Jay-Jay's POV
I'm such a fool. If there were an award for being the biggest idiot, I'd probably have a collection of trophies by now. I'd be nominated every year.
The waiter set down our coffee orders. The cup was pretty big, so I had to use both hands just to hold it properly and take a sip. I couldn't hide how my hands were shaking, so the King of the Snakes helped me set the cup back down on the table.
"Please relax," Keifer whispered to me.
I immediately regretted ordering hot coffee. My anxiety only got worse with Aries' father sitting right in front of me. Thank goodness Keifer didn't leave my side.
"Thank you," Ares said to the waiter before he finally walked away from our table.
Ares took a sip from his own cup. I felt uneasy seeing the large scar on his jaw. It looked exactly like the scar Aries had on his lower chest. Maybe because they both got those scars because of me—and on the same day.
The same incident.
I swallowed hard several times. Keifer held one of my hands, so I looked at him. He smiled at me, silently telling me he was here and that everything would be okay.
I tried to return his smile, but it quickly faded when the man across from us spoke.
"How are you?" he asked me.
I wanted to laugh and raise an eyebrow at him. What kind of stupid question was that? After everything he did to me and Aries—after the trauma he caused—he had the nerve to ask how I was doing? It was like he slapped me and then asked if it hurt.
Are you serious?
"I mean after all these years. It's been a while since... everything happened," he added.
Even if it's been a long time, the effects are still there. We aren't dirty clothes that you can just wash and be clean again. I looked at Keifer, silently asking for permission to speak. He nodded, encouraging me.
"T-The truth is... I'm not comfortable seeing you or being around you. I just want this to be over, so I'll listen to whatever you have to say," I answered, and I saw him accept my response.
"I understand." He stood up and walked toward me.
I immediately clung to Keifer's arm, fear and anxiety surging through me at whatever he might do next. Keifer stood up at once to protect me, but we both froze at Ares' next move. He knelt down right in front of me.
The few customers and crew in the coffee shop turned to look at us.
"Mister, what are you doing?" Keifer asked.
"I want to apologize for what I did back then. I won't deny the plans we made to get a huge amount of money from the family that adopted Aries," Ares said, looking straight at me. "I also wanted revenge on your mother, even though I knew she had never actually done anything wrong to me. I never thought about how it would affect you as children because the only thing that mattered to me was getting what we wanted."
I held tightly onto Keifer's arm. I never expected him to do this. I really thought he just wanted to talk about Aries.
"Believe me, I've regretted everything that happened. When I was imprisoned and found God, I repented for everything. That's also why I want to apologize—because I realized I'm not the only one who's been carrying the weight of what happened. If I've carried this burden for years, I know you have, too."
Before I knew it, tears were falling down my face. Memories of the time he kidnapped Aries and me came rushing back. The nights we searched desperately for a way to escape, the times we slept huddled together because of the cold and fear. The day he tried to separate us. The moment I attacked him with handcuffs. And the moment I stabbed my own brother.
I should be grateful for the times when I couldn't remember any of it. I didn't suffer from constant flashbacks or recurring pain from that ordeal. But when I think about how Aries bore all that trauma alone, the guilt eats me alive.
My brother carried all the suffering from that night. And here I was, wondering why he wouldn't talk to me anymore—living my life without any of those memories haunting me. How dare I enjoy life while someone else took on the pain that should've been mine too?
And all of that happened because this man chose to hurt us.
"My memories of that night just came back," I said, pounding my chest as if to ease the ache. "I remember what I did to you—and what I did to my brother." I took a deep breath. "It hurts so much knowing he carried all the trauma on his own while I went on with my life because I couldn't remember."
I broke down in sobs, and Keifer knelt beside me on one knee. "I don't understand how people like you find it so easy to drag innocent lives into your mess."
"I think you should leave," Keifer told Ares, but I quickly stopped him.
"No. Don't leave. I want to tell him everything!" I said angrily.
Ares remained kneeling, his head bowed and unable to meet my eyes.
"It's unsafe for your mental health," Keifer insisted, but I shook my head.
"I'm so angry, and I feel so sorry for my brother! I nearly killed him that night!" I cried, trying to hit Ares.
Keifer held me back, but my struggles caused me to slip from my chair, and I ended up reaching him anyway. Punch after punch, slap after slap—I attacked him without mercy. And he didn't fight back. He took it all.
"If you hadn't kidnapped us, none of that would've happened!"
Keifer grabbed both my arms, restraining me. "Please stop. You're hurting yourself."
I finally stopped struggling, too weak to fight anymore. I leaned against Keifer's chest, still sobbing.
"It's okay. Let it all out. Hurt me if that's the only way you'll forgive me," Ares said softly.
"Mister," Keifer said sternly. "Please shut up."
I heard the coffee shop crew approach us. A few of them asked if there was a problem, but Keifer just asked them for water.
One of the crew members quickly handed him a glass, and Keifer made me drink it. I tried to refuse, but he was persistent. I nearly emptied the whole glass, and it did help calm me down a little.
