Jay-Jay's POV
My cousin smacked me on the head. I wanted to cry.
Can I wail?
We got home at dawn. Most people were already asleep except for Aunt Gema and Aries, who were waiting for us to arrive.
"Jeana is asleep. We didn't tell her yet about what happened to Alvin because she might rush over there at an odd hour," Aunt Gema said as she took Kuya's belongings.
Aries approached me. "Are you okay?"
I nodded. "Kuya just smacked me on the head."
"Because you're stubborn," Death said irritably before walking past me.
"Angelo, really," Aunt scolded him before turning to me. "Do you feel okay? That Ram guy didn't do anything bad to you, did he?"
I shook my head. "Kuya took everything. He protected me until the end."
Aunt Gema smiled at me and gave me a brief hug. "You should go to your room and rest."
I nodded before she left Aries and me. I handed him my bag for help, but he turned his back on me.
Wow, a little kindness would be nice.
I walked toward my room. My brother was ahead of me, so I saw him pass by his own room and go straight into mine.
Looks like we have something to talk about.
Since he was going there anyway, he might as well have carried my stuff.
When I entered the room, I was about to throw my things at him, but I stopped myself. He might get mad, and we'd end up fighting.
"How's Ella? What happened to her?" I asked right away.
He pulled out a chair from my study table and sat down.
"She's fine. There was a slight accident at their house. She panicked because she didn't know what to do," he explained. "Are you worried?"
"No, I'm just gossiping."
I fixed my things while continuing our conversation.
"So, what happened? Did Ram do something awful to you?" he asked calmly, but there was a hint of concern.
I shook my head. "No. Kuya took all the beating and the stabbing."
"Kuya got stabbed?"
I pointed at my neck, the same spot I remembered where he got hit with the knife.
"Isn't that near a major vein?" he asked, making me think.
I tried to recall what the doctor and Kuya Angelo said.
"Kuya said he dodged it, so it didn't hit, and the wound was shallow."
Aries sighed. I guess my story about what happened to our cousin stressed him out too.
I finished organizing my things and grabbed a change of clothes. I went straight to the bathroom to clean up.
"Are you sure you're okay? You look pale," he pointed out.
"I had a fever earlier, that's why I look like this," I answered from the bathroom.
I didn't take too long since I wanted to lie down and sleep. I still felt heavy, and even though I didn't have a fever anymore, I felt like it could come back anytime and knock me out.
When I came out, Aries was still sitting there, waiting for me. Looks like his interview with me wasn't over yet.
He must dream of being a reporter.
"Why did you get a fever?" he asked.
I froze. I hadn't told Keifer what I saw. I knew I shouldn't tell my cousin either because he'd insist on taking me to the doctor. I wasn't sure if I should tell Aries because he might tell on me.
But there was something I wanted to know that I knew he could answer.
I quickly went to the door and peeked outside. Seeing no one, I closed it and sat on the edge of my bed near where Aries was sitting.
"Tell me, how many people did Mom get involved with?"
"Why are you asking that? I thought you already knew?"
His response annoyed me. Would I be asking if I already knew? Obviously, I might not know everything, which is why I'm asking him.
Too much fortune-telling has made him slow.
"I only know three names that Kuya mentioned. I even met one in person. How would I know if there were more?" I replied irritably.
"What do you mean you met one? You met one of Mom's exes?" he asked in shock.
His voice got a bit louder. I signaled him to lower his tone in case someone heard us.
"Our mom," I corrected him. "Yes, once when I was buying something at the Mini Mart. He introduced himself and asked for forgiveness."
"He's got some nerve. What did you do?"
"I ran away. I didn't know him."
He was about to react to what I said, but then he seemed to realize that I still didn't remember what happened back then. He let out a deep sigh.
"You didn't tell Kuya?" he asked calmly.
I shook my head. "No. I didn't understand what was happening, and I forgot about it afterward."
He stared at me like he felt really sorry for me.
I flared my nostrils at him.
Don't you dare start with your fortune-telling.
"I'm asking you. How many were there?"
