Chapter 189 - The Prince

Aries's POV

"...Get out! Get out!" The teacher pushed Keifer and his classmates away. "...These kids! Always looking for a fight!"

The Section E guys left, but Keifer shot me a bad look. They interrupted our class just to humiliate Jay-jay.

How stupid!

Our teacher stormed out. I was sure he was heading straight to the guidance office to report what had happened. The rest of us stood there, staring at the door.

"You didn't have to say those things, Aries!" Ella snapped angrily.

I ignored her. We weren't on good terms yet, and if I talked to her, it would seem like I was the one giving in.

"Poor Jay-jay."

"She's obviously hurt."

I heard my classmates whispering. I noticed it too—the way Keifer grabbed her—it looked like she was in pain. But I chose to ignore it. I didn't want to show any sympathy.

"Hey... Aries. Why did you do that to your cousin?" France, one of my classmates, asked in a childish tone. "...I saw what happened earlier. She crashed into the track."

Crashed into the track? No, she was the one who really hit it.

"You're just twisting the story," Mykel said, laughing.

"No! The track had already stopped, but she was still on her bike, and then—boom!"

Is that why she looked like that? Is that why she seemed to be in pain? What the hell, Jay?!

"You should check on your cousin," Ella said firmly. Mica, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.

"Don't tell me what to do," I replied coldly.

The entire class stared at me. They had just heard me talk to Ella like that. No one knew we had fought—or more accurately, broken up.

After all this time... Still her...

"Ella's right," Freya suddenly spoke while filing her nails. "...I heard their section is in trouble. They say Harington is being rushed to the hospital."

Seriously? What's wrong with their section? Is Keifer being too aggressive again? And why isn't Yuri doing anything?

I took a deep breath, left the classroom, and headed straight for the stairs. I had no intention of checking on Jay-jay. Why should I?

Yeah... Why should I?

I walked up to the rooftop, where I had a clear view of their building and classroom. Some students were outside, while others seemed to be arguing inside.

I looked around near their room. Jay-jay's bike wasn't there—in fact, she wasn't there at all.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Kuya's number.

["Something wrong?"] He answered immediately.

"No."

["I thought something bad happened to you."] I could hear the concern in his voice.

I couldn't blame him. I had insisted on leaving the hospital. I hated being there—it reminded me of too much. Lying in a hospital bed, an IV attached to my arm...

"Nothing bad happened," I said, emphasizing the word bad. "...I just wanted to know if Jay-jay is there."

["If by 'there' you mean home… I don't know. I'm not home right now."]

Good.

"Okay... Thanks," I said, about to hang up when he spoke again.

["Wait… isn't Jay-jay still at school?"]

"She was… but I don't know if she went home. I have a bad feeling," I lied.

I wasn't covering for Jay-jay. I just knew Kuya wouldn't push further. If I kept talking, we'd end up discussing the past again.

["I see… I'll text Mama to check. Thanks."]

I didn't reply and hung up, my eyes still locked on Section E's classroom.

The students in that section were always causing trouble. Even though many of them came from wealthy families, they refused to let the head teachers or board members control them.

They always said that money wasn't the only thing that mattered at this school. I guess they were telling the truth. We weren't as rich as Keifer or Yuri, yet they still chose to follow me.

Because of Michael Angelo Fernandez.

The King who once sat on the throne.

Everything had been easier for me because of his name. They even gave me a title—The Prince—but I never let them call me that.

At first glance, I was The Prince because the King was my brother. But that's not how I saw it.

They called me Prince because I would never be King. I would never take the throne. I would never be like my brother. And they would never give me that chance.

Because everyone had already decided.

I hated myself for being like this. I was always second, no matter what.

Second to Percy because he made people happier.

Second to Yuri because he was smarter.

Second to Keifer because he was stronger.

And most of all, second to Jay-jay in our family—because she was the priority.

I smiled bitterly at the thought of her.

If only I had brought her with me to play.

If only I had made her stay when she cried.

If only I had made her feel how much her big brother loved her.

But that will never happen again. I will never do it again.

Everything that happened to me was her fault.

She's the reason I got sick.

She's the reason we had that accident that night.

She's the reason I lost my friends.

This is all your fault.

I have no reason to show you sympathy.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jay-Jay's POV

"Don't tell them."

"Please talk to Grandma while putting the ice pack on my shoulder."

Grandma looked at me with concern. That was the first thing I noticed when I got home. Mama and Andy had already left, as had Tita Gema and Tito Julz. Kuya was with them as well.

"It can't be... Look at yourself," she said, pointing to the scars on my body.

"They'll fade quickly."

She let out a deep sigh. It was always the same every time I came home with bruises and wounds. Tired of arguing, I chose to turn away from her.

"You're so stubborn! Have you been to the hospital?"

I nodded and took out the X-ray and check-up results. I opened the envelope and showed her the report. She looked at it first before taking it from my hand and reading it herself.

There were no bone fractures. It was just muscle pain, so the doctor prescribed me plenty of pain relievers and advised me to use a cold compress for the bruises and sore areas.

"Jay, this is exactly why I left you here! I knew you'd get caught up in your Kuya Angelo's mess... And now you're home again, all beaten up." She scolded me and placed the test results beside me.

I only responded by lowering my head. I wasn't in a position to argue. Yes, sometimes her lectures were exhausting, but if I hadn't done anything wrong, she wouldn't have been angry or preaching at me.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

Grandma gently took the cold compress and helped me lie down.

"Get some sleep first… You need that more than my sermon," she said, forcing a smile.

I smiled back at her. She tucked me in, fixed my blanket, and kissed my forehead before walking away and closing the door.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just after lunch, yet I already felt sleepy—probably from exhaustion.

I yawned repeatedly, staring at the ceiling as memories of the day replayed in my mind—the motorcyclists, and what Keifer had said.

