( keifer pov )
The air outside Jay's house felt thick.
I could feel every heartbeat in my chest, each one echoing with guilt.
I glanced at my parents and Adrian. They looked as tense as I felt, but I knew what we were about to do mattered.
We had to apologize.
We had to make things right.
But the moment the door opened, everything shifted.
Jay's father stood there, expression tight, jaw clenched. His eyes met mine, and I felt a cold weight press on my chest.
"Why are you here?" His voice was sharp.
Mother stepped forward, trying to soften the tension. "We came to apologize. To explain—"
"You don't get it," Jay's father interrupted, voice low and steady, full of controlled anger. "You betrayed us. All of you."
Celestine stepped forward next, and my chest froze.
Her gaze locked on Adrian first — the man she was once engaged to. Pure hatred burned in her eyes.
"Don't even speak to me," she spat, her voice dripping venom. "You had your chance. You destroyed everything."
Adrian's face fell. the sight of Celestine like that… it made the guilt in my chest twist even sharper.
I swallowed hard. My voice came out low, strained.
"Jay… I… I'm so sorry. We—"
She didn't even look at me.
Her posture was rigid, cold. Her arms crossed. Her expression unreadable.
Her eyes avoided mine.
"I told you to leave," her father said, voice final.
My stomach sank. I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat.
Every apology, every reason, every plea… it felt useless.
Jay's mother stayed quiet, but her look was heavy with disappointment.
I glanced at Adrian, who opened his mouth to speak, but Celestine snapped at him.
"Shut up. You don't get a word."
I felt a trembling rise in my chest. I had expected anger, maybe tears, maybe yelling. But this?
This cold, stone-like rejection… it was worse.
Because it meant Jay had already decided I didn't deserve forgiveness.
I had hurt her. Hurt her family. And now… nothing could fix it.
I lowered my head, letting the shame wash over me.
"Please…" I whispered, barely audible. "We didn't know… Kian did it… I trusted him, I…"
"No," Jay's father said, cutting me off. "We trusted you. And you failed us."
Her silence was louder than any words.
Every glance at her face, every cold step she took, made my chest ache.
I had imagined reconciliation. I had imagined her forgiveness.
But instead…
We were strangers 💔
And I was the fool who had believed that pride and revenge could ever justify the pain I caused.
I felt my knees go weak. I wanted to collapse, to beg, to do anything to make her see…
But she didn't.
She wouldn't.
And in that moment, standing there, I realized: I had lost her. Maybe forever 💔🥺
( next day )
Keifer POV: The Cold Reality
I saw her the moment I stepped onto campus.
Jay.
Sitting with her friends, her posture perfect, her gaze sharp, and most importantly… completely untouchable.
I froze.
Not because of how beautiful she was — I had known that for years
.
No. I froze because she didn't care about me at all.
She didn't look for me. She didn't flinch when I walked past. She didn't even acknowledge I existed.
My chest ached
.
I had expected anger. I had expected tears. Maybe even shouting…
But this silence, this cold distance… it was worse.
I had hurt her.
I had humiliated her.
And now, standing here, watching her walk like I was nothing, I realized: I deserved this.
Every cruel word I had said.
Every insult I had thrown at her.
Every accusation I had made…
All of it.
It had come back to me, sharper than I could have imagined.
I wanted to run to her. I wanted to beg. I wanted to tell her I was sorry a thousand times over.
But what could I say?
"I'm sorry I hurt you"
It sounded hollow even in my head.
I sank onto a nearby bench, staring at her from a distance.
She laughed at something her friend said, completely unaware of me.
And a part of me — the selfish, desperate part — wanted that back.
But the bigger part… the part that hated what I had done… knew I couldn't.
I had broken her trust. Shattered her heart. And now… she had built walls so high, I couldn't climb them.
I rested my head in my hands.
The truth had hit me
harder than anything Kian or anyone else could have done.
It wasn't just the money.
It wasn't just the lies.
It was me.
I had destroyed the one person who mattered most.
And the worst part?
She didn't even need to show me she was hurt.
She was cold. Silent. Untouchable.
And I couldn't do a damn thing about it.