CHAPTER 367 - FAMILY TALKS
JAY-JAY'S POV
I fell asleep after inserting the serum into my hand again. Because of the earlier chaos, I didn't realize it had been pulled out again. What's worse, it hurt because it wasn't completely removed—the needle was still half in my vein.
"When it's removed again, we'll put it in the other hand," said the nurse as she taped the needle with surgical tape to keep it from moving.
She secured it well so it wouldn't come out easily again. She also seemed a bit annoyed since this was the second time my IV had come out.
"Just stick the serum in her neck next time," Kuya Angelo said angrily.
Is it even possible to put serum in the neck?
I felt embarrassed by what he said. The nurse seemed intimidated by him and quickly cleaned up her things, then left without looking back.
Beside me stood Keifer, who just stared at me. Sir Alvin and our classmates had left already. Percy was with them, but he said he'd come back soon.
"Stop it, Angelo," Tita Gema said to him before walking over.
She smiled at me at first, but her smile vanished the moment she noticed my neck. I quickly looked down. I had felt relieved earlier, thinking the mark on my neck had faded since no one had mentioned it.
"What happened here?" she asked, holding my chin to take a closer look, but I avoided her hand.
She turned immediately to Kuya. "Angelo?"
"What?" Kuya replied casually.
"Why does Jay-Jay's neck look like this?" There was a threatening tone in Tita's voice.
Keifer raised his hand to get her attention. "It was done by my… f-father."
He almost hesitated to say "father." Tita Gema's expression changed instantly. Mama, who had been cleaning the mess on the table, also paused. Even Aries looked alarmed.
I didn't say the truth—that Keigan had done it. I didn't want to, because they might get the wrong idea about Keifer's brother. I know he's going through something.
"How did that happen?" Mama asked, throwing down the plastic she had in her hand before walking over to Tita's side.
"Long story short, he tried to take my youngest brother, but I think Jay-Jay tried to stop him and got hurt," explained the King of Serpents.
I flinched. That's not exactly what happened, but I couldn't contradict him—I didn't want him to be seen as a liar.
I could see the concern in Mama and Tita Gema's eyes. They looked at Kuya, waiting for an explanation, but he just shrugged.
"Why were your brother and Jay-Jay together?" Aries asked Keifer.
"He was also hospitalized and stayed here with Jay because—"
"Food poisoning. He and Jay-Jay had the same thing," Kuya interrupted.
They exchanged a look, and the King nodded, accepting what my cousin had said. I understood that we couldn't reveal the real reason we were hospitalized. It would be hard to lie if we told different stories.
"Don't you think you're ruining my daughter's life?" Mama suddenly said, shocking us all.
"Jeana," Tita Gema tried to stop her, but Mama just shook her off.
"Ma," I called to her, but she ignored me.
She tried to approach Keifer, but Kuya Angelo stepped in to block her.
"Obviously, this is your family's mess, so my daughter should stay out of it!" she said angrily, as if Keifer was the root of all our problems.
I held the King's hand, and he looked at me for a moment.
"This won't happen again. I was just really upset."
"Not anymore. It's better if you two stay away. Just avoid my daughter so she doesn't get involved in your problem with your dad," mama continued.
I couldn't help but feel annoyed by what she said. Since when did she become an ideal mother? It was clear to me that I was going to be destroyed, but Keifer didn't want that. Even Kuya knows it, but he doesn't talk to me like that.
"I'll just take Jay-Jay home to her grandma."
"That's not a good idea. She's safer if she stays with me," Keifer replied. The person next to me—and Mama—seemed to get angrier with him.
"Safe? You're the one bringing her into harm's way!"
"It's not like you've never disrespected me," I snapped. "Didn't you marry the men who hurt you?"
They fell silent. Keifer's grip on my hand tightened, as if trying to stop me from saying more. But I just couldn't help myself. What she said was too hurtful. A person is already struggling with their own problems, and then you throw more painful words at them?
"And don't act like you're some exemplary mother," I added.
"Jay," Kuya Angelo said gently.