"I really think he should leave. It would be better to meet again another day," Keifer said, still trying to convince me, but I refused.
"Jay, your memories just came back. You're torturing your brain with too much emotion."
"There's still so much I want to say, but I know my mom and Aries have even more to say than I do."
I froze for a moment, realizing the truth of my words. They had so much more to confront him with than I did. An idea suddenly popped into my head.
"Face them. Face my mom and Aries," I ordered.
He looked confused at first, but then he understood what I meant—I wanted them to meet today.
Even though I still felt weak, I forced myself to stand up. Keifer was right there beside me, ready to support me.
"Let's go to them now," I ordered and grabbed my bag from the foot of the table.
I walked ahead. I noticed the crew and customers turning to look at me as if accusing me of being crazy because of how I looked. Keifer quickly followed me and stopped me by grabbing my arm.
"Jay, calm down."
I shook off his hand. "I am calm!"
"Then why are you inviting this guy... this kidnapper to your own home? What if things get messy there? You can't handle too much stress right now; you just got a piece of your memory back." His worry was evident, but I knew what I was doing.
"Because he needs to face Mama and the others. I'm not the only one he wronged. So why should he only ask me for forgiveness?"
"We don't know. Maybe he already tried talking to your mother or Aries."
"And what if he didn't? That man just wants forgiveness so he can sleep peacefully at night, but if he's really remorseful, he should ask forgiveness from all of us!" I said angrily, and my gaze snapped toward the coffee shop door when I saw him walking out.
Keifer let out a deep sigh. He was clearly against this, and I understood why. He was worried. Parts of my memory had just returned, and now I was facing one of the people who traumatized Aries and me... or maybe just Aries.
"Okay, if that's really what you want. I can't let you do this alone. I'll come along to make sure you're okay," he said and walked toward his car to open the passenger door. "Even though I know that's not how this is going to go," he added as I approached to get in.
Once the door closed, he told Ares to follow us. Ares had his own car, so it wasn't a problem.
I stayed quiet during the ride, and so did Keifer. I kept my eyes on the side-view mirror, watching the car of Aries' father, making sure he was following and wouldn't change his mind.
"I'm willing to pay millions just to read your mind right now."
I pouted at his words. His millions would be wasted — my mind felt like a tangled thread. I was thinking of every possible outcome. I could already hear my mother's sharp words and my brother Angelo's furious voice. I could even imagine Aries' reaction.
Suddenly, I started to regret this.
But it was too late to back out. I had to stand by my decision.
The car stopped in front of the house. We got out one after the other. I went in first, and they followed closely behind. As soon as I stepped inside the house, Aries was the first person I saw.
He was drinking juice while walking. He stopped abruptly when he saw me.
"Why are you only coming back now? Where did that idiot take you?" he asked, his voice laced with threat.
He was about to approach me, but then he noticed the people behind me. I saw his expression change in an instant. His eyes filled with rage. He looked back and forth between me and the person behind me... his father.
The glass of juice slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. It must have been loud enough for the people in the kitchen to hear because Aunt Gema and Mama quickly came out.
"The glass broke. What's going on—?" Mama's words trailed off when she saw the same thing Aries did. "You."
Aunt Gema covered her mouth. "Angelo!" she called out to my brother while keeping her eyes fixed on Aries' father. "Angelo, come down here!"
I didn't know if he heard her, but I couldn't wait for him. I stepped aside slightly so they could clearly see who I had brought with me.
"H-He said he wanted to talk to you," I said, and I saw the way my mother looked at me — as if I had hurt her.
I turned to Ares and motioned for him to step further inside. He took two steps forward but stopped when Angelo came down the stairs. At first, my brother looked confused about who was with me, but as he got closer, realization slowly dawned on him.
"Shouldn't you still be in prison? Your sentence isn't over yet," Angelo asked, bewildered.
"I was granted parole," the man beside me answered.
Angelo crossed his arms and glanced between me and the others with us. His eyebrow raised when he noticed Keifer behind me.
"Congratulations," Aries said sarcastically to his father. "Now you can leave."
My brother was about to walk away, but both his father and I spoke at the same time to stop him. Aries immediately turned to me when he heard my voice, realizing what I had done. His eyes were full of questions and accusations.
He didn't know that my memory of what happened had already returned.
"He just wants to talk and apologize," I explained.
No one said a word. Not Aries, not Mama, not Aunt Gema. The house fell into complete silence.
"Jay..." Angelo called my name. "Go to your room."
I didn't want to obey, but I saw the anger in his eyes. I turned to Keifer to say goodbye. He gave me a brief smile before letting me go.
"You should leave too, Keifer," Angelo told him just as I started heading up the stairs.
"I know," Keifer — the King of Snakes — replied.
Even after I reached my room, I couldn't hear any noise from downstairs. I closed the door and leaned against it. I knew what I had done was wrong, but I still wanted to do it. I wanted to know if Aries' father was truly remorseful for what he had done. Because whether I admitted it to myself or not, there was a chance I'd eventually forgive him. But what if his regret wasn't real? What if I forgave the wrong person and gave him another chance to hurt me?
