Jay's POV
For the past few days… something felt wrong.
Not outside.
Inside me.
The guilt had been growing heavier every day.
I laughed with Keiren and Keigan, helped them with homework, and tried acting normal around Keifer.
But my mind kept drifting.
I knew the truth couldn't stay hidden forever.
Sometimes I zoned out mid-conversation.
Sometimes I stared at nothing.
I thought no one noticed.
But Keifer noticed everything.
Keifer's POV
Something was definitely wrong with Jay.
For days she looked distracted.
Quiet.
Lost in her thoughts.
Even when the boys joked around, she barely reacted.
That wasn't her.
So one evening I stopped her in the hallway.
"Jay."
She turned slowly.
"Yes?"
"What's going on with you?"
"Nothing."
I sighed.
"Jay… don't lie to me."
She stayed quiet.
Then she whispered,
"There's something I never told you."
Jay's POV – The Truth
We sat in the living room.
My hands were trembling.
"Keifer… I'm not originally from the Philippines."
He frowned.
"What?"
"I was born in India."
The silence in the room became heavy.
"My parents are Filipino… but my mother gave birth to me in India."
I swallowed.
"In the hospital… I was switched with another baby."
"I ended up in an orphanage."
"An Indian family adopted me."
"They raised me like their own daughter."
I smiled faintly.
"They were kind… loving… everything."
"I lived in India for fifteen years. I studied there and grew up there."
"But as I got older it became obvious I was adopted because I looked Filipino."
"Eventually my real parents found me."
"My mother is Jeana Fernandez and my father is Jasper Mariano."
"They were never together."
"I moved back to the Philippines and lived with my mother."
I looked down.
"My stepfather abused both of us."
Keifer's expression hardened.
"That's why I'm scared of blood."
"And because of the Cyrus incident and family problems… I was sent to Kuya Angelo."
That part he already knew.
But the India part…
He didn't.
Keifer's POV
India?
Jay was Indian?
Why didn't she tell me this before?
Before I could respond, her phone rang.
She froze when she saw the caller.
"Ananya…"
She answered.
Then she started speaking in Hindi.
Phone Call
Ananya:
"Mira meri shadi hai aur tujhe kaise bhi karke meri shadi pe ana hi hoga. Agar tu nahi ayi toh main tujhse baat nahi karungi."
(Translation: Mira, it's my wedding and you must come no matter what. If you don't come, I won't talk to you.)
Jay smiled softly.
Jay:
"Haan jarur aungi, tu chinta mat kar."
(Translation: Of course I'll come, don't worry.)
My mind froze on one word.
"Mira?"
She looked nervous.
"That was my name in India."
The anger inside me finally surfaced.
"So you're Indian."
"You have another name."
"You speak another language."
"And you never told me?"
Jay's POV
"I was scared," I said quietly.
"Scared of what?" he asked.
"That things would change."
He laughed bitterly.
"Well congratulations."
"They did."
Next Day – School
At Higher Value International School, everything felt uncomfortable.
Keifer completely ignored me.
When I tried to talk to him before class…
He walked past me.
During lunch…
He sat with the Section E boys and didn't even look at me.
My chest tightened.
Keifer's POV
I knew she kept looking at me.
I could feel it.
But I didn't turn around.
Because if I did…
I'd probably forgive her immediately.
And right now I was still hurt.
Section E Group Chat
Group Chat: Section E Chaos
Yuri:
Why are you two acting weird today?
Aries:
Yeah something definitely happened.
Kiko:
Jay-Jay looked like she cried earlier.
Ci-N:
Keifer what did you do this time 💀
Keifer:
Nothing.
Felix:
That's suspicious.
Calix:
Bro she tried talking to you earlier.
Eman:
You straight up ignored her.
Jay:
It's my fault…
Yuri:
Jay-Jay what happened?
Jay:
I told him something I should've told him a long time ago.
Ci-N:
And he's mad about that?
Aries:
Keifer bro talk to her.
Keifer:
Not right now.
Blaster:
Bro you're being stubborn.
Drew:
Facts.
Yuri:
You're literally the class president and you can't communicate 😑
Keifer:
Drop it.
The chat slowly went quiet.
School Hallway
After classes I finally gathered courage.
"Keifer… please. Can we talk?"
He stopped walking.
But he didn't turn around.
"I need space, Jay."
Just four words.
But they hurt more than anything.
Jay's POV
So I gave him space.
Instead of going to the Watson mansion…
I went somewhere else.
Kuya Angelo's House
Angelo opened the door.
"Jay?"
I tried smiling.
"Kuya… can I stay here for a few days?"
His expression softened immediately.
"You don't even need to ask."
I stepped inside.
But my chest still felt heavy.
Because leaving Keifer like that…
Hurt more than I expected.
Keifer's POV
That night something felt wrong.
The house felt too quiet.
Keiren finally asked,
"Where's Ate Jay?"
I didn't answer.
Then Keigan said quietly,
"She didn't come home today."
My chest tightened.
"Where is she?"
"With Kuya Angelo."
I sat on the couch staring at nothing.
Part of me was still angry.
But another part…
Missed her already.
And for the first time that day…
I started wondering if I had pushed her too far.