My body ached, but his words hurt even more. It felt like my heart had been punched, and I had no way to defend myself. I never thought Keifer could act this way out of jealousy.

I turned to my side and hugged Snorlax tightly. I used to think love was simple.

I wasn't really hurt by my first boyfriend. I was just angry when I found out he was gay and had used me to keep it a secret from the school.

And what a queen he turned out to be! In the end, he was even more beautiful than me.

I wasn't hurt by Cyrus either. I never took him seriously, and I knew he felt the same about me. The only thing I feared was that I might have hurt him too deeply.

But this… This was different.

For the first time in my life, words hurt me this much. I never realized words could cut like a knife. I had heard cruel things before—about me and Mama—but what Keifer said was different.

Maybe because the person who said it actually mattered to me.

I hugged Snorlax tighter. If it could talk, it would probably curse at him for making me feel this way.

I closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep. I wanted to rest—both my mind and body. I wasn't disappointed; sleep came quickly.

I woke up to find the sky darkening outside. I shifted slightly, feeling a dull headache. I wasn't sure if it was from oversleeping or not getting enough rest.

Loud laughter echoed from the living room. I glanced at the wall clock—6:42 PM. I picked up my phone to check if he had messaged me.

Nothing.

Only messages from Yuri and Ulupong, both saying hello. I didn't feel like replying.

I got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Hunger crept in, so I hurried downstairs.

In the living room, I saw Mama, Tita Gema, Tito Julz, and Andy. Lola was there too, talking to Kuya Angelo.

They all looked at me at once. The first thing I noticed was Mama's smile—different, almost too happy.

"Are you okay, Jay?" she asked, scanning me from head to toe. "Come here. Join us."

Huh?

I raised an eyebrow. What's with her?

I gnoring them, I headed straight to the kitchen. I just wanted to eat.

"Let her be… She might still be feeling unwell," I heard Tita say.

I took food from the fridge, grabbing whatever I could find. I'd deal with the scolding later.

As I ate, I heard Aries' car horn outside. I didn't bother standing up to check.

Why would I?

Seeing him wouldn't change anything. He was mad at me, and he didn't want to see me. I had accepted that. I understood.

Who would want to be related to someone like me?

I continued eating when I heard loud voices from the living room—almost like an argument.

Mama's voice was hoarse. Even though I hadn't finished my meal, I chose to peek at them.

I couldn't fully hear what they were saying.

"Don't talk to me like that!" Mama shouted.

"Get out of our house! I don't want to be here with you!" Aries snapped back.

What the hell?

I stepped into the living room, but everyone's attention remained on Mama and Aries. Andy was holding Mama back while Tita Gema stood between them.

"Aries! Stop it!" Kuya yelled, but Aries showed no signs of backing down.

"You owe me nothing!" Mama screamed again.

"You owe me?! Why?! What did you do for me?! You just brought me back to life only to throw me away like trash!" Aries shouted in fury.

Wait. Raised and then thrown away?!

Confusion swirled in my mind. I had no idea what they were fighting about. I didn't recall them ever having issues before.

"Gem!" Mama shouted at Tita. "Is that what you're teaching my children here?!"

Children?!

"At least they teach something! You don't!" Aries answered before Aunt Gema could even speak.

"If only I had known you would turn out like this, I wish I had never adopted you!"

PUT A TANG IN A GLASS!

I felt my heart stop. The hair on my neck stood on end, and my hand instinctively caressed it.

"Jay-jay?" Grandma called out to me when she saw me.

All their attention immediately shifted to me. Mama's earlier anger turned into embarrassment. Aunt Gema and Grandma hurried toward me.

"Jay... W-what...." Aunt started, struggling to find the right words.

"What? She still doesn't know?" Mama asked in frustration, turning to Aries. "And you had no intention of telling her?"

"Tsk! What more can I say? You already did!" Aries answered sarcastically.

"ARIES!" My brother shouted, his voice filled with fury. "Go to your room. Now!"

Aries threw me one last glare before storming off. I stood frozen, staring into nothingness. Aunt and grandma were speaking, but their voices didn't reach me.

I had always wanted an older brother. As a child, I envied Aries because he had Angelo. When my relatives told me I had a brother, I dreamed of meeting him.

But not once did it cross my mind that the boy who always asked me to play, the one who taught me to ride a bike, the one I had always known as my cousin—was the very brother I had been asking for.

Shit! Am I kidding?!

"I-I'm going to my room." That was all I could say.

No one stopped me. They just let me walk away like I was in a daze. I felt weak—like a fool.

Jay… You've been facing your big brother all this time. — Percy once said.

So that's why he said that. He knew the truth. He knew Aries was my brother.

How wonderful. Just perfect.

I looked like an idiot, thinking about his condition. I wonder if he's happy with the family he knows. If he has a brother, too.

A fucking stupid question when the answer is right in front of me. Shit! I can't believe how blind I was.

"You know the truth now, but that doesn't change anything between us," Aries suddenly said, now standing in front of me.

I frowned. "Oh?"

"Don't expect me—"

"I don't expect anything from you. I know… You don't want me as a cousin, let alone as a brother." I cut him off.

"Good. At least you understand." He said before walking away.

I clenched my fists in frustration. I entered my room and shut the door behind me.

I slid down to my knees, still gripping the door.

I don't know why, but I suddenly felt weak. Tears spilled from my eyes. I tried to hold back my sobs, not wanting them to hear me, but I felt like I would explode at any moment.

Everything I thought I would do when I finally faced my brother—I couldn't do. The conversation I had imagined never happened.

That's it. My brother will give me what I have—

Nothing!

It's unfair. So damn unfair. I clutched my chest, still crying.

Why him? Why does he always get more?