Mama stepped back a little, turned around, and washed her face with both hands. All the anger I'd been holding back toward her was coming out again. I don't know why, but every time she makes me mad, it's like a flood of all the bad things she's ever done comes rushing back. Like a list that keeps resetting and replaying every time something new is added.
"Jay," Tita called me softly, like she felt sorry for me.
"Keifer, step outside," Kuya ordered.
I didn't want to let him go. I knew he was the only one who could help me here. I held his hand tighter and looked at him, shaking my head repeatedly.
"Let him go, Jay," Kuya told me again.
I was forced to let go. Keifer smiled, trying to tell me everything was okay. But I couldn't accept that.
He left the room as they wanted. And I was right—because they were planning to scold me. Auntie came over and lay beside me, but I immediately turned away and pulled a pillow over my head.
Mama's lecture came nonstop. She kept saying I was stubborn, that I was desperate for a man, that I couldn't let go of Keifer, and that I was on a path to destruction. She said if I dreamed of chasing death, I was doing a good job of it. I almost talked back. I didn't know why she said all those things—she was okay with Keifer before. While she was talking, I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep.
Since when did my mom's lectures become lullabies?
I woke up feeling someone adjusting my blanket. When I opened my eyes, I saw Aries. We made eye contact, so I quickly pulled the blanket up to my neck and turned my head to avoid him.
I heard the toilet flush, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. Whoever had come from the bathroom seemed to have released all the evil inside them, judging by the horrible smell that spread through the room.
"No one's going in there. It's deadly," Percy said, clearly amused by the stench.
"Fuck. That smells like a rotten corpse," Keifer complained.
"The smell's giving me a headache," Yuri added.
"Open the door and get that smell out of here," my brother ordered.
Someone opened the door, but it didn't stay open for long because people outside started complaining about the smell coming from the bathroom. I covered my nose. It was unbearable.
I know my breath stinks sometimes, but whatever happened inside Percy's body was disgusting, and he chose now to let it out like he'd been waiting for the perfect moment.
Someone opened a window, and they tried to air the room out. The smell made my stomach turn, and my body ached from it. I got up quickly and fanned myself to clear the air around me.
Why does the smell linger?
"Are you okay?" Yuri asked, coming closer while pinching his nose.
I shook my head. "My nose and head hurt from that smell."
He took the pillow from behind me and used it as a fan to quickly remove the smell. I also used my blanket.
"Maybe we should buy air freshener," Keifer suggested.
"Alright, buy it," Percy said, but Aries immediately pushed him away.
"You buy it. This is your fault, so you should be the one to fix it."
Percy walked out in a huff. He kept snorting but stopped just before opening the door.
"You won't come with me?" he asked blankly.
"NO!"
"NO!"
"NOPE!"
The three of us answered at the same time. He held his chest as if hurt, then turned to me.
"Just come with me, Jay," he said, but Keifer immediately blocked him.
"You can do it. You're a grown man."
"Grown up? I'm still young. I'm only 2 years old," he replied, and it made me think.
Two years old? Kupal!
"Yeah, 2 x 10," Aries answered him.
"I'm still a baby. Aren't I your baby?" He suddenly snorted and stomped like a child.
I wanted to slap him for acting like that. He looked more like a baby boy. Yuri and I just looked at each other, as if we were both questioning how we ended up taking care of him, Percy said.
My stepbrother stopped what he was doing when someone knocked and the door opened. A male doctor and two nurses entered. I felt embarrassed when they covered their noses. The smell Percy left behind still hadn't gone away.
Yuri left my side after placing the pillow back behind me. He's not the doctor who's been checking on me since I arrived.
"How are you, Miss Mariano?" the doctor asked as he approached and gently tilted my jaw so I'd look up.
One of the nurses checked my IV.
"I'm going to hold your neck," the doctor announced, but then looked over at Aries and Keifer who suddenly stepped closer.
They glanced at me before glaring at the doctor. I slightly moved my eyes toward Yuri, but he was looking at me like he was ready to choke someone.
What's going on?
All of a sudden, something pressed against my neck. I could feel his hand, but it wasn't as painful as the last time I felt it.
"If you rate the pain from 1 to 10, how painful is it?" he asked.
"6 or 7, sir," I answered.
"How about now?"
