JAY JAY POV
TIME SKIP TO JAY'S 18TH BIRTHDAY
Today was the day.
"Jay, come on, wear your dress," Grandma said, shaking me awake like she was trying to revive a dead phone. "You have to get ready."
I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.
"But I want to sleep…"
Grandma did not care.
She yanked the blanket down like she was ripping off a band‑aid.
"Jay, the party starts in five hours," she said, hands on her hips. "And you still have to get your nails, hair, and manicure/pedicure done."
I shot up instantly.
"I'm up, I'm up!"
I dragged myself to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, showered, tried to wake up properly… and maybe spaced out a little.
Okay, a lot.
When I finally stepped out, towel on my head, Grandma was already standing there like she'd been waiting for me to finish my entire life crisis in the shower.
Before I could even say anything, she snatched the towel right out of my hand.
"Grandma—"
She ignored me completely and started drying my hair herself, rough but careful, like she'd done this a thousand times when I was little.
"You take too long," she muttered, fluffing my hair like I was five. "If I leave you alone, you'll fall asleep standing up."
I pouted.
"I wasn't going to fall asleep."
She gave me a look in the mirror.
"Jay, sweetie, you were in the shower for an hour. You absolutely were."
I rolled my eyes.
"Grandma…"
"Hm?" she replied, still drying my hair
"Eden she is coming to the party today, isn't she?"
She froze for a second—just one—but I felt it.
Then she nodded.
"You don't have to worry about her," she said, resuming her work. "Your grandpa and your kuyas tightened the security."
I sighed.
"I still don't understand why you had to invite her."
"Because she is one of the board members," Grandma said, voice steady, "and she needs to know the future CEO."
"But…" I hesitated, staring at my reflection.
"What if I don't want to be a CEO?"
She stopped.
Completely.
Her hands hovered over my hair, towel still in her grip.
"Why would you say that?" she asked quietly.
I swallowed.
"I don't know… I just… I don't think I deserve the spot as CEO."
Grandma slowly lowered the towel and turned me to face her.
"Jay," she said gently, "who told you that you don't deserve it?"
I looked down, picking at my fingers.
"No one. I just… feel like I'm not enough. Like I'll mess everything up."
Grandma cupped my cheeks, lifting my face so I had to meet her eyes.
"You are your parents' daughter," she said firmly. "You are smart, capable, and stronger than you think. You don't have to be perfect to deserve the position."
Then her voice softened even more.
"You have your Papa's stubbornness… and even though Reycee didn't give birth to you, you have her ambition. And most of all, you have a heart of gold."
My throat tightened.
Grandma brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, her touch gentle, familiar, grounding.
"And if you truly don't want it," she added quietly, "we will talk about it. But don't ever say you don't deserve it. Not my Jay."
I smiled, even though I was still half‑asleep.
"Now we have to get your hair done and nails done," Grandma said.
I groaned loud enough for the whole house to hear.
We went downstairs, and the glam team was already waiting—
and so were Kuya Angelo, Tita Gemma, and Aries, who were apparently staying here for today's event.
I went straight to Tita and hugged her.
"Morning, Jay. Happy birthday," Tita said warmly.
"Thanks, Tita," I replied.
"Was I the first to greet you?" she asked, squeezing me tighter.
I shook my head.
"Keifer did. He texted me."
Actually, that asshole called me at midnight just to say happy birthday like he was claiming the first spot.
Tita chuckled.
"Of course he did."
I pointed at Grandma dramatically.
"You old lady, you didn't even greet me."
Grandma just smiled like she was plotting something.
"I will greet you when I give your gift."
I rolled my eyes because she always does this.
Every year, she gives me something ridiculously expensive—
then after I open it, she finally says "happy birthday" like it's part of the ritual.
Then Kuya finally greeted me.
"Let's all hope you actually grow some brain cells instead of losing some," Kuya said with the straightest face ever.
"TITA!" I complained immediately.
Tita Gemma glared at him.
"Angelo, it's her birthday. Greet her properly."
Kuya sighed like this was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
"Happy birthday, Jay," he said, pulling me into a hug.
"Thanks, Kuya," I said, hugging him back.
Then came the three disasters: Aries, Percy, and Jare.
Before anyone could speak, Jare pointed at them dramatically.
"NOPE. NOBODY IS GREETING ME FIRST. JAY!"
I blinked.
"…What?"
He ran toward me like a man on a mission.
I calmly walked to the kitchen, grabbed a pie, and waited.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!" Jare greeted me proudly.
I smacked the pie right onto his face.
"Happy birthday, Jare," I said sweetly.
I burst out laughing because Jare's face looked like a bakery disaster.
"Baby sistah, why did you do that?" Percy asked, laughing so hard he was holding his stomach.
"That's what he always does!" I said, pointing at Jare, who was still wiping pie off his eyelashes.
"He always smacks pie on my face and Jas—"
I froze.
Jas.
Her voice echoed in my head for a second.
Happy birthday.
My smile faltered just a little.
"Jay," Percy called softly.
"Hm?" I said, trying to shake it off.
And then—
SPLAT.
He smacked a pie right onto my face.
"PERCY!!!"
Percy was already sprinting across the room like his life depended on it, laughing like a maniac.
Aries fell to the floor laughing.
Jare, still covered in pie, pointed at me and yelled, "KARMA!"
And me?
I wiped pie off my face and started chasing Percy with murder in my eyes.
"YOU UGLY MAN, WAIT!" I yelled, sprinting after him.
"Baby sistah, I'm beautiful!" Percy shouted back, dodging behind the couch like a coward.
"Jay, please wash your face and come here!" Grandma yelled from the dining area.
I groaned, stomped to the sink, washed the pie off, and went straight to the glam team.
They did my nails, fixed my hair, curled it, pinned it—basically turned me into a human doll.
Then it was almost time.
And suddenly, all I could think was—
Where is Keifer?
Right on cue, my phone started ringing.
Keifer.
I smiled before I even picked up.
"Keifer," I said.
"Morning, wifey," he said, voice warm and smug like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
"Where are you?" I asked, trying not to sound too excited.
"I'm almost at your house," Keifer said.
My smile grew without permission.