JAY-JAY'S POV
My size is shunga. If there were an award for being shunga, I think I'd have a lot of trophies by now. I get nominated every year.
The waiter took our coffee order. The cup was so big I had to use both hands to hold it properly. I couldn't hide the trembling in my hands, so the King of Serpents helped me place the cup back on the table.
"Please relax," Keifer whispered to me.
I instantly regretted ordering hot coffee. I was even more nervous sitting in front of Aries' dad. Thankfully, Keifer stayed beside me.
"Thank you," Ares said to the waiter before he left our table.
He sipped from his cup first. I was stunned when I saw the large scar along his jaw. It looked just like the scar on Aries' lower chest. Maybe because they got them on the same day... because of me.
The same incident.
I swallowed hard several times. Keifer gently held one of my hands, and when I looked at him, he gave me a reassuring smile — a silent message that everything would be okay.
I tried to smile back, but it quickly faded when the man in front of us finally spoke.
"How are you?" he asked.
I wanted to laugh and raise an eyebrow. The nerve of that question was unreal. He traumatized me — and Aries — and now he was asking how I was? That's like slapping someone and then asking if it hurt.
Are you serious?
"I mean, after all these years... it's been a long time since it all happened," he added.
Even after all this time, the pain lingers. We're not like dirty clothes that can be cleaned and be good as new. I looked at Keifer, silently asking for permission to respond. He nodded in encouragement.
"I-It's true... I'm not comfortable being here with you. I just want to get this over with, so I'll listen to whatever you have to say," I answered, and saw a flicker of acceptance in his eyes.
"I understand," he said, then stood up and walked toward me.
I immediately clung to Keifer's arm, nervous and unsure of what he was about to do. Keifer stood protectively in front of me — but we were both shocked by what happened next.
He knelt down right in front of me.
Some customers and coffee shop staff looked over, curious about the scene.
"Mister, what are you doing?" Keifer asked cautiously.
"I want to apologize for what I did back then. I won't deny that we had plans to get a lot of money from the family that adopted Aries." He looked straight at me as he spoke. "I also wanted revenge on your mother, even though deep down, I knew she hadn't done anything wrong to me. I didn't think about how it would affect you as a child. All I cared about was accomplishing our plan."
I grabbed Keifer's arm tighter. I didn't expect this at all. I thought he just wanted to talk about Aries.
"Believe me, I regret everything that happened. When I was imprisoned and met God, I truly repented. That's why I'm here to apologize — because I've realized I wasn't the only one carrying the weight of what happened. If it haunted me for years, I know it haunted you too."
I don't know why, but I just wanted to cry. The events that happened when he kidnapped Aries came back to me. The nights when we looked for a way to escape, we slept side by side because of the cold and fear. The day he tried to leave us. The moment I attacked him with handcuffs.
And when I stabbed my brother.
I want to be thankful for the times I don't remember. I don't have a trauma that haunts me again and again. I have no pain of thinking that something terrible once happened to me. But when I think about how Aries suffered alone, my conscience eats at me.
My brother carried all the pain from that night. And I just keep wondering why he doesn't want to talk to me anymore. The nerve to enjoy life while someone else is still suffering—that guilt should've been mine too.
And we went through all that because this man chose to hurt us.
"I just remembered that incident." I hit my chest. "I remembered what I did to you... and to my brother." I took a deep breath. "It hurts me so much that he carried all the trauma alone, while I go on living because I don't remember." I started crying, and Keifer immediately knelt down on one knee.
"I don't understand... why is it so easy for people like you to sympathize with the innocent?"
"I think you should leave," Keifer said to Ares, but I immediately stopped him.
"No. Don't leave. I want to scold all of you!" I said angrily.
He remained on his knees, crouched down, unable to look me in the eye.
"It's not good for your mental health," the King insisted, but I just shook my head.
"I'm so angry—and sorry—for my brother! I almost killed him that night!" I shouted and reached out to hit Ares.
Keifer stopped me, but because I struggled, I fell off the chair and reached him anyway. I hit him again and again—with punches, slaps, and twists—but he didn't fight back. He accepted everything.
"If you hadn't kidnapped us, none of this would have happened!" Keifer grabbed both of my arms to stop me.
"Please stop. You're hurting yourself."
I didn't struggle anymore. I stopped on my own, softening, and leaned against the King's chest, still crying.
"It's fine, scold everyone. Hurt me if that's the only way you can forgive me," Ares said.
"Mister," Keifer said sternly. "Please shut up."
I heard the coffee shop crew approaching. I think there were three of them, asking what was going on, but Keifer just asked them for water.
One of them handed him a glass. Keifer offered it to me. I tried to refuse, but he insisted. I drank nearly the whole glass and finally started to calm down.
"I really think he should leave. It would be better if you met again some other day," the King said, but I refused. "Jay, your memory just came back. You're torturing your mind with too much emotion."