I was surprised. It felt like he was still holding my neck, but I didn't feel anything. There was a bit of pain, but not bad.
"1 or 2, sir."
He let go of me and took the chart from the nurse next to him.
"Your pain tolerance is unusual. You're too young to be experiencing this kind of pain," he said, which surprised me.
"Sorry?"
"The way you feel physical pain is either delayed or you have a high tolerance."
I nodded as if I understood, even though I really didn't. I just pretended so Doc wouldn't feel embarrassed. Poor guy—he might be the only one who knows what he's talking about.
Yeah, really poor.
"I must be getting into a lot of fights," I joked, but he shook his head.
"I doubt it's just from fighting," he said, looking at the chart in his hand. "It could be due to trauma. There are cases where trauma changes a person's perception of pain. Though there's no concrete study—it's mostly just a theory—we can't rule it out."
Out of everything he said, only one thing stuck with me.
"Are you saying I have trauma? Where is that coming from?"
He closed the chart and faced me. "No. That's not what I'm saying." He pointed at my IV. "That's the last one. After that, we can remove it." Then he looked at me again. "When was the last time you drank water?"
I shook my head. "Not yet. I was told it's not possible yet."
"It says on your chart that you've been given the go signal to eat and drink," he said, pointing to his hand.
I was amazed. I was allowed a while ago, but if Kuya stops me, it's like I'm asking for a forbidden drug.
Just water.
"M-My cousin said..."
"Angelo? Don't listen to him—he's not a doctor. I don't even know how he became CEO. He's stupid," the man said without hesitation.
Brother? Stupid?
"That's really something, coming from you, Lucius," Keifer commented.
The doctor—Lucius—just laughed. I looked back and forth between them. I also glanced at Yuri and Percy, who were watching too. They obviously knew each other. Lucius also seemed close to Kuya Angelo, considering he had the guts to say that.
Tiger and Sir Alvin wouldn't have dared to say that.
Lucius laughed again. "What do you expect? I'm a Peralta, after all." He handed the chart to the nurse next to him. "Just tell Angelo to come to my office. We have something to talk about."
He looked at me and smiled. "You can go home tomorrow."
Then he turned and walked away. A nurse picked up some things from Aries before following the doctor out. As soon as they left, I was bombarded with questions.
"Who was that? How does he know Kuya? Why did he call Kuya stupid? Is he Ci-N's relative? Why was he looking at me like that? And where was the doctor from yesterday?" I asked one question after another, but no one answered.
Aries went back to fanning wind from the window. Yuri started fixing my bed. Keifer was about to walk away, but I grabbed him.
"Answer me first!" I demanded, annoyed.
"That was Angelo's batchmate. They also had a fight—I just don't remember what it was about. I think he's a distant relative of Ci. I don't know why he looked at you, and the doctor from yesterday probably isn't on duty," he answered and sighed like he was already exhausted.
Short of breath?
"So Kuya had a fight with him—that's why he had the guts to say something like that."
I thought they were close friends. Even more than he was with Sir Alvin. Maybe that's what caused the conflict.
"I'll buy you food. Anything you want?" he asked.
I was about to point to the food Percy brought earlier, but I stopped when I saw there was nothing left but trash and empty containers.
Wow, that was fast.
"Beef pepper steak," I said with a smile.
He smiled back at me. He stepped closer and was about to kiss my forehead, but a pillow hit his face.
"This room is dusty," Yuri said behind me, patting the bed.
It felt like he was pounding it, because the bed shook every time his palm hit the mattress. He was clearly furious at the "dust."
The King gave him a death glare. I thought he'd retaliate, but instead he just placed the pillow on my bed, smiled at me, and said goodbye. He called Percy before leaving.
"Buy an air freshener," he told my stepbrother.
"You go. You can do it."
"BUY IT NOW!" Yuri and Aries shouted at him in unison.
Percy flinched and hurried after Keifer like a scolded child. The King had to pull him by the collar. When the door closed, the three of us were quiet. Yuri continued adjusting my bed.
"It's okay. You can go back to sleep now," he said with a smile.
I smiled back. "You look so tired."
