KEIFER POV
She was still holding me when we sat down on the bench. Her head rested on my shoulder. My arms wrapped around her like I could shield her from everything. From the truth. From time.
We didn't speak for a while. Not because there was nothing to say. But because the silence between us was heavier than any words we could offer. The kind of quiet that holds everything you're afraid to admit.
"Jay," I said softly, "can you tell me more about what you're going through?"
She didn't answer right away. I felt her breath catch. Her fingers tightened around my sleeve.
Then—
"My stepfather poisoned me," she said, voice breaking. "Jenna knew… but she didn't say anything. She was scared he'd hurt her too."
Jenna. Her own mother.
She knew. She stayed silent.
Just the thought of it made my blood boil.
"Jay," I said, trying to stay calm, "before we go on… can you tell me his name?"
"Why?" she asked.
"Please," I said.
She hesitated. Then—
"His name was Gabriel."
Gabriel.
I clenched my fists. I wanted to drag him to hell myself.
But then she added—
"Before you start planning his death… he's already dead."
"What?" I said.
"He died in an accident," she explained.
I stared at her. Numb.
"Okay," I said quietly.
"Can I keep going?" she asked.
I nodded. Even though I knew I wouldn't like what I was about to hear.
"It's called Paraquat poisoning," she whispered.
I didn't know what that meant. But I listened.
"It's a chemical," she said. "A weed killer. Farmers use it."
I nodded, waiting.
"If you swallow even a teaspoon, it can kill you."
I froze.
"It damages your lungs, kidneys, liver. Everything," she said. "It spreads fast. Sometimes within hours."
I didn't speak.
"There's no cure," she said. "No antidote. Just treatment to slow it down."
My throat tightened.
"They don't even give oxygen," she added. "It reacts with the chemical and makes things worse."
I looked at her. Really looked.
She was still smiling. Still trying to be strong.
But her eyes… Her eyes were tired.
"How long have you known?" I asked.
"A week ago," she said.
A week.
A week of her smiling. Laughing. Loving me.
A week of her dying.
"You didn't tell me," I said. Not angry. Just broken.
"I couldn't," she said. "I didn't want you to look at me like I was already gone."
I swallowed hard.
"You're not gone," I said. "You're right here."
She nodded. But she didn't look convinced.
"I didn't think I'd make it to eighteen," she said. "I thought I'd collapse before the party. Before the cake. Before you kissed me."
I closed my eyes. That kiss. That night.
She was already carrying this.
"I didn't want to ruin it," she said. "I wanted to feel normal. Just once."
I didn't speak. I couldn't.
I just pulled her closer. Held her tighter. Like maybe, if I held her hard enough, I could hold back time.
I was about to ask her something— But her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, then answered.
"Hello? …Yes, I'm coming," she said softly.
She ended the call and looked at me with a small, tired smile.
"That was Jare. He's asking when I'm coming home. It's already 4 p.m."
"Time goes fast," I said.
"Yeah," she murmured.
I hesitated. Then asked the question I'd been holding in my chest.
"Are you going to tell Jare?"
She looked away. "I don't know."
I pulled her into a hug. Held her like I had all the time in the world. Even though we both knew we didn't.
"We'll figure it out," I said quietly.
She nodded against my chest. "Thanks."
"There's nothing to thank me for," I whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."
We got into the car. This time, I held her hand. Neither of us spoke. The silence wasn't awkward — it was sacred. Heavy. Like we were trying to memorize the feeling of being together.
When we reached her house, I walked her to the door. She turned to me. I kissed her gently. Then whispered goodbye.
She went inside.
I didn't move.
I sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel too hard. My knuckles white. My chest burning.
Then I pulled out my phone and called Edrix.
"Hello, Keifer," he answered.
"Hi, Edrix. Can you help me real quick?" I asked.
"Of course. What do you need? You want me to track Jay?"
"No," I said, voice low. "I want you to track Jenna."
There was a pause.
"Jenna… like Jay's biological mother?" he asked, just to be sure.
"Yeah," I said.
Another pause. Then—
"Alright. Give me ten minutes."
I waited. Ten minutes felt like an hour. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel. My jaw clenched.
Then my phone buzzed.
"Keifer," Edrix said, "she's at the Fernandez house."
I exhaled slowly. "Thanks."
"You want me to inform Section E?" he asked. "Send someone over?"
I gripped the wheel tighter. Thought about it. Then shook my head.
"No need," I said. "I'll handle it."
I rang the doorbell.
Aries opened it, arms crossed, already irritated. "Keifer. What do you want?"
"Is Jenna here?" I asked, voice flat.
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. She's inside. Trying to 'bond,'" he said, the sarcasm thick. He clearly wasn't buying it.
I stepped in.
Tita Gemma greeted me with a warm smile. I nodded, but I wasn't here for pleasantries.
"What the hell do you want?" Angelo snapped from the hallway.
That's no way to greet a guest. But I wasn't here to be one.
I walked past him. Straight toward her.
I pointed at Jenna.
