CHAPTER 377 - TRAITOR
JAY-JAY'S POV
"Mom, when I grow up, I'll buy you a big house."
"Strengthen your body first. You're always sick."
Who is that? Who's talking?
I hear a voice, and gradually an image forms. There was a woman next to me ironing clothes. I watched her closely until her face became clear in my eyes.
Mama?
I tried to look around me, but everything was blurry. I looked at what was in front of me, and the first thing I saw was a row of clothes. I kept folding the same clothes over and over again.
Wait a minute. Why are my hands moving on their own?
I looked back at Mama and was stunned to see the bruises on her face and shoulders. She looked at me for a moment and smiled, as if there were no marks on her face at all.
I tried to speak, but nothing came out of my mouth.
Why is that?
"Jean!" a male voice called to Mama.
He was standing at the door, but because of the light behind him, I couldn't see his face. Mama stopped what she was doing and went to the man. He walked closer to me, but before I could fully see his face, everything suddenly turned dark.
Was it a dream?
I slowly opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Keifer. It felt like I was still dreaming. I tried to move my hand, and he seemed to notice.
"Jay, can you hear me?"
I couldn't move properly. I felt so heavy, like I'd been run over by something. I tried to speak, but all I could manage was a cough.
"Don't force it. You still have a high fever," Keifer said, and I immediately felt a chill—not from him, but from my own body.
That's why I feel so heavy and it's hard to move. But I know this is real. This is reality. It's different from what I saw before.
But when did that happen? And why did I see it?
"Would you like some water?" the King offered, and I nodded in response.
Ampucha, it was hard to move my body and neck. My head hurt too. It felt like I'd been slammed against a wall—like a rag being shaken to remove dust. That kind of feeling.
Keifer helped me sit up before giving me a drink. I could only sip slowly even though I really wanted to gulp it all down. I was so thirsty—my throat felt more parched than the desert.
Maybe I'll grow a cactus in the garden.
After drinking and resting for a while, I finally saw where I was. I was still in Sir Alvin and Ma'am Cindy's house, in their guest room. I thought I'd been taken to the hospital again.
At this rate, I might as well change my address to the hospital. I suddenly remembered what happened earlier—and my cousin.
"K-Kuya?" I asked, worried.
"He's downstairs. Ma'am Cindy is stitching up the cuts on his arm."
I was relieved to hear that. I stayed quiet for a while, then noticed the sound of heavy rain. I looked out the window.
Why did it suddenly start raining?
Maybe that's why we're still here at Sir's house. If it weren't raining, I'd probably be back in the hospital after what happened. And on top of that, Kuya's condition isn't good—he even lost consciousness earlier.
Now that I think about it, why did he pass out again?
"What exactly did you do to Kuya earlier that made him lose consciousness?" I asked the King of Snakes, and he suddenly looked pale.
He was afraid too.
"I... ahh... I kind of hit him with force," he answered.
He clearly didn't want to say it. It looked like he was either ashamed of what he did or afraid of what 'Death' would do when he found out someone had beaten him.
"Why did you do that?"
Honestly, I wanted to laugh at him. He had the courage to do it—just once.
Let's go with it.
"When I heard you screaming for help, I felt anxious and enraged. I couldn't even look at who was in front of you," he explained calmly. "I just wanted to save you."
That was a solid save. I wasn't thrilled—but I wasn't mad either. Just… a bit touched.
I can't help but be moved. You're my all-time lover, and what you did—even though Kuya was hurt and lost consciousness—meant something. Partida felt sorry and worried too. I just can't help it.
The King held one of my hands and brought back what had happened earlier, before I lost consciousness. That bloody man I saw... I was horrified to remember his face and what he screamed.
He wants to kill Mama and me.
"Jay? Are you okay? Lie down first."
He was about to help me, but I stopped him.
"There is… I saw something—"
"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT MOTHER FUCKER?!" my brother shouted, interrupting me.
There he is.
Keifer and I froze, wide-eyed, as we looked at each other. He held my hand tightly while bowing his head, like he was praying. Just like that, he seemed to accept his fate—death at the hands of Kuya Angelo.
"Wait! Your wounds might reopen!" I heard Mom Cindy scream.
"Don't stop me!"
