaining apple slice into my mouth. I didn't want to answer, or he might finally get mad at me.
"You left our conversation open. So whatever you read, just tell me so I can explain."
I didn't mean to leave it open. How was I supposed to know I'd fall asleep immediately after crying my eyes out?
This was all the fault of that damn Demon King, that stupid, pestering, snake of a King! It was his fault! His and Freya's! And Ella's too!
It was all their fault for being so flirty! Couldn't they date far away or at least without me knowing about it?
Damn it! Always getting into relationships—why not focus on studying first?!
"Just ask me." He ordered.
I bit my lip. Aries didn't need to explain anything to me—he wasn't the one at fault. So, I had nothing to ask.
I shook my head, then stuffed the last piece of fruit into my mouth. I chewed, swallowed, and handed him the plate.
"I have nothing to ask. Let's just leave it at that."
He gave me a pointed look before taking the plate and placing it back on the table. When he returned, he lay down, using one arm as a pillow.
"Suit yourself. It's your loss." He said in a guilt-tripping tone.
"If I were to ask anything, it would probably be about you."
One of his eyebrows arched as he looked at me. I shifted my position to face him.
"During the time we weren't seeing each other because you were mad at me... What happened to you?"
He took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling.
"That incident happened. Keifer got mad at me. Yuri and Kuya Angelo tried to intervene, but it didn't work. A lot of people were angry. Investors started pulling out of the company. I pulled some strings to make sure no one could surpass me because I knew people would try to bring me down. I met my classmates, became friends with Rakki, Freya, started dating Ella. The conflict worsened... then you came, and the rest is history."
He said it like he was just delivering a class report.
Wow. A lot happened.
"Why were the investors like that? Why did they back out?"
"Because everyone thought I abandoned Percy. They judged me quickly, called me a bad person. And since they thought Kuya was my real brother, they assumed he would do something that could ruin the company's future."
I nodded. So judgmental. Just like that, they decided to withdraw? Did they all have the same brain and gut instincts to assume Kuya Angelo would be the same? They weren't even there when the incident happened, so they didn't know the real story.
Judgmental much! Just because they had money, they thought they had the right to do that? That's not how it works!
But even though I didn't know the full story, I knew Aries would never abandon Percy just like that.
Those stupid stepbrothers of mine meant a lot to him, even if it didn't seem like it. That's why he couldn't come to me when I needed him—he was busy with his friends.
"I know you never really abandoned him," I said, making him look at me again. "Because every time you talk about that accident... your eyes twinkle."
Little star.
He chuckled. "What?"
"Your eyes look like you're about to cry, then you blink like this." I said, imitating how his eyes fluttered. "Because if you really abandoned him, you wouldn't have the confidence to tell me, and your eyes wouldn't show that kind of pain."
Yes! Look at me, acting all wise.
He gave me a small smile. "Maybe. Where did you get that idea? From Percy?"
"No, I've known that for a while. I'm smart, you know."
He let out a small laugh. "Then why don't you review? The exam is just around the corner."
I froze when I remembered the fourth grading exam.
"Stop asking about the accident already. You're just like Percy, bringing it up over and over again."
That blue-eyed guy?
"Why not?"
"Just because. He's weird. He acts like I'd still talk to him."
Why is Percy asking about the accident? That idiot. Did he forget that he and Aries were together? So whatever Aries knows, Percy should know as well.
Aries glanced at his phone, seemingly just to check the time.
"You really don't plan on sleeping?"
I shook my head. "There's no school tomorrow. You shouldn't sleep either."
Misery loves company.
"Whatever. Figure out a way to keep me awake." He said and closed his eyes.
I smirked before placing my hand on his stomach to grab—er, pinch—his skin. He immediately sat up in shock and pain. Now you're awake.
He glared at me while clutching his stomach. "What the hell! What's wrong with you?!"
"There! Now you're wide awake!" I said with a mischievous grin.
Suddenly, he wrapped his arm around my neck.
"A-aargh! Let go!" I protested, slapping his arm.
He didn't answer, only tightened his hold on me. He only let go when I started coughing from lack of air.
"You're always messing around."
Who told him to ask me to keep him awake?
Scratching my head, I stood up to fix my bedding. He did the same. Once everything was set, he lay down again while I sat, hugging Snorlax.
I noticed him tossing and turning, changing positions. When he wasn't satisfied, he sat up and looked at me in annoyance.
"This is your fault. Now I'm not sleepy anymore." He blamed me.
This Horoscope guy is such a pain. Who asked to be woken up? And now he's blaming me?
"Yes, it's my fault. I'm a sinner." I said sarcastically.
"Are you like this with your classmates? And with Keifer?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Stop mentioning that guy!" I snapped in annoyance.
"Why are you suddenly angry—" He didn't finish his sentence. It was like something clicked in his mind, and he looked at me. "Because of what Freya and I talked about?"
I didn't answer. I turned away from him and lay down. I had no intention of knowing about that. I'd rather hear it from him directly.
"Didn't I say I'd explain? Just ask me instead of acting like this." He said, poking me with his finger.
I quickly swatted his hand away. "What's your problem? I'll just ask him myself."
He didn't say anything after that, and I remained silent as well. I heard him lie down. We stayed quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. I wasn't planning to respond, but what he said was important to me.
"Keifer isn't the guy. He's not the one Freya is obsessed with."