through the heavy curtains of Sophia's room, where a chaotic energy had replaced the usual quiet.
The air smelled of expensive perfume and hairspray as the sisters prepared for the first day of their "new life."
"Soph... do I... really need to wear this?"
Jay asked, her voice wavering.
She stood before the full-length mirror, pointing tentatively at her reflection.
She was dressed in a crisp, beautiful white shirt half tucked into a sleek black mini-skirt and half just left hanging that hugged her frame perfectly and giving her an innocent baddie look.
"Don't you think it's a bit revealing?"
Jay added, her fingers nervously clutching the starched sleeves of her shirt.
She wasn't used to looking this sharp, this modern—this free.
Sophia, who was busy rummaging through a vanity drawer, didn't even look up.
"Oh, shut up, Jay! It's perfectly normal. Nothing is revealing. Just admire yourself for a second—I'll be back."
"Where are you going?"
Jay called out as Sophia headed for the door.
"Surprise!"
Sophia sang out over her shoulder before disappearing into the washroom.
Left alone, Jay turned back to the mirror.
She reached up, sliding a stray lock of hair behind her ear before pulling the rest into a high, sophisticated ponytail.
She looked different—stronger.
"Am I looking beautiful?"
she whispered to herself, her reflection looking back with wide, uncertain eyes.
She bit her lip, a nervous habit she couldn't shake.
"How will Keifer react?"
The thought of him—the man who was now just a 'tenant' in her life—sent a shiver through her.
Suddenly, the washroom door swung open.
Jay turned, her mouth dropping open.
There stood Sophia, but she wasn't in her pajamas anymore.
She was wearing a vibrant red sweater paired with a matching white mini-skirt, looking like a firecracker.
"Soph?"
"What?" Sophia asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Why.....you getting ready?"
Sophia stepped toward her, a wide grin spreading across her face.
She reached out, taking Jay's hands in hers and squeezing them tight.
"I told you, I have a surprise.
Jay... what if I say I have changed my college and I am coming with you too?"
Jay's eyebrows shot up in pure shock.
She looked at the wall behind Sophia, her mind racing to process the words.
"Changed the college... coming with me..." she whispered to herself, the gravity of the statement sinking in.
Then, her eyes widened as the realization finally hit her like a tidal wave.
Jay's eyes widened as the realization finally hit her like a lightning bolt.
"Sophhhhhhh!" she screamed, a massive, radiant smile breaking across her face.
"You're coming with me?"
"Yessssss!" Sophia answered, matching her energy perfectly, her eyes dancing with mischief.
The two of them began to jump up and down on the plush rug, their excitement echoing through the room.
The fear and hesitation Jay had felt earlier were gone, replaced by a surge of pure adrenaline.
"Now I'm ready,"
Jay said, laughing as she smoothed down her white shirt, feeling like she could take on the world.
"Very good, baby girl," Sophia said, grinning as she punched Jay's shoulder lightly.
"That's the spirit."
Downstairs, the atmosphere was thick with a different kind of tension.
Keifer was standing near the base of the staircase, his body leaning against the banister but his eyes constantly stealing glances toward Sophia's closed door.
He had ditched the suit again.
He was back in his grey t-shirt and baggy pants, looking effortlessly handsome.
He looked exactly like the "Golden Boy" of the university—the one for whose single glance every girl on campus was ready to die.
"Jay... where are you, Jay?"
he muttered under his breath, his fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh.
He was jolted out of his thoughts when a heavy hand suddenly slammed onto his shoulder.
He jumped, turning to see his father standing there.
"Oh, Dad! You scared me," Keifer exhaled, placing a hand over his heart.
He looked his father up and down, scanning the sharp grey suit he was wearing.
It was a beautiful, expensive cut, but it didn't look like something meant for a boring day at the office.
"Dad, are you not going to the office today?"
Keifer asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
His dad didn't answer right away.
Instead, he ran a hand through his hair in a stylish, practiced way, a confident smirk on his face.
"No, son. Today, I'm going to court my wife."
Keifer raised a brow, impressed despite himself.
"Aren't you looking a bit... too confident?"
"Of course I am," his father replied, adjusting his cuffs.
"Because I know about my charm. Just one day, and your mom will be calling me 'honey' again. Just watch."
Keifer raised his brow even higher, skeptical but amused.
"Really?"
"What? I believe in myself,"
his father insisted, puffing out his chest.
"You just wait and watch."
"Okay, let's see," Keifer muttered.
His dad turned with a jaunty step and headed toward the dining hall.