He hesitated to answer. "What's the point of asking that?"
"I just want to know something. Come on."
He rubbed his face with one hand, clearly getting irritated and close to losing his patience with me.
I tapped his knee, pressuring him to answer. He sighed again.
"Four," he finally said.
"Four? But Kuya only gave me three names before."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"The last one is dead."
I froze, my mouth hanging open at what he just said.
Dead? As in… gone?
"H-How?"
Aries stood up, about to leave, but I quickly stopped him. I could feel that he was hiding something.
"Wait. You're not telling me everything," I said, gripping the hem of his shirt.
"It's almost morning. Go to sleep."
I looked him in the eyes. Honestly, I wanted to curse at him, but I knew that wouldn't help. It might only make him mad.
I didn't know why, but a tear suddenly rolled down my cheek. I was frustrated. They were still hiding things from me.
"Jay..."
"Why does it always seem so hard for you all to tell me the truth?" I said bitterly and let him go. "I just want my questions answered. Why does it feel like none of you want to help me?"
He looked troubled too.
"What if I tell you, and it triggers your symptoms again? What if you start having nightmares? Fainting? I'm just being careful because what if next time, everything comes back to you..." He took a deep breath. "And you can't handle it?"
I wiped my face, holding back my tears.
"This is why I find it hard to talk to you all, because you're like this," I said before pushing him out of my room. "Fine, leave. If you don't want to tell me, suit yourself."
I opened the door and pushed him out. He didn't resist but watched me as I shut the door. I locked it so he wouldn't come back.
I collapsed onto my bed face down. I held back my tears and closed my eyes, trying to sleep, but the weight in my chest was too much.
It was suffocating how unfair they were being. They insisted on taking me to the doctor to get treated, yet they wouldn't even tell me the truth.
It felt like they were making me take medicine without telling me what it was for or where it came from.Top of Form
Bottom of Form
What if everything comes back to me and I can't handle it?
What Aries said is true—everything might come back to me if he talks.
But what if that's also the key to helping myself?
I really don't want my memories to return yet, but when I think about how my mom was also hurt back then, I want to know everything.
And one more thing—the last bloody man I saw… what if he was one of my mom's former husbands?
I don't remember him, but I have a strong feeling he was part of the incident back then.
The man who entered the house and called my mom in my dream. The bloodied man who threatened to kill both me and my mom. The man who introduced himself to me at the Mini Mart before. Two men talking, and one of them invited me to a room.
They're all different, but who among them was the last one I saw who threatened to kill my mom and me?
I know I won't get any answers from my mom, Aries, or Kuya Angelo. There's only one person I think can help me.
I got up and searched for my cellphone. I found it inside my bag.MMy hands were trembling as I sent a message to the King of Vipers. I just hoped he was still awake—or at least, that he would check his phone as soon as he woke up.
After sending the message, I lay down and pulled my blanket over me. I had no plans to wait for his reply since he was probably already asleep,
but I immediately sat up when my phone suddenly rang, and his name appeared on the screen.
King_Bingi calling…
I answered right away.
"Are you okay?" he greeted, and I felt like a child who instantly burst into tears.
"Keifer…" I called his name. "They don't want to tell me the truth."
"Calm down. Tell me what happened."
I tried to stop crying as I wiped my face. I sniffled a few times to keep my nose from running.
"I just… I just want to know what happened to my mom's fourth husband."
"Fourth? Wow," he said before coughing. "I-I mean, do you have his name?"
What wow? This idiot.
"Wow, my foot," I said in annoyance. "I don't know his name. Aries and Kuya didn't say."
"I will figure it out. Just stop crying."
I nodded as if he were right in front of me. "I won't."
He chuckled softly. "Go to sleep. You need to rest."
"But what if you don't find any answers?"
"Come on, it's me we're talking about," he replied confidently.
I let out a small laugh. Oh yeah, I forgot. He always had his backup lines.
"Don't worry about it. I got this. Just sleep."
"Alright. Good night—oh, I mean, morning."
He was about to say something else, but I ended the call. I was already feeling sleepy.