Ma'am and my cousin cursed one after another. I think I even heard my teacher curse Kuya. It was like they were all fighting as they walked.
That's how scared I was when Death suddenly appeared at the door. There, Keifer was being dragged up.
"YOU FUCKER! WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY TWO HERE?!" he yelled angrily.
The King of Serpents immediately stepped in. No sign of fear—just courage.
"I'm here to look after Jay-Jay. You passed out, remember? And the others had to help Sir Alvin," he explained, and I nodded.
My cousin looked at me. When our eyes met, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Ma'am was behind him, looking relieved that I was awake.
"I'll prepare porridge for you. You've been unconscious for a while—you must be hungry," she said, then punched Kuya and walked off.
Did she just fight Kuya? Ma'am is something else.
I really was hungry. I hadn't had breakfast and then all this happened. That's probably why I felt so weak and collapsed earlier. Breakfast really does make a difference.
"How long was I unconscious?" Kuya asked me.
Honestly, I'd been asleep too.
"A couple of hours. Just you and me here," I replied.
Kuya Angelo rubbed the back of his neck. "How did I pass out? I was wide awake earlier."
We exchanged looks. My cousin still didn't know that this guy had hit him. I wasn't sure if we should say anything or just let him figure it out himself. Maybe it's better to just bury it. I'm sure he'll retaliate once he finds out who knocked him out.
"Anyway, what happened to you?" he asked. "Why did you suddenly yell at me to stay away?"
I froze. That was because of what I saw—and I thought he was someone else. But I didn't want to tell him that. I knew he'd either force me to see a psychiatrist again or suddenly send Dra. Claudia here.
I'm not ready to face the doctor yet.
"I-I can't remember." I apologized, but he didn't seem to believe me, judging by the way he stared.
I simply held Keifer's hand tightly—he still hasn't let go of me since earlier. The King seemed to understand what I wanted to convey and immediately changed the subject.
"Where are the others now?"
Kuya thought for a moment. "I think they're still out cleaning up the mess."
I didn't understand what they were talking about. "Are you talking about the Snakes?"
They both nodded.
Wow, at the same time? Just a dance number?
"They're picking up Ram's companions. Most of them lost consciousness," the King explained.
"Will they be taken to the police?"
"I doubt it. It would cause a commotion. The location would be exposed... Alvin's property," Kuya answered.
That's another problem. What will happen to Ma'am? Their house is exposed. Sir still doesn't want anyone to know about their house because he might be hiding a child.
Or maybe even a creditor.
"But Ram might be sent back to the hospital. I heard his ribs are fractured."
The King and I looked at Death together. I witnessed what he did, and I know that the person next to me also knows only he could've done it. We saw no trace of guilt or remorse from him.
We turned to the door when Ma'am Cindy entered with a tray of food. Keifer immediately helped her as she lowered it. There was also medicine and water for me.
That's it! I'm starving.
I immediately smiled at Ma'am and thanked her. "Thank you."
She nodded and approached Kuya. She whispered something to him, and I saw the change in my cousin's expression. I knew he had just learned something bad. He clearly wanted to lash out. They turned their backs and left after saying goodbye.
"You saw that?" I asked the King, and he nodded.
"Something's wrong."
"Follow them," I told him.
He quickly refused. "I'm not leaving you here alone."
I winced. "Nothing will happen. No one's rushing in here."
He shook his head while stirring the porridge in the bowl. He tried to feed me, but I turned my head away.
Go ahead, be stubborn.
"Jay," he called.
"Follow Kuya."
"I won't leave you here alone," he insisted.
"Nothing bad will happen to me here. I can eat by myself."
He looked at me as if what I said was a mystery. "What if you get burned? It's hot."
"Just from porridge? You think that'll kill me?"
"You never know."
Oh, this guy's skin is built differently.
"Don't go there. Come on!" I said, annoyed by his stubbornness.
"Why are you so difficult?" he snapped.
He really has a tendency to get irritated. His reasons are so shallow.
"I'm really worried. Just follow him, even for a moment, then come back."
Suddenly, I wanted to mess with him. His face was getting on my nerves—I wanted to poke his eyes out.
Seriously, even more now.
"I told you to follow him."
He ignored me and just kept stirring the porridge, like he was planning to eat it himself. I didn't know how else to make him listen. There was only one way left.