Keifer stayed by the stairs, his heart beginning to pace as the silence of the house was suddenly broken.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
The sharp, rhythmic sound of heels hit the wooden floor above.
Keifer turned his head sharply toward the landing, and in an instant, his breath hitched in his throat.
Keifer stood frozen at the base of the stairs, his world narrowing down until the only thing left in focus was the girl stepping onto the landing.
His eyes moved in a slow, dazed crawl, scanning Jay from head to toe.
The crisp white shirt made her look radiant, and the black mini-skirt highlighted legs he had clearly forgotten how to breathe around.
He didn't even notice Sophia walking right beside her.
His surroundings had blurred into a dull grey, leaving only Jay in high-definition.
His mouth fell open, his "Golden Boy" cool completely evaporating as he stared at the wife who was supposed to be a "stranger."
Sophia caught the look on her brother's face—the raw, helpless drool of a man who had just realized what he'd walked away from.
A sharp, devilish smirk crossed her lips.
Without warning, she reached out and pulled the rubber band from Jay's hair.
In an instant, the tight ponytail vanished, and Jay's dark hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft, silken waves.
Jay blinked, startled by the sudden change, her cheeks flushing a deep rose.
She wasn't wearing heavy makeup—just a touch of lip tint that made her mouth look soft and a sweep of blush—but the impact was devastating.
Keifer's heart did a violent somersault against his ribs.
The sight of her hair falling, her shy eyes meeting his, and that simple, natural glow hit him harder than any board meeting ever could.
He looked like he'd been struck by lightning, unable to find his voice or even remember how to blink.
The "Tenant" was officially in trouble, and the "Single Girl" hadn't even reached the bottom of the stairs yet.
Jay's breath hitched as she finally met his gaze.
Seeing him like this—stripped of the cold CEO suits and back in his relaxed, "Golden Boy" clothes—hit her harder than she expected.
He looks....cozy....Can't I just hug him right now?
she whispered in the privacy of her mind, her heart aching with the sudden urge to close the distance.
Just shut up, Jay!
her mind scolded her instantly, leaving her feeling hopeless as she watched how his dark brown gaze was practically devouring her, tracing every inch of her new look.
She gulped, her throat tight, feeling a wave of nervous shyness wash over her under his intense scrutiny.
"Jay, breathe," Sophia whispered sharply in her ear, noticing her sister's stiff posture.
Jay blinked, took a deep, shaky inhale, and nodded.
She straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and forced herself to walk past him, her heels clicking a steady rhythm on the floor.
Keifer didn't move an inch, his eyes turning in the same direction as hers, his head following her movement like a magnet.
He was completely entranced, unaware of anything else in the room.
Suddenly, he felt a firm touch under his chin.
It was his mother.
With a playful flick, she pushed his jaw upward to close his mouth.
"Shut your mouth, Keifer, otherwise a fly will get in,"
she said with a light, mocking laugh.
She stepped back, looking at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"By the way, how is my daughter looking?"
"Breathtaking,"
Keifer muttered, the word escaping his lips before he even realized he had spoken it aloud.
Mrs. Watson let out a delighted chuckle, her eyes twinkling with triumph.
"I know," she said, her voice dropping into a mock-serious tone.
"But remember... stay away from her. I can't have any stranger loitering near her."
She gave him one last pointed smirk and swept away toward the dining hall, leaving Keifer standing in the middle of the foyer.
The "CEO" was gone; in his place was a boy who couldn't stand to be more than a few feet away from the girl he loved.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Keifer didn't even think—he just took off, running after them as he saw the sisters heading out the front door.
"Jay! Jay!"
he called out, grinning like a schoolboy, his long strides easily catching up to them in the driveway.
Jay stopped in her tracks, her breath catching as she felt his presence right beside her.
The scent of him—something clean and familiar—wrapped around her, making her heart do a frantic little dance.
But Keifer didn't stop to talk.
He sprinted ahead toward his car, pulling the passenger door open with a flourish.
"Jay!"
"Huh?"
Jay blinked, looking at the open door and then at him.
"Jay, Soph—let me drop you,"
Keifer said, his eyes pleading, his hand resting on the car frame.
"It's the first day. Let me do this."
Before Jay could even process the offer, Sophia stepped in, her hand on her hip.
"Nooo,"
she sang out, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
"We have our own car, Keifer. Remember?"
"But... how will you go alone?
Keifer insisted, his gaze locked onto Jay, hoping for even a tiny crack in her resolve.
