The next morning started with a crash. Sophia had walked into the kitchen expecting a quiet coffee, only to find Cheska standing there, looking like she owned the place.
Sophia froze, her eyes narrowing. "Wait... what are you doing here so early?"
Cheska didn't even look up from her phone. "I live here, Sophia. Didn't your brother tell you?"
"You live here?" Sophia's voice rose an octave. She turned around to see Keifer and Jay walking in. "Keifer! Why is the 'human headache' living in the same house as your wife?"
Cheska stood up, her face turning red. "Watch your mouth, Sophia. I'm a guest of the family."
"A guest? You're more like a permanent shadow that nobody asked for!" Sophia snapped back.
"I knew you were annoying, but I didn't think you were shameless enough to move into a married couple's home."
"At least I belong in this circle," Cheska sneered, glancing at Jay. "Unlike some people who just got lucky with a contract."
Sophia took a step forward, ready to really let her have it, but Jay quickly stepped between them. She looked calm, but her voice was very quiet.
"Sophia, please," Jay said softly, placing a hand on Sophia's arm. "It's okay. She is a guest, and we should treat her politely. Let's just have breakfast."
Sophia looked at Jay, stunned. The Jay she knew in high school would have never let someone talk to her like that.
The old Jay was the girl who stood up to bullies with a loud laugh and a sharp comeback. She was bold, talkative , bubly, confident, and never backed down.
But the girl standing here now was different—she was shy, soft-spoken, and seemed to be trying to make herself as small as possible.
Later that afternoon, while Keifer was working in the living room and Cheska was upstairs, Sophia finally cornered Jay in the garden.
"Jay-jay, talk to me," Sophia said, her voice uncharacteristically serious. "What happened to you?"
Jay kept her head down, trimming some dead leaves off a plant. "What do you mean? Nothing happened."
"Don't lie to me," Sophia pressed. "In high school, you were the loudest person in the room. You were fearless. Now, you're so quiet. You're letting people like Cheska walk all over you. Did something happen? Did someone hurt you?"
Keifer, who was sitting nearby behind a glass door, stopped typing on his laptop.
He held his breath, listening intently. He had always known Jay was hiding something behind her smiles, but hearing Sophia describe the "old Jay" made his heart ache. He realized he had never known the version of her that wasn't afraid.
Jay let out a forced, airy laugh and turned to Sophia with a bright, fake smile.
"Oh, Sophia! You're just remembering things differently. I'm just a grown-up now, that's all. Responsibility makes everyone a little quieter, right? Anyway, did I tell you about the dessert I'm making tonight? You're going to love it!"
"Jay, I'm serious—"
"And I'm seriously hungry!" Jay interrupted, grabbing Sophia's hand and pulling her toward the house. "Come on, help me pick out the chocolate."
She laughed again, but the sound didn't reach her eyes. Behind the glass door, Keifer watched her go, his chest tightening. He saw exactly what Jay was doing—she was using her laughter like a shield to keep everyone, including him, from seeing the cracks underneath.
After that evening in the garden, something changed in Jay.
It wasn't the change Keifer was hoping for. Instead of opening up, she seemed to snap back into a reality that only she understood.
Hearing Sophia talk about the past and seeing Keifer look at her with pity made her realize one thing: she couldn't let them get too close. She felt like her life was a mess, and she didn't want to drag them into it.
The next morning, the "sunshine" was on place.
Jay was out of the house before anyone else woke up. She left a polite, typed note on the kitchen counter instead of the usual colorful sticky notes she used to leave for Sophia.
It simply said: "Busy day at university and the office. Don't wait up for dinner."
She threw herself into her work with a frantic energy.
At the university, she sat in the front row, taking notes so fast her hand cramped.
She didn't hang out in the cafeteria; she didn't laugh with her classmates. She was like a machine. Ignoring keifer.
From the university, she went straight to the office. She took on extra tasks, volunteered for the most boring projects, and stayed buried in spreadsheets until the sun went down.
She wanted to be so tired that she wouldn't have the energy to feel anything.
Back at home, Keifer and Sophia were waiting. The house felt empty without her.
"Where is she?" Sophia asked, pacing the living room. "It's nearly 10:00 PM. She's been gone for fifteen hours!"
Keifer sat on the sofa, staring at the front door. He felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach. He had pushed her to be "bold," and instead, she had retreated into a shell.
When the door finally clicked open, Jay walked in. She looked exhausted. Her hair was slightly messy, and there were dark circles under her eyes.
"Jay!" Sophia jumped up. "Where have you been? We were worried!"
Jay gave her a small, professional smile—the kind you give to a stranger on the street.
"I'm sorry, Sophia. Work was just very demanding today. I've already eaten, so please don't worry about me."
Keifer stood up, walking toward her. "Jay, you can't keep doing this. You're pushing yourself too hard."
Jay didn't look him in the eye. She took a step back, maintaining a polite distance.
"I'm just doing my job, Keifer. This is what's expected of me, right? To be productive and stay out of the way."
Her voice was calm, but the words were like ice.
She wasn't being mean; she was being perfectly "proper," and that was the scariest part. She was treating her marriage and her friendship with Sophia like a business arrangement.
"I'm very tired," she said softly, clutching her bag. "I'll see you both in the morning. Goodnight."
She walked past them without another word, her footsteps echoing on the stairs. Keifer and Sophia stood in the silent hallway, looking at each other.
They had tried to find the old Jay, but it felt like they had accidentally caused the new Jay to disappear even further.
She was right there in the house, but it felt like she was miles away.
**Spoiler for next 2 chapter:
Lenghty chapter,
Complete breakdown,
Misunderstandings at peak,
Cry after cry. 😢
Bye buddies 👋🫂