Ang Mutya ng Section E – Book 3: The Unwritten Destinies
Chapter 13: The Words I Couldn't Take Back
(Jay's POV)
The house was still echoing with laughter.
Percy had just walked past the mirror again for the millionth time, pretending he wasn't checking his reflection.
Aries pointed at him immediately.
"I KNEW IT."
"I was not looking!" Percy protested.
"You literally slowed down to admire your own face," I said.
"That's called appreciation."
I rolled my eyes.
"Self-obsession."
Aries suddenly grabbed his phone from the table.
"Wait."
"What?" Percy asked.
Aries smirked.
"I need to show this to someone."
I frowned.
"Show what?"
Aries started recording Percy as he stood in front of the mirror again fixing his hair.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Aries whispered dramatically to the phone, "this is a rare species called the Blue-Eyed Narcissistic Monkey."
Percy threw a pillow at him.
"DELETE THAT!"
But Aries had already finished recording.
He laughed while typing something on his phone.
"Sent."
I raised an eyebrow.
"To who?"
Aries answered casually.
"To Keifer."
The laughter in the room died instantly.
My heart stopped.
For a second… I thought I misheard him.
"What did you say?"
Aries looked up.
"I sent the video to Keifer."
Something inside my chest tightened painfully.
Percy noticed the sudden change in my expression.
"Aries…"
But it was already too late.
Aries's phone started ringing.
My eyes locked onto the screen.
One name.
Keifer Watson
The air suddenly felt heavy.
Aries answered the call casually.
"Yo."
I stood frozen.
On the other side of the world…
He was there.
Listening.
"Yeah, we're alive," Aries said.
He laughed lightly.
"Jay is laughing a lot these days."
My heart skipped.
Why was he telling him that?
Why was he talking about me?
I slowly started walking toward Aries.
He didn't notice at first.
"Yeah," Aries continued. "She's sitting right here actually—"
Before he could finish the sentence…
I snatched the phone out of his hand.
Aries froze.
"Jay—"
But I was already holding the phone tightly.
My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would break my chest.
I didn't even know why I answered.
Why I didn't just hang up.
But the moment I brought the phone to my ear…
I heard his voice.
"…Aries?"
That voice.
The one I tried so hard to forget.
The one that used to make my heart feel safe.
Now it only made everything hurt.
My grip on the phone tightened.
And before I could stop myself…
The words exploded out of me.
"I HATE YOU!"
The entire room went silent.
Aries and Percy both froze.
My voice was shaking now.
"I hate you, Mark Keifer Watson!"
The name felt bitter in my mouth.
On the other side of the line…
He went completely silent.
For a moment I thought the call had disconnected.
But then I heard something.
His breathing.
He was still there.
Listening.
My eyes burned.
"You ruined everything," I continued, my voice breaking.
"You made me believe you loved me."
My hands were shaking now.
"But all you did was use me!"
Silence.
Painful silence.
"You think I forgot?" I whispered.
"You think I moved on?"
My throat felt tight.
"I tried."
The words came out weaker this time.
"I tried so hard to forget you."
My vision blurred slightly.
"But every time someone says your name…"
My voice cracked.
"…it still hurts."
No one in the room moved.
Aries looked devastated.
Percy looked angry.
But I couldn't stop anymore.
"You don't get to call here," I said bitterly.
"You don't get to check if I'm laughing."
"You lost that right."
My chest rose and fell quickly.
Then I said the words that had been trapped inside my heart for months.
"I wish I never met you."
On the other side of the phone…
Keifer still hadn't spoken.
Not once.
The silence felt heavier than any reply.
My fingers trembled.
And finally…
I ended the call.
The phone slipped from my hand and landed on the couch.
The room stayed quiet.
My chest hurt.
My throat hurt.
Everything hurt.
Aries looked at me carefully.
"Jay…"
But I shook my head.
"I'm fine."
My voice didn't sound convincing.
I turned away quickly and walked toward my room before anyone could see the tears forming in my eyes.
Behind me…
Aries slowly picked up the phone.
The call had already ended.
But thousands of miles away…
A man had just heard the girl he loved say she hated him.
And for the first time since leaving New York…
Keifer Watson probably realized something.
Some wounds…
Never truly heal.