The forbidden technique.
"Come on now, that abujing-abujing is next."
He suddenly burst out laughing. He almost spilled the contents of the bowl he was holding, but luckily he managed to set it back on the tray. He turned to me, laughing even harder.
He was too happy.
"Do it again. Do it again," he said while pulling something out of his pocket.
I immediately refused when I saw him take out his cell phone. I knew exactly what this idiot was up to.
"Do it again and I'll take a video."
"Oh no, stop it!" I said, annoyed, as he tried to point the phone camera at me.
Because I was feeling weak and uneasy, I had a hard time stopping him. I ended up answering his phone several times. He just laughed.
Wow.
"I won't show it to anyone else," he said, turning the phone's camera back on me.
"I'm not doing that anymore," I said firmly.
I was about to curse when we suddenly heard a noise from outside the room. We were both stunned. It sounded like someone was arguing—or fighting.
"Is someone fighting?" I asked. Keifer started walking toward the noise, but I immediately pulled him back. "I'm going with you."
"No, stay here. I'll just be a moment."
I didn't agree and tightened my grip on him. He was about to argue when we heard another shout. He had no choice but to take me with him to see what was happening.
He positioned himself at the edge of the bed, picked me up onto his back, adjusted his hold, and walked out of the room. When we got downstairs, we saw the Ulupong lined up around Kuya Angelo, Ma'am Cindy, and Sir Alvin.
Was Kuya fighting the Serpents?
David stood slightly apart, arms crossed, examining the Vipers one by one. Ci-N looked up at me when he saw us.
"Jay-Jay," he called out, grabbing everyone's attention. "What are you doing here? Go back upstairs," Kuya ordered, but I didn't listen.
"What's going on?" I asked.
I looked at the Snakes, who were also staring at me. Some looked away, and others clearly didn't understand what was happening.
"Take her back to the room," Kuya ordered Keifer, but he didn't move.
"Is there something here that you don't want Jay-Jay to find out?"
My cousin was clearly embarrassed. He looked at the couple as if asking for help, but they just shrugged.
I looked at the coffee table, which was covered in photos. But I was wrong—they were the same photos Ram had sent me as threats. I didn't know Kuya had them. But why? And for what reason?
Does he carry them around all the time?
"You two are so stubborn. If Jay-Jay's condition worsens, you'll be the ones I'll be angry with," my cousin warned before turning back to our friends. "Do I need to repeat my question?"
Keifer approached Sir Alvin and asked, "What's going on here?"
Sir Alvin turned to me, holding the beloved but dirty phone. "This is Ram's phone. Edrix managed to unlock it and found something."
He opened the phone, revealing Google Maps with a pin on their house's location. "...someone sent the location of my house."
My eyes widened. Who did that? Is that how Ram and his group found us? It was supposed to be a secret. How did it get exposed?
"Whoever sent our location is probably the same person who took these photos," Kuya said, pointing to the pictures on the table. "One of you betrayed Jay-Jay. Confess while I'm still calm."
"It's impossible that one of us would do that," Felix said, and Kuya shot him a cold glare.
"You're confident? Someone already did it!"
Felix had a point. It really didn't seem like it could be one of the Snakes. I wanted to stop Kuya—I didn't want him treating the Ulupong like this. They hadn't done anything wrong.
"What if someone just followed one of us and then sent the location to Ram?" Yuri suggested.
Kuya turned to him. "Then I hope it was you or one of us who was followed."
"There's nothing on the surveillance," Sir Alvin cut in. "I double-checked the CCTV, but there's no sign of any possible intruder."
My cousin sighed. It's like he's holding back, but he wants to shout that his suspicions are right.
Maybe something finally got through.
Yes, it once crossed my mind that maybe someone had sent a picture to Ram, but it was hard to accept that possibility. I preferred to believe Kuya was just mistaken.
He picked up the photos from the coffee table. "This is another thing — these photos were taken too close to Jay-Jay, like they were shot right beside her. No professional photographer could take pictures like this, especially if it's just the two of them together," he said calmly, though he still couldn't stop himself from throwing the photos at their feet.
Rory picked up one of the photos lying near him. He examined it but didn't say anything.