"Let me drop you."
This time, it was Jay who spoke.
she looked at the man holding the door open for her—the man who looked so desperate and so handsome in his simple grey shirt.
She felt the urge to give in, but she remembered her mother's words and Sophia's strength.
"Keifer," Jay said softly, her voice steady despite the flutter in her chest.
"We know the way to college. Don't worry."
She gave him a small, polite nod and turned toward their own car.
Keifer's condition was only getting worse.
His heart was still racing from the sight of Jay, and now his phone was buzzing relentlessly in his pocket, vibrating against his thigh like an annoying insect.
He shoved his hand into his pocket to pull it out, but his eyes were still glued to the driveway.
"Jay, wait—!"
he called out, but before he could even finish her name, the phone buzzed again, a sharp, insistent ringtone that shattered the moment.
Jay and Sophia didn't even look back.
They stepped into their car, the engine purring to life as they began to pull away.
"What the hell!"
Keifer shouted at the screen, finally snapping and answering the call.
"Oh baby, calm down. Why are you so angry?"
a playful, high-pitched voice sang from the other side.
"Ughhh! What the hell, Percy?"
Keifer groaned, rubbing his temples.
Suddenly, another voice cut in, sounding much more grounded but equally exhausted.
"Keifer, please come to uni before Percy eats my mind." It was Aries.
(A/n : Ok before u guys crush me under ur questions, I have introduced some changes, I know when I started the story, name of keifer's friends were different ( which I do not even remember, and yes I'm too lazy to go back n check), but I want u all to assume that he have 2 bestfriends named Percy and Aries in college AND one thing more, assume that no one in university knows that Jay and keifer were married ever.)
"Ugh! Okay, I'm coming,"
Keifer muttered, cutting the call before they could say another word.
He threw himself into his car and drove toward the campus, his mind a chaotic mess of black skirts, lip tin, and the lingering scent of Jay's perfume.
As he stepped out of his car at the university, the atmosphere changed instantly.
It was like a ripple moved through the crowd.
"Oh see, he's the one I was talking about,"
"That's the golden boy of this university,"
"No, not university—the whole universe!"
"Oh, just give me one chance with him...
he's so hot."
Keifer ignored all of it.
The whispers, the giggles, the lingering stares—they meant nothing to him.
His eyes were like radar, scanning the parking lot and the quad for a specific white shirt and a black skirt, but they hadn't arrived yet.
He finally spotted Percy and Aries leaning against a brick wall near the entrance.
"Hey baby, how are you? Did you miss my handsome face?"
Percy asked, leaning in with a theatrical grin.
"Oh, shut up, Percy," Aries groaned, rolling his eyes but reaching out to shake Keifer's hand.
Suddenly, Percy's playful expression shifted.
He pointed toward the main walkway, his eyes widening.
"Keifer... is she your wife? What was her name again?"
"Jay," Aries completed the sentence, his gaze following Percy's finger.
Keifer turned sharply.
There she was. Jay was walking toward the faculty building, her head held high and her movements graceful.
She looked confident, bold, and entirely independent but there was still her usual softness in her eyes.
A small, involuntary smile tugged at Keifer's lips. She looked incredible.
"Isn't she Sophia?" Percy asked, pointing to the girl in the red sweater walking right beside Jay.
"Yeah. Soph and Jay... both are here," Keifer said, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
Aries noticed the look on Keifer's face—the exhaustion and the subtle desperation.
"You look worried. What happened?"
Keifer looked at his two best friends.
He knew he could trust them, so he laid it all out.
He explained the mess with the contract, and the divorce papers that had effectively turned his wife into a "stranger."
Percy let out a loud, bark-like laugh that drew several stares.
"It means you're single again! Wow. Between us, my sister did the right thing."
Keifer raised a brow, his expression shifting from frustration to sheer confusion.
"Your sister?"
But Aries only let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head at the dramatic flair Percy was putting on.
He adjusted his backpack and looked at Keifer with a serious, yet slightly amused gaze.
"Didn't he tell her in gala that she can treat us like her brothers?"
"Exactly,"
Percy chimed in, his grin widening as he crossed his arms over his chest.
He looked back at Jay and Sophia.
"So that we all can gang up on you."
Keifer groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"I already have my mom and Sophia breathing down my neck. Now I have to deal with my two best friends joining the 'Anti-Keifer' alliance?"
___________________________________
Ok buddies hey buddies, how the hell are u buddies (never mind).
I know this was a bit boring, but normal things, days, moments, and chapters are important too.