"I have so much more to say, but I know Mama and Aries have even more."
I was stunned for a moment by my own words. It's true—they have more reasons to blame him than I do. That's when an idea came to me.
"Face them. Face Mama and Aries," I ordered.
He looked confused at first, but he understood what I meant. I wanted him to meet them—now.
I forced myself to stand, even though I was still limping. The King beside me helped steady me.
"Let's go to them now," I ordered, grabbing my bag from under the table.
I started to walk. I could feel the eyes of the crew and customers on me—judging, as if I'd lost my mind because of how I looked. Keifer quickly followed and tried to stop me by grabbing my arm.
"Jay, calm down."
I pulled my arm away. "I am calm!"
"Then why are you bringing this guy… this kidnapper… to your own home? What if something goes wrong? You're not ready for this. You just got a piece of your memory back. You can't handle too much stress right now." He was concerned—but I knew what I was doing.
"Because he has to face Mama. I wasn't the only one he hurt. So why is he only apologizing to me?"
"We don't know. Maybe he tried to talk to your mother or Aries."
"And what if he didn't? That man just wants forgiveness so he can sleep well at night. But if he's really sorry, he should ask all of us for forgiveness!" I said angrily, glancing at the coffee shop door as I saw him leave.
Keifer took a deep breath. He was clearly against this, and I understood why. He was worried—some parts of my memory had just returned, and now I was about to face the one who caused the trauma.
Aries and I… or just Aries.
"Okay, if that's what you really want. I can't let you do this alone. I'll come with you to make sure you're okay," he said, walking to his car and opening the door behind the driver's seat. "Even though I know that won't be the case," he added as I approached to get in.
Closing the door, he told Ares to follow us. Ares had his own car, so it wasn't a problem.
I was quiet during the drive, and so was the King. I stared at the side-view mirror, watching Aries' dad's car, making sure he was following and not changing his mind.
"I'm willing to pay millions just to read your mind right now," said the person next to me.
I snorted at his comment. Too bad he's a millionaire. My brain felt like a tangled thread. I kept thinking of all the possible outcomes. I could hear my mother's sharp voice and Kuya Angelo's angry one. I could also imagine Aries' reaction.
I suddenly felt sorry.
But it was too late to back down. I had to stand by my decision.
The car stopped in front of the house. We got out one by one. I was the first to enter, and they followed right behind me. As I stepped through the door, Aries greeted me.
He was sipping juice while walking and stopped immediately when he saw me.
"Why are you here now? Where did that bastard take you?" he asked, his voice laced with threat.
He was about to approach me, but then he saw who was following me. His expression changed instantly. His eyes filled with rage as he looked back and forth between me and the person behind me—his dad.
He dropped the glass of juice, and it shattered instantly. The sound seemed to draw the attention of those in the kitchen because Aunt Gema and Mama came out one after another.
"The glass broke. What the—?" Mama couldn't finish her sentence. She, too, saw the reason for the shock.
"I—You..." she stammered.
Aunt Gema covered her mouth. "Angelo!" she called for Big Brother without taking her eyes off Aries' dad. "Angelo, get down here!"
I didn't know if he heard her, but I couldn't wait. I stepped aside slightly to properly introduce the man beside me.
"He said he wants to talk to you," I said, and I saw how Mama looked at me as if I had betrayed her.
I turned to Aries and motioned for him to come further inside. He stepped in twice but stopped when he saw Kuya Angelo coming down the stairs. At first, Kuya seemed confused about who was with me, but as he came closer, recognition dawned on him.
"Shouldn't you still be in jail? Your sentence isn't over yet," Big Brother asked.
"I was granted parole," the man next to me replied.
Kuya folded his arms and looked at me and my companions. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Keifer behind me.
"Congratulations," Aries said sarcastically to his father. "You can leave."
My brother was about to walk away, but both his father and I shouted for him to stop. He immediately turned to me upon hearing my voice, realizing what I had done. He stared at me, full of surprise and accusations.
He doesn't know yet that my memory of what happened has come back.
"He just wanted to talk and apologize."
He remained silent, and so did Mama and Aunt Gema. Not even a faint sound could be heard from them.
"Jay..." Kuya called him. "Go to the room first."
I didn't want to obey, but I could see the anger in his eyes. I turned to Keifer to say goodbye. He smiled briefly before letting me go.
"You have to leave too, Keifer," Kuya told him before I finally went upstairs.
"I know," answered the King of Serpents.
Even after I reached my room, I still didn't hear any noise from them. I closed the door and leaned against it.
I know what I did was wrong, but I still wanted to do it. I wanted to know if he really wanted to apologize for what he did. Because whether I admit it to myself or not, maybe I will willingly forgive him when the time comes. But what if his repentance isn't true? What if I forgive the wrong person and give him another chance to hurt me?