"Wait a minute, can't you take these from your phone?" Eren asked. We all turned to him and the photo he was holding. "Denzel?"
"Yes, Denzel?" Mayo added, sorting through the photos at his feet.
The other Ulupong members picked up pictures and started looking through them.
"Gago, this one too."
"Take care, Denzel!"
"Putangina, are these even your pictures?"
We all turned to Denzel, who looked surprised at the accusation. He was also holding photos he clearly couldn't explain.
"I–I'm not—" Before he could finish, someone had already grabbed him by the collar.
It was Angelo.
I shouted, "Kuya!"
The Snakes tried to pull them apart. Almost everyone surrounded them, trying to separate my cousin from Denzel.
"Wait a minute! His wife just gave birth!"
"Angelo! Calm down!" Sir Alvin shouted.
"Let Denzel explain first!" Yuri urged as he tried to separate them.
"Calm down! Let my friend speak!" David added.
Despite everyone pulling at him, my cousin wouldn't let go. Keifer had to drag me away and leave me beside Ma'am Cindy. He tried to intervene — but not the way I expected.
He wrapped his arm around Kuya's neck and started choking him. "You need to calm the fuck down!"
Was that a chokehold?
Miraculously, my cousin let go after struggling to breathe. He was clearly furious. Denzel coughed and panted. His Ulupong friends quickly came to his aid — though some of them looked just as suspicious. The King only released Kuya once he was sure he had calmed down. He gave him a sharp look.
"Let him speak first," he said to Death.
It was like the King of Serpents was throwing down a challenge.
"Denzel, please explain," Sir Alvin pleaded.
"I–I didn't. I didn't send those pictures to anyone but Grace," Denzel explained, though Kuya clearly didn't want to believe it.
"That's the truth."
I believe him. I've seen him send pictures to Grace from his phone. I also don't see any reason he'd betray me — or us.
"So who sent these pictures to Ram? Grace?" Blaster asked, annoyed, but David shook his head.
"Of course not. She's never even met Ram," he said, then turned to Rory and Edrix. "Why aren't you two saying anything?"
Rory and Edrix?
"Why them?" Calix asked, looking between the two. "It's impossible they would betray us."
"I'm not saying they betrayed us. I know they know something. It's impossible they don't," David explained, and now everyone's attention shifted to the two.
Honestly, I had noticed their silence too. In a situation like this, they're usually the first to speak up or help. But now, they were just… still.
"W-We don't know anything," Edrix replied.
"If so, then find the culprit. Use Ram's phone. Make sure there's still a number saved there," Keifer ordered, but Sir stopped him.
"We called the number, but it's already been deactivated."
How do I find the one who betrayed me? I want to catch him and find out the truth. I believe none of the Snakes could do this to me.
I really hope none of them would.
"You, Rory?" the King asked, but Rory just shook his head.
"Nothing. If there is something, I'll let him speak for himself."
Felix cursed repeatedly. "There's someone! Someone betrayed us!"
Even his colleagues like Ulupong had traded us off so cheaply. The others were angry—they didn't understand why Felix was saying this. There are people who could confess. Someone else might have told them what to do.
"Why are you traitors?" the crying boy asked, but no one paid attention.
I didn't realize I had started crying too. I don't know if it's because I feel bad, or because I just can't accept it— That someone really betrayed me. After everything we've been through, why?
Why would someone still do it?
That feeling—it's coming back again. The same feeling I had when I first found out they cheated me. It hurts to think it might be true. And if they confirm it…
Can I still forgive?
"Drew! Why aren't you saying anything?" Eman asked when he noticed Drew sitting quietly in a corner, unmoving.
He was just holding a picture, staring at it.
"Drew, what's wrong?" Kit asked.
Gradually, everyone's attention shifted to Drew. Even David walked over to take the picture from his hands. It was a photo of me—laughing, with Drew beside me, smiling widely. Why do I suddenly feel nervous around him?
"Drew, what's going on?" Josh asked.
"Tangina, Drew, answer us!"
"Bro, where are the trees?"
"Andrew Klondike Mercado!"
Felix was about to approach him and force him to talk, but we both froze when Drew finally opened his mouth to speak.
I covered my mouth to keep from crying out loud.
Why? Why did you do it?
"I… I'm the one who sent Ram the pictures and our location."