(hey buddies, let me make you irritated, annoyed and sad. Read and irritate, see you soon đ)
For the next few days, Jay became a ghost in her own home.
She was there, but she wasn't really there. Every time Sophia tried to pull her into a conversation, Jay would give a polite "Mhm" or "That's nice" without even looking up from her phone or her laptop.
It was beyond frustrating. Sophia would try to tell a funny story, and Jay would just walk out of the room mid-sentence, claiming she had an urgent email to send.
Even Keifer was reaching his limit. He tried to catch her in the mornings, but she was always gone.
He tried to wait for her at night, but she would just offer a tired "Goodnight, Keifer" and lock herself in room.
She was being so "perfectly polite" that it was actually annoying. It was like living with a very well-mannered robot.
Keifer slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing through the quiet living room.
He was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. Every time he looked at the clock, his irritation grew.
It was late, and once again, Jay's side of the house was dark.
"I'm done, Sophia," Keifer snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. "The ignoring, the 'polite' coldnessâI've had enough.
If she wants to live like a stranger, fine. But she could at least have the decency to show up for dinner when my mother is away."
Sophia was curled up on the armchair, watching him. She looked worried, not angry.
"Keifer, just calm down. You know Jay. She isn't doing this to be mean. She's hiding something, I can feel it. She's scared of something."
"Hiding what?!" Keifer shouted, turning to face her.
"What is there to hide like this? We're her family now! Why can't she just be fine? Why does she have to make everything so difficult and complicated? It's exhausting."
Sophia flinched at his tone. "She's not doing it on purpose, Keifer. Don't be so hard on her."
"I'm done being soft," Keifer muttered, grabbing his jacket and heading toward the stairs.
"If she doesn't want to be part of this family, I'm not going to force her anymore." He stormed off to his room, slamming his door shut before Sophia could say another word.
Sophia sighed, feeling the heavy tension in the air. She couldn't sleep, so she decided to go check on their father.
He had mentioned feeling a bit under the weather earlier, and with their mother gone, she wanted to make sure he was okay.
She walked quietly toward her father's room and noticed the door was slightly ajar.
A faint light was spilling out.
She peeked inside and stopped dead in her tracks.
Jay was there. She wasn't at the office or the university. She was kneeling by their father's bed, her face pale with exhaustion.
She was carefully checking his temperature and placing a fresh, cool cloth on his forehead.
Their father was awake, his eyes glassed over with fever.
Even while sick, he stayed true to his stern nature. "I don't need... your help," he muttered, his voice weak and raspy.
He didn't say thank you. He didn't offer a smile. He was still being his usual, difficult self.
But as Jay leaned over to adjust his pillow, Sophia saw itâa flicker of guilt in her father's eyes.
He knew he was being rude to the only person who had bothered to stay by his side all night, but his pride wouldn't let him admit it.
Jay didn't seem to care about the rudeness. She just whispered, "It's okay, Dad. Just rest," and continued her work with a steady, patient hand.
Sophia felt a lump form in her throat. She wanted to run in and hug Jay, but she stopped herself.
She knew Jay was doing this in secret for a reason. And she knew Keifer.
In the mood he was in, if she told him right now, he'd probably think it was just another "act" or get even angrier that she hadn't told him where she was. He was too blinded by his own hurt to see the truth.
Softly, Sophia pulled out her phone. She snapped a quick, clear photo of Jayâtired, messy-haired, and devotedâsitting by their father's side.
She tucked her phone away and stepped back into the shadows.
She wouldn't show Keifer yet. He didn't deserve to see Jay's heart while his own was so full of anger. She would wait until he realized just how wrong he was.
Sophia stopped trying to bridge the gap. She didn't confront Jay, and she didn't show Keifer the photo.
Instead, she just watched. She observed how Jay would skip breakfast, how her shoulders slumped when she thought no one was looking, and how she stayed in her father's room until the early hours of the morning before sneaking to her own bed.
Days turned into a week. The house felt like a pressure cooker.
Jay was pushing herself to the absolute limit.
Between her university lectures and her long hours at the office, she looked like a shadow of her former self.
But whenever she was home, she was a master of the "polite ignore." If Keifer walked into a room, she walked out. If he asked her a question, she gave a one-word answer and went back to her laptop.
Keifer was vibrating with irritation. He tried to be patient, then he tried to be firm, but nothing worked. He felt like he was chasing a ghost.
To make matters worse, Cheska was always there, whispering in his ear.
"She clearly doesn't care about this family, Keifer," Cheska would say, stirring her tea. "she is just running from her responsibilities."
Keifer didn't believe Cheska's liesâhe knew Jay wasn't "lazy"âbut the constant whispering added fuel to his fire.
Every time Jay ignored him, Cheska's words felt a little more like the truth. He was angry at Cheska, angry at himself, but mostly, he was furious at Jay for shutting him out so completely.
The explosion finally happened on a Tuesday morning.
Jay was rushing out the door, her bag slung over her shoulder, looking like she hadn't slept in forty-eight hours.
Keifer intercepted her in the hallway, his hand snapping out to grab her wrist.
"Stop," he commanded, his voice low and vibrating with tension.
Jay didn't look up.
She just stared at his hand on her wrist. "Keifer, I'm late. I have a presentation at the university and a meeting right after."
"I don't care about the meeting, Jay. Look at me," he insisted, pulling her slightly closer.
"What are you doing? Why are you running away every single day? Talk to me. Just once, tell me what is actually going on in that head of yours."
Jay felt a sharp pang in her chest. Seeing the hurt and frustration in his eyes was almost more than she could bear.
She wanted to drop her bags and tell him everythingâhow tired she was, how much she missed their laughter with Sophia, and how she was only doing this to protect them from her own mess.
But she couldn't. She didn't have another way.
"There's nothing to tell, Keifer," she said, her voice trembling slightly. She tried to pull her arm back. "Maybe you should try focusing on your own work instead of stalking me."
"Stalking you? I'm your husband!" Keifer stepped into her space, his eyes flashing.
"I have a right to know why my wife is acting like I'm invisible!"
Something in Jay snapped. The pressure, the exhaustion, and the guilt finally boiled over. She looked him dead in the eye, her expression turning cold and sharp.
"Husband?" she spat, the word sounding like a curse. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Keifer. We both know why we're here. This marriage is just a deal. A contract. An old promise between our mothers that we're stuck with."
Keifer flinched as if she had slapped him.
"You wanted a deal, so here it is," she continued, her voice rising. "Stay in your limits, and I'll stay in mine. Stop acting like this is a real romance. You do your part, I'll do mine, and when we're in this house, we don't have to pretend. So let go of my wrist."
The hallway went dead silent. Keifer's grip loosened, his hand falling to his side.
He looked at her as if he didn't recognize her. The "sunshine" was gone. The "chaos" was gone. There was only a girl with a heart of ice.
"Fine," Keifer whispered, his voice dangerously quiet. "If it's just a deal to you, then that's exactly how I'll treat it."
Jay didn't wait for another word. She turned and walked out the door, her heart breaking with every step she took away from him.
A/n : if u feel irritated even a bit show it in votes and comments.
Bye buddies đđ«
**Spoiler for next chapter:
Jay's b'day đ