The scenes in the well-loved primetime drama Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin are indeed getting more intense and more scorching each night! And for its Week 17, we had witnessed that Marissa (Jodi Sta. Maria) already kicked off her plans of taking revenge against her best friend-turned-mortal nemesis Ellice (Iza Calzado) by using her beloved adopted son Jake (Grae Fernandez) and his blossoming closeness with the latter’s daughter Hope (Kira Balinger). 

As Jake apparently had a hard time heeding to her commands, Marissa took it in her own hands and uploaded a photo of him and his girl best friend on his social media while he was asleep to make Hope jealous and be angry at him. This worked as that post truly affected Hope and strained their friendship.

“It is better this way, anak. Mas mabuting hangga’t maaga putulin mo na ang kahit anong namamagitan sa inyo ni Hope before things get more complicated.”

The following night, seeing how distraught he has been of the complicated situation, Marissa tried to comfort Jake by reminiscing with him their fondest moments when she was only visiting him in the orphanage by browsing through their old photographs.

“Ito ‘yong pagkatapos mo akong patahanin. Iyak ako nang iyak sa orphanage dahil isinoli na naman ako ng mga taong umampon sa’kin. Kaya nangako ka nalang na babalikan mo ako. Pero siyempre, hindi ako naniwala kasi you do just say things to kids para ‘di sila masaktan. Gumagawa sila ng mga pangako na binabali rin nila. Pero, Ibu, iba ka sa kanila,