I decided to change into more comfortable clothes and rest. I grabbed my phone, and the first message I saw was from Keifer.
From: CrazyGuy Message: I hope you're okay. I'm just outside your house. Just in case.
I chose not to reply. I didn't know what to say.
I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling, still listening for any signs of what was happening in the living room. I was afraid things might escalate, just like what had happened earlier at the coffee shop.
I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, still trying to sense what was happening with them in the living room. I was also afraid they might hurt each other out of anger, just like what I did earlier at the coffee shop.
Darkness had already fallen outside, but I still hadn't heard anything from them. I decided to text the King, hoping he had seen or heard something, but I didn't get any reply from him. My stomach was starting to growl as well.
Just a little more patience!
But I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and slowly opened the door to my room. I peeked outside, but it seemed like nothing had happened. The house was so quiet, it felt uninhabited. I walked slowly, but I froze when I saw Aries through the crack in his door.
He was sitting at the far end of his bed, staring at his palms, clearly deep in thought. I wanted to go in and ask how he was, but I'd be a fool to do that. I was the one who brought that man into this house, even though I knew full well what he had done to us.
I continued with my plan to go to the kitchen. I walked slowly again, taking careful steps down the stairs. I was getting closer when I heard Mama and Aunt Gema talking. I stopped when I heard her crying.
"Just like that?" she asked. "After all the horrible things he did, forgiveness is enough?"
"He's willing to pay for his sins again. Let's send him back to jail," Aunt suggested.
"And then he'll just be released again?"
I heard my mother's quiet sobs. My heart shattered.
It's different when it's your own mother crying from pain.
What I did was terribly wrong. I had only reopened the wounds he caused. They probably hadn't even fully healed yet. It was too late for me to regret it.
"My children! They suffered because of him! How can I forgive him? He hasn't even paid for what he did—how he violated me!"
I covered my mouth in shock.
What have I done?
It was far worse than I had imagined. All this time, I thought he had just abandoned Mama while she was pregnant with Aries. Tears started streaming down my face, joining my mother's sobs.
I'm a terrible person.
I didn't mean to. I didn't know she had gone through something like that because of him.
I quickly walked back to my room. My vision blurred with tears, and I stumbled on the stairs several times. I was almost at my room when I bumped into someone.
"S-Sorry," I said before looking up.
I felt even worse when I saw Aries's lifeless eyes staring back at me. He looked so defeated. I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze, so I looked down and tried to walk past him, but he stepped in front of me to block my way.
"A-Aries."
"Why, Jay? Why did you bring that monster here?" he asked, his voice full of pain.
I couldn't answer. I just sobbed and reached out for him, but he pushed my hand away.
"Is this your revenge? Are you getting back at me for having a connection with your Dad? For keeping him a secret from you? For calling him Papa? For treating him like my own father?" he asked, tears falling from his eyes.
I'm sorry…
"Is that it? Are you getting even? Because if you are, you did a great job."
He looked down and ran his hands over his face.
"Your revenge really hurts."
I could only answer with sobs. I didn't know how to explain my reasons. I didn't know the right words to say.
"You've won. You got your revenge."
He was about to go back to his room, but I grabbed the hem of his shirt. He stopped, taking deep breaths before facing me.
"I-It's not like that—"
"You don't even remember," he cut me off. "You don't even know."
You're wrong. I remember.
"Everything started with him. All the suffering… everything. If he hadn't kidnapped us, if he hadn't locked us in that basement, if he hadn't separated us that night… you wouldn't have—" He couldn't finish his sentence.
But I knew exactly what he meant. I wouldn't have stabbed him.
He was trying so hard to keep from saying those final words. He was full of resentment, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"You wouldn't remember. That night—"
"Aries," my older brother cut in before he could say anything else.
I looked at my brother and saw the disappointment in his eyes. He approached me and gently took my hand away from Aries's shirt.
"Let Aries rest. Too much has happened already," he said, and my brother walked back into his room without looking at me.
My brother pulled me back to my room. He stayed with me inside and closed the door.
"Calm down. I want to talk to you about what you did," he instructed, and I tried my best to obey.
I wiped my face several times, trying to calm myself, but my sobs wouldn't stop. I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my legs and knees.
"What was your reason for bringing that guy here? You should have asked us first. It's because you don't remember everything he did."
You're wrong.
"I remember," I corrected him, and I saw the surprise on his face.
"What?"
"I remember what happened that night," I said, looking at him. "I also remember when I tried to take Aries's life."
My brother's look of surprise turned into worry. He immediately knelt on one knee to face me.
"Since when?"
"This morning," I said, starting to cry again. "My conscience is eating me up, Kuya. Please, I don't want to face them right now."
He looked at me with sympathy, and I was grateful that he seemed to understand my situation.
He nodded before standing up. "Pack your things. I'll move you to my unit for now."
And that night, we quietly left the house.