[Jay's POV]
Day 3 was a disaster. My hormones hadn't just shifted; they had completely re-written my operating system. My internal logic was offline, replaced by a volatile mix of "Extreme Sadness" and "Sudden Irritability."
I was sitting in the middle of the large bed, surrounded by books I didn't want to read and snacks I had lost interest in. For no reason at all, I felt like crying because the sunlight hitting the floor looked "too lonely."
The Mood-Swing Spike
Keifer walked into the room, looking effortlessly perfect in a charcoal suit, holding a fresh glass of pomegranate juice.
"Jay, I've scheduled the—"
"Why are you wearing that suit?" I snapped, my eyes filling with tears. "Are you going somewhere? Are you leaving because I'm being too much of a 'variable' today? You're bored of me, aren't you?"
Keifer froze. He's handled multi-billion dollar boardroom battles, but I saw him physically recalibrate his entire approach as he looked at my trembling lip. He set the juice down and moved toward the bed like he was approaching a beautiful, high-yield explosive.
"I'm wearing the suit for a ten-minute Zoom call, Jay," he said softly, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "And I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here. I'm 100% committed to the system, remember?"
"But you looked at your watch!" I sobbed, burying my face in a pillow. "That means you're counting down the seconds until my cycle ends!"
The Bridget Intrusion
Just as Keifer was pulling me into his arms to soothe me, the door creaked open. Bridget was standing there, holding a tablet and looking incredibly smug.
Keifer, the Shanghai office is on the line. They said you're three minutes late for the briefing," she said, her voice dripping with artificial professionalism. She looked at me—crying over a suit—and let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Honestly, Jay. It's just a period. You're acting like a toddler. Don't you have any dignity? You're holding back the youngest CEO in the world because you're... what, sad about a watch?"
The room went deathly silent.
My sadness evaporated, replaced instantly by a cold, sharp "Empress" rage—a classic Day 3 mood swing. I sat up straight, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of Keifer's shirt.
"Bridget," I said, my voice low and dangerously steady. "My 'dignity' is currently functioning at a level you'll never reach. And as for Keifer's time? He isn't being held back. He's investing it where it matters."
The Watson Retaliation
Keifer didn't even turn to look at Bridget. He reached out and pulled me into his lap, his hand cupping the back of my head.
"Bridget, tell the Shanghai office to wait," Keifer commanded, his voice cold enough to drop the room's temperature. "If they can't wait ten minutes while I take care of my fiancée, tell them I'll find a new firm in Tokyo. And as for you? If I hear you speak to Jay like that again, I will have your university enrollment 're-evaluated' by the Watson Board of Trustees. Do I make myself clear?"
Bridget's smug expression shattered. She looked at the two of us—Keifer holding me like I was the only thing that mattered, and me, glaring at her through tear-stained eyes. The jealousy in her face was so intense it looked like it was physically hurting her.
"You're all insane!" she hissed, her voice cracking. "She's just a girl with a mood swing!"
"She's my girl with a mood swing," Keifer retorted. "Now, get out."
Bridget slammed the door so hard the glass rattled.
I turned back to Keifer, the anger fading as quickly as it had come, replaced by a sudden, overwhelming wave of affection. "Keif? I'm sorry I yelled about the suit."
"Don't be," he whispered, kissing my forehead. "I actually think 'Angry Jay' is quite efficient. But 'Cuddly Jay' is still my favorite data point."
He stayed. He skipped the meeting, he stayed in the suit, and he let me cry into his shoulder for another twenty minutes until the world didn't feel so "lonely" anymore.