Jays pov
In the competitive halls of the College of Medicine, news travels faster than a virus. While the "Secret" was supposed to keep us safe, it also created a vacuum for gossip—and someone was ready to fill it with poison
The morning of the practical exam was tense. I was standing in the hallway outside the lab, staring at my notes on the cranial nerves, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach
Mica and Freya were standing with me, but I noticed a group of girls staring at us from across the hall. At the center was Sophia, a girl whose family owned a chain of private hospitals and who walked around the campus like she owned the sidewalk.
"Look at her," Sophia said, her voice loud enough to carry. "The 'Starlight' of the freshman class. I heard she didn't even have to pass the entrance interview. Someone just made a phone call and—poof—she's a surgeon."
I froze, my grip tightening on my highlighter.
"That's not true, Sophia," Mica snapped, stepping in front of me. "Jay worked harder than anyone in the library last night."
"Oh, I'm sure she was 'working' hard," Sophia sneered, stepping closer. She looked me up and down, her eyes landing on the expensive designer watch Keifer had gifted me—a watch I had forgotten to take off. "Nice watch, Jay. It costs more than a year's tuition. Who's the 'sponsor'? I heard a rumor it's some mysterious billionaire. Are you his latest toy, or just a temporary distraction
The hallway went silent. The word "sugar baby" wasn't said, but it hung in the air like a foul smell.
The Section E Intervention
Before I could open my mouth to defend myself, the sound of heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed down the hall.
Emman, Calix, and Felix—the Law Squad—were walking toward us. They were supposed to be in the Legal Ethics building, but they always seemed to know when trouble was brewing. They looked terrifying in their black suits, their faces devoid of their usual humor.
"Is there a problem here?" Emman asked, his voice smooth and cold. He adjusted his glasses, looking at Sophia like she was a boring piece of evidence.
"No problem," Sophia said, though she looked a little shaken by the sudden appearance of the three scariest future lawyers on campus. "Just discussing... student funding."
"Good," Calix said, leaning against the locker next to her. "Because as a future member of the bar, I should remind you that defamation of character is a very serious—and very expensive—legal mistake. Especially when the person you're talking about has friends who own the law firms your father uses."
Sophia turned pale. She gathered her books and scurried away with her friends, not looking back.
The Hubby's Shadow
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Thanks, guys. But you didn't have to do that. Keifer will be mad if he hears you were causing a scene."
"Keifer already knows," Felix whispered, pointing toward the end of the corridor.
Standing by the glass doors was Keifer. He wasn't supposed to be in this building. He was standing perfectly still, his hands in his pockets, watching the whole thing. He didn't come over—he couldn't, without breaking the secret—but the look in his eyes told me that Sophia's family was about to have a very bad business week.
He caught my eye and gave a nearly invisible nod. I've got you, his eyes said
I walked into the exam room feeling a strange mix of anger and confidence. I nailed every question. I identified every nerve and every muscle with surgical precision.
When I walked out, I found a small bag hanging on the handle of my locker. Inside was a hot cup of my favorite coffee and a note in messy, childish handwriting
"Good luck on the exam, Mumma! Kuya says you're the smartest doctor in the world. We bought you these cookies! Don't tell Kuya we ate two of them." — Keigan & Keiran
I laughed, the stress of Sophia's insults melting away.
The Private Revenge
That evening, as we drove back to the Watson mansion, I told Keifer he didn't need to do anything about Sophia.
"I'm not going to do anything... 'Monster-like', weify," he said, his voice calm as he steered the SUV up the mountain. "I simply looked into her father's hospital chain. It turns out they have some very interesting tax discrepancies. I think a surprise audit is in their future."
"Babe!" I gasped, hitting his arm. "That's so mean."
"No, honey," he said, reaching over to take my hand and kissing my knuckles. "That's a Watson. Nobody calls my wife a 'toy' and gets away with it. You're the queen of this empire. She just didn't get the memo yet."
......