He ran a hand through his hair and wiped his face. That's when I noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses. He leaned down, and I couldn't help but notice his hair color.
It was... different.
You know that fake red hair color, the kind that screams dye, and then there's the real red hair—like the kind Scottish or Russian people have. His was that kind of red. Genuine.
I tried to reach for his hair, but he seemed to notice my intention. He immediately turned away and looked at me. I felt like there were germs that needed to be avoided.
"Why? What's wrong? Is there something in my hair?" he asked, confused.
I wondered about his reaction. I only intended to touch his hair, but why did it seem like there was a problem with his scalp? I remembered Keifer's reaction when I once tried to criticize his best friend's hair.
Keifer acted as if he was preventing me from asking anything about what was in Yuri's hair.
Are you hiding something on your scalp?
"N-Nothing, it's just dusty," I answered, but I knew he didn't believe me.
His hair wasn't golden, but if he could avoid being touched, it was like he was trying to keep someone from stealing his dandruff. Could I pawn it if I got it? Maybe the lice on his scalp were happy because he appreciated his hair.
"I'll j-just clean my hair," Yuri said as he left the room.
I thought he was going to the bathroom, but then I remembered that the demon Percy left behind was still there. It was better if he stayed inside to fix his hair.
I fanned myself with my hand. The air conditioner had lost its coolness because the window was open. I looked at Aries and noticed he was looking at me. We quickly looked away.
He continued to fan the air out the window. It still smelled bad, but it was bearable. My step-brother's stomach was as slimy as if he had hidden a dead animal inside it.
"Go home, go home," Aries said without looking at me. Who was he talking to? Did he have an imaginary friend by the window?
I didn't answer and just snorted. Why was he sending his new friend home? That was creepy.
"I'll be the only one staying at Kuya Angelo's unit."
I knew he was talking about me. But I still didn't respond. I decided to pretend he was talking to someone else I couldn't see.
"I'll talk to Kuya to get your things."
Alright, Jay-Jay, I guess he is talking to you.
"You'll be better off at home. You'll be more attentive there," he added.
But I still didn't say anything. I didn't know how long I could keep myself from talking to him, but I had to cope.
This was better. I didn't want to add to the pain he had already experienced. He also seemed to notice my avoidance. He took a deep breath.
"I know the truth, Jay," he said, and I barely looked at him.
He stopped what he was doing and faced me. I wanted to leave the room. I felt like I knew what he meant — the truth. Wasn't there a choice? Truth or dare? Why was it always the truth?
"You remember that night? The night we both suffered because of that guy? He kidnapped us, tried to separate us, and then things happened," he said calmly, but I wasn't calm.
I immediately covered both my ears. "DON'T REMIND ME!" I shouted at him.
Everything came rushing back — the dark room, the clutter, the awful smell, broken glass, flowing blood. And Aries… on the floor, holding his wound.
I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want those memories to come back. I didn't want to remember anymore.
That's why I didn't want to see Aries either. Aside from the shame and guilt, I couldn't help but see him in that moment — the way he looked while struggling to breathe.
I couldn't take it. I didn't want to relive it over and over again. I immediately stood up and tried to run outside, but he grabbed my arm. I struggled, but he held my shoulders.
He faced me directly, and I broke into tears.
"S-Sorry… I didn't mean it. Believe me, I didn't want to stab you," I said, about to kneel in front of him, but he stopped me.
I saw the shock and concern on his face, but my guilt overwhelmed me.
"How much do you remember? Kuya Angelo said he was able to finish what he was going to say…"
I couldn't understand what he was saying. I just kept crying and apologizing. Because of me, he would suffer for the rest of his life. He couldn't even move properly. I had scarred him forever.
"I-I didn't want to do it… I had no control…"
He stared at me for a long time, listening to everything I said. I thought he was angry because he didn't say a word — until he slowly pulled me into a hug.
"Sshh… I'm not mad. Big brother isn't mad at you," he whispered gently.
But I knew my apology wasn't enough. I was sure he must still be angry. He had every right to scold me, insult me, humiliate me. He should have. He shouldn't have accepted my apology.
I cried even harder, overwhelmed by how kind he was being to me.
And me? All I ever gave him was pain.