I stared at the ceiling of my room for a moment after lying down again. I don't want to remember my past, but I can't stop it from coming back on its own. I'm scared of what I might find out.
Maybe I should prepare myself. But how?
I didn't realize I had already fallen asleep. I only woke up when I heard knocking on my bedroom door.
"Jay, open the door," my mom's voice called out to me.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
I was about to lie back down, but then I heard my mom cursing.
I had no choice but to get up and open the door.
So early.
"Go eat, it's already lunchtime," my mom said, carrying my freshly folded clothes.
She walked to my closet to put them away.
"I didn't wake you up earlier because your brother said you got home late last night."
Did I really sleep that long? It's already lunchtime? My stomach hurts. My little pets must be going crazy in there. Calm down, guys. We're about to eat.
I grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom. Even though it's Monday, we don't have classes today. It's exam week, so they gave us a few days off before judgment day. So cruel.
I just hope I still remember everything I reviewed. What if I forget everything?
What will I do on exam day? And to think I bragged about how I was finally going to take my studies seriously.
When I came out of the bathroom, my mom had just finished what she was doing. She froze when she saw me.
"Are those scratches on your face and arms?" she asked, then checked my legs and knees too. "Why are you covered in scrapes?"
I froze. She doesn't know what happened yesterday at Sir Alvin's house. I don't know if Tita plans to tell her. But maybe it's better if they don't.
Wait, why does this situation feel familiar? Aries was like this with me last night.
"I-It's nothing. I just tripped a few times yesterday," I replied.
She clearly didn't believe me, but she let it go.
"Go eat," she ordered before leaving my room.
I followed her out, pouting. I feel like I was wrong to be mad at my brother last night. He had a point—about what he said, not his brain. I was just being too demanding, and when I didn't get what I wanted, I threw a tantrum.
Ugh. Sometimes my immaturity annoys me.
I was about to walk past Aries' door when it suddenly opened. We both stopped and looked at each other.
"What?" I asked, confused. "Why do you look so ugly?"
He rolled his eyes. "You're really one to talk."
"Of course…"
He shut the door and started walking. I followed him. Before he could reach the stairs, I stopped him.
"Carry me," I requested.
He immediately refused. "You're too heavy. Shut up."
I grabbed his arm and forced him to give me a piggyback ride. He shouted while trying to grab onto something for support.
"We're going to fall!" he yelled, but he still carried me properly. "You're so heavy!"
He had no choice but to go down the stairs with me on his back. I giggled softly, which seemed to annoy him even more. He's probably cursing my fate right now. Tita Gema saw us and just laughed.
"There. We're eating," I said, pointing at the dining table.
Kuya Angelo was still sitting there, finishing his meal.
"What the…?" I heard him say.
Aries put me down next to the table.
"My back. My back," he complained, holding his lower back.
"What did you think you were? Light?" Kuya asked me.
"I am light," I said.
He laughed loudly. "Keep dreaming."
I pouted and ignored him. I just served myself food and started eating.
My cousin finished his meal, but he still hadn't left his seat. He was staring at his iPad like he was looking for something.
Busy again.
He sighed a few times. He looked really stressed about whatever he was doing.
"What's wrong?" Aries asked him.
"I can't find a place for Alvin and Cindy to move. I might have to let them stay in my unit or here in the house temporarily."
Oh yeah, they need to move since their place has been exposed. I feel bad for the couple, and for Yuri, who's been living with them. Wait—what about Yuri if Sir and Cindy move here?
"Will Yuri be coming with them?" I asked.
Aries looked back and forth between me and Kuya.
"Wait, what? Why would Yuri come with them?"
"Cindy is still taking care of her. Not sure what her plan is, but we're just letting things be for now," my cousin explained.
My brother had no choice but to accept it. So Yuri really will move in here too if they can't find a place to stay.
After eating, I left them and went back to my room. I immediately looked for my phone to check if there was a message from the King of Vipers. I wasn't disappointed—he had sent a text.
From: King_Bingi
Message: I'm outside your house.