"You," I said. The woman who let Jay suffer. The woman who watched and stayed silent.
"Hello to you too," Jenna said, like this was casual. Like I hadn't come here ready to burn the world down.
"Are you even a mother?" I snapped.
Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell, Keifer? What do you want?"
"You left her alone," I said, voice rising. "You let him poison her. And you said nothing."
Tita Gemma's smile vanished. She stepped forward, voice sharp. "Poisoned? What are you talking about?"
Jenna flinched. But didn't speak.
Aries moved beside me, fists clenched. "Wait—what do you mean poisoned?"
I didn't look at him. I couldn't. I was locked on Jenna.
"She knew," I said, my voice cold. "She knew what Gabriel was doing to Jay. And she let it happen."
Angelo's face twisted in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about, Watson?"
"You don't know," I said, eyes burning. "Your aunt let her ex-husband poison Jay. She knew. She stayed quiet."
Jenna looked away. Didn't speak.
"Say something!" Aries snapped. "You've been here acting like you care, and you didn't even protect your own daughter?"
Tita Gemma's voice cracked. "Jenna… is this true?"
Still nothing.
The silence was louder than any scream. It filled the room like smoke. Thick. Suffocating.
"She's dying," I said, voice breaking. "She's been dying this whole time. And none of you knew—because she didn't want to ruin anything."
They all froze.
"What?" Gemma whispered.
Aries stepped back like he'd been hit. Angelo's mouth opened, but no words came out.
And Jenna— She just stood there. Silent. Like silence could save her now.
No one moved. Not Aries. Not Angelo. Not Gemma.
Just me. And her.
Jenna stood like a statue. Like if she didn't speak, she wouldn't shatter. Like silence was her last defense.
"She's dying," I repeated. Slower this time. So no one could pretend they didn't hear it.
Gemma's hand flew to her mouth. Aries looked like he'd been punched. Angelo backed up a step, eyes wide.
"You knew," I said again. "You knew what Gabriel was doing. And you let it happen."
Jenna blinked. But still didn't speak.
"Say something," Aries said, voice shaking. "Anything."
"She's your daughter," Gemma whispered. "How could you let this happen?"
Jenna opened her mouth. Then closed it.
I stepped closer. Not to threaten. Just to make sure she saw me.
Saw the boy who loved her daughter. Saw the boy who was watching her die.
"She didn't tell you," I said. "Because she didn't want to ruin the party. Or the cake. Or the kiss."
Angelo looked at me, stunned. "What kiss?"
I didn't answer. That wasn't the point.
"She wanted to feel normal," I said. "She wanted one day where she wasn't dying."
Jenna finally spoke. Barely.
"I didn't know it was that bad."
I laughed. But it wasn't funny.
"You knew she was being poisoned. You just didn't know how fast it would kill her?"
She didn't respond.
"Too late now," I said. "She's dying. And you don't get to pretend you didn't help."
I turned to leave. But before I stepped out the door, I looked back at them — Gemma, Aries, Angelo — all still stunned, still reeling.
"Don't let her know you know," I said quietly. "She doesn't need pity. Just… act normal."
They all nodded.
I turned to leave, but footsteps followed me out.
Aries.
"What?" I asked, not in the mood.
He crossed his arms. "I'm coming with you. And you're going to tell me everything. Every damn detail."
I stared at him for a beat. Then gave a sharp nod.
"Fine."
Aries slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. I didn't say anything. Just started the engine and pulled away from the curb.
For a while, we drove in silence. Not the sacred kind. The kind that buzzed with questions.
"Start talking," Aries said finally. His voice was low. Controlled. But I could hear the edge underneath.
I gripped the wheel tighter. "She told me about 4 hours ago?"
He blinked. "A 4 hours ago?"
I nodded. "She didn't want anyone to know. Not even Jare."
"What the hell happened, Keif?"
I exhaled. "She was poisoned. Paraquat. It's a weed killer. A teaspoon can kill you."
Aries stared at me like I'd just spoken another language. "What the hell—how? Who would—"
"Gabriel," I said. "Her stepfather."
Aries went still. "Gabriel's dead."
"I know."
"And Jenna knew?"
"She knew," I said. "She didn't say a word."
Aries leaned back in the seat, jaw clenched. "She's dying?" he asked, like he needed to hear it again to believe it.
I nodded. "She's been dying this whole time. And she didn't tell anyone."
Aries looked out the window. "Holly Shit."
I didn't say anything. I couldn't. The words were starting to feel like glass in my throat.
"She smiled through all of it," I said. "She danced. She laughed. She kissed me. And the whole time…"
Aries didn't interrupt. Didn't argue. He just sat there, breathing hard.
"I don't know how to fix this," I admitted. "I don't even know if I can."
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Hey friends, I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this. I dropped a scene with paraquat poisoning — it's intense, it's emotional, and it's medically brutal.
💬 What did you think?
💬 Did it hit the way I hoped?
💬 Any reactions, questions, or ideas?
Your comments mean a lot. I'm trying to shape this moment with real impact, and your feedback helps me get there. Let's talk.