I chose to get changed and rest. I also took out my cellphone, and Keifer's message was the first one I saw.
📩
From: Gagong Baliw
Message: I hope you're okay. I'm just outside your house. Just in case.
I chose not to reply. I didn't even know what to say.
I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, still feeling the tension downstairs. I was afraid they might get hurt because of the anger—just like what happened earlier in the coffee shop.
It was getting dark outside, but still, I hadn't heard from them. I texted the King in Battle in case he had seen or heard anything, but I didn't get a reply. My stomach was starting to growl.
Just a little more patience!
But I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and slowly opened my door. I peeked outside, but everything seemed still—quiet, as if no one lived in the house. I slowly walked out but stopped when I saw Aries through the opening of his door.
He was sitting at the end of his bed, staring at his palms, clearly deep in thought. I wanted to go in and say hi, but I'd be a fool to do that. I brought that man home even though I knew very well what he had done to me.
I continued with my plan to go to the kitchen. Step by step, I made my way downstairs. I was getting closer when I heard Mama and Aunt Gema talking. I froze at the sound of her crying.
"That's it?" she asked. "After all his sins, just forgive him?"
"He's ready to pay for his sins again. Let's put him in prison again," Aunt Gema suggested.
"Then release him too?"
I heard Mama's soft sobs. My heart literally broke. It's different when your mother cries because of pain.
What I did was truly wrong. I reopened the wound he caused. I don't think it even had the chance to fully heal. It's too late now for me to regret it.
"My children! They suffered because of him! How can I forgive him? He hasn't even paid for his betrayal of me!"
I covered my mouth in shock.
What did I do?
His shamelessness was worse than I thought. I believed he had just abandoned Mama while Aries was still in her womb. My tears flowed uncontrollably, joining my mother's sobs.
I'm horrible.
I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't know what she had suffered because of that man.
I quickly rushed back to my room. With my vision blurred by tears, I tripped several times on the stairs. And just as I reached the door of my room, I bumped into something.
"S-Sorry," I said, looking at him.
I felt even more depressed when I saw the lifeless eyes of Aries staring back at me. He clearly had no appetite either. I couldn't bear to look at him, so I lowered my gaze and tried to pass him—but he stepped forward, blocking my way.
"A-Aries..."
"Why, Jay? Why were you able to bring that monster here?" he asked dejectedly.
I couldn't answer. I just sobbed and tried to reach for him, but he shook off my hand.
"Is this your revenge? Are you getting back at me for talking to your dad? For keeping it a secret from you? For calling him Papa? For treating him like my own father?" he continued, his voice trembling as tears welled in his eyes.
Sorry...
"Huh? Is that it? Are you taking revenge? Because if you are... you did a great job."
He bent down, covering his face with both hands as if trying to wash away the pain.
"The pain of your revenge..."
My only response was to cry. I didn't know how to explain my reasons. I didn't know what the right words were.
"You've won. You've gotten your revenge."
He turned to go back to his room, but I grabbed the hem of his shirt. He stopped, took a few deep breaths, and faced me.
"N-No... that's—"
"You don't know," he interrupted me. "You're not the person I remember."
You're wrong. I remember...
"It all started with him. All of my suffering—ours. If he hadn't kidnapped us... if he hadn't locked us in that basement... if he hadn't kept us away that night—" He couldn't finish his sentence.
But I knew exactly how it ended. I wouldn't have stabbed him. He was clearly holding back the final words. So full of hurt, yet unable to say it out loud.
"Because you didn't remember. That night—"
"Aries," Kuya said, stopping whatever Aries was about to say.
I looked at my brother and saw the disappointment in his eyes. He walked over and gently took my hand, pulling it away from Aries' clothes.
"Let Aries rest. Too much has happened," he said, then quietly led Aries back into his room without looking at me.
Kuya then dragged me back to my own room. He stayed with me until we were inside and closed the door behind us.
"Calm down. I want to talk to you about what you did," he said firmly, and I nodded.
I wiped my face a few times, trying to show I was calm, but the sobbing wouldn't stop. I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my knees to my chest.
"What was your reason for bringing that man here? You should have asked us first—especially since you don't remember everything he did."
"You're wrong... I remember," I corrected him, and I saw the surprise in his expression.
"What?"
"I remember what happened that night," I said, looking into his eyes. "I also remember trying to kill Aries."
Kuya's surprise quickly turned into concern. He knelt in front of me, resting on one knee to match my eye level.
"When did it come back to you?"
"This morning," I said, crying again. "My conscience is eating me alive, Kuya. I don't want to face them... please."
Please...
He looked at me with sympathy, and I was grateful—he seemed to understand. He nodded, then stood up.
"Pack your things. I'll move you to my unit for now."
And that night, we quietly left the house.