Chapter 27
The Moment Everything Broke
(Keifer's POV)
It was just a normal evening.
Nothing unusual.
I walked in.
Dropped my keys.
Sat down.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Or so I thought.
"Keifer."
Ma's voice.
I looked up.
"Hmm?"
She was sitting across from me.
Calm.
But observant.
"Come sit."
I walked over.
Sat down.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
That was the first sign.
When she says "nothing"…
it's never nothing.
She looked at me for a moment.
Then—
"Do you know a girl named Jay?"
My heart stopped.
But my face didn't.
I leaned back slightly.
"Yeah."
"Who is she?"
"Classmate."
Simple.
Casual.
Controlled.
She watched me carefully.
"Just a classmate?"
"Yeah."
No hesitation.
No pause.
Perfect answer.
Because that's what we were…
to the world.
She nodded slowly.
Then said something…
that I wasn't ready for.
"I met her."
My fingers tightened slightly.
But I didn't react.
"Okay."
"She's a good girl."
"I know."
"She's kind."
"Yeah."
"She has values."
I stayed silent.
Because I knew where this was going.
Or maybe…
I didn't want to know.
Then—
"I'm thinking of her for Kasper."
Silence.
Complete silence.
For a second…
Everything stopped.
My thoughts.
My breath.
My heartbeat.
Everything.
I didn't hear anything after that.
Just those words.
For Kasper.
My brother.
Her.
Together.
"Keifer?"
Her voice.
Distant.
Like it was coming from far away.
"Hmm?"
"What do you think?"
What do I think?
I think—
No.
I think—
This can't happen.
I think—
She's mine.
I think—
This is wrong.
I think—
I should say something.
I should stop this.
I should tell her.
Everything.
Right now.
But instead—
I said—
"She's good."
My own voice felt unfamiliar.
Cold.
Controlled.
Lying.
Ma smiled slightly.
"I knew you'd say that."
Of course I would.
Because I trained myself for this.
To hide.
To act.
To lie perfectly.
"She'll fit well in this family."
Each word felt like a blade.
Cutting deeper.
"She has everything I want in a daughter-in-law."
I nodded.
Of course she does.
Because she's perfect.
For me.
Not for him.
"I'll talk to Jasfer soon."
That's when it hit.
This isn't a thought.
This isn't a possibility.
This is happening.
Real.
Moving forward.
Without me.
Without knowing me.
"Okay."
That's all I said.
Just one word.
And with that…
I lost her.
Without even trying to fight.
Ma continued speaking.
But I didn't listen.
I couldn't.
Because my mind…
was somewhere else.
On a terrace.
On late night calls.
On her smile.
On her voice.
On everything we built…
for three years.
Gone.
Just like that.
"She's perfect for Kasper."
That sentence echoed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until it started hurting.
Physically.
I stood up suddenly.
"I'm going out."
"Where?"
"Work."
She nodded.
"Don't be late."
I didn't reply.
I walked out.
Fast.
Because if I stayed one more second…
I might break.
Outside—
I stopped.
Ran a hand through my hair.
Tried to breathe.
But nothing worked.
Because this wasn't a small problem.
This wasn't something I could fix.
This was…
everything collapsing.
And the worst part?
She doesn't know.
Jay doesn't know.
She's still there…
smiling…
waiting…
loving me…
While I…
Just stood there…
Knowing…
That I might have to give her away.
To my own brother.
And I couldn't do anything.
Because I chose this.
I chose to hide.
I chose silence.
And now…
That silence…
Is destroying everything.
For the first time…
I felt it.
Fear.
Real fear.
Of losing her.
Not slowly.
Not by distance.
But by force.
By family.
By decisions I didn't make.
And the worst part?
I still said nothing.
Because once I speak…
Everything changes.
And I don't know if I'm ready for that.
Or if I'm already too late.
To be continued… 😏💔