My eyes widened. He came without warning. I hadn't even showered yet. How was I supposed to face him when I smelled awful?
I was about to send him a message when he suddenly called. I had no choice but to answer.
"Hello?" I greeted.
"I'm outside," he said, and I bit my lower lip.
"I'll take a quick shower first. Is that okay?"
"I'm coming to you—"
"Wait! I'm coming out!" I cut him off and ended the call.
He couldn't be seen by Kuya or Mama. They'd wonder why he was at our house. And of course, if they were around, we wouldn't have any alone time, so how were we supposed to talk about what I asked him to find out?
And we wouldn't even be able to… gossip.
I just applied some deodorant to my underarms, changed into proper clothes, and brushed my hair—though it felt like I was going bald with how much hair was falling out. I also put on some powder, but I wasn't sure if I applied it properly. Once I was sure I smelled okay, I left my room.
I was beyond relieved that no one else was in the living room or garage. I quickly ran outside and looked for his car. As expected, he had parked far away again.
I got in quickly, and he immediately started the engine.
"I had to sneak out," I told him, but he didn't say anything.
I glanced at him for a moment—he looked so serious. It made me nervous.
The drive didn't take long. He found a place to stop and parked the car there.
"How is it? Did you find anything?" I asked, and he took a deep breath. His hands were still on the steering wheel.
"Jay…"
I waited for him to continue, like a child expecting a reward.
"I don't think you're ready to hear what happened to your Mom's ex," he said seriously.
My stomach tightened. Why did it feel like something terrible happened to him? And that it was my or Mama's fault?
"C-Can you just tell me?"
He leaned back and looked up. "This might trigger your symptoms."
"Keifer, not you too," I pleaded. "Why did you even ask me to come here if you weren't going to give me answers?"
"Because I want us to talk about this properly, without you digging for details about him."
That only made me more eager to know what happened.
I bit my lower lip. Why were they doing this to me? Didn't they realize it was even harder for me when I couldn't get answers to my questions?
Keifer took my hand. I tried to pull away, but he only tightened his grip.
"Jay, please listen."
I shook my head, holding back tears.
"Jay… What if I told you that this man might be the reason for your mental struggles?" He looked at me. "I'm not saying he is, but he could be the cause of your symptoms. I can't risk your condition just to satisfy your curiosity."
I understood what he was trying to say, but maybe he'd understand me too if I told him my reason.
"I saw something," I said, and he fell silent, listening.
"Yesterday, after I faced Ram, I saw a man covered in blood. He was furious and suddenly screamed that he would kill Mama and me."
"You remembered?" he asked, and I nodded.
"Besides that, I also had a dream. I was with Mama, and she had bruises. A man called out to her, but he had no face." I took a deep breath. "I know it was a memory, not just a dream."
Keifer let go of me and fell into silence. He seemed deep in thought, trying to figure out what to do—or what was happening to me.
I wanted to know what was happening to me too.
"But what triggered you to remember it all of a sudden?" he asked, concerned.
I shook my head. "I don't know either." I looked down. "Aries said Mama had four partners, but Kuya only gave me three names. That's why I want to know who the fourth one is—because he might be connected to everything that's happening to me."
He held my hand again. "But I don't think it's safe for you to know who he is."
I held his hand back. "I know. If it were up to me, I wouldn't want my memories to come back because I'm scared. But when I think about how Mama got hurt too, I can't sit still."
He gently pulled me into a tight hug. "Okay. If you badly want to know, I will tell you." He pulled away. "But on one condition—if your symptoms get triggered, we'll go see a doctor."
I felt like I'd been tricked. He knew I hated going to the doctor. But if I refused, I wouldn't get my answers.
His brain really works, huh?
Slowly, I nodded. "O-Okay."
He let out a deep breath. He held both my hands, but before he spoke, he wiped my forehead.
"You have powder on your face."
Damn it.
I knew I didn't apply it properly.
He took my hands again.
"Jay, his name is Rodrigo Abalos," he said, clearing his throat. "And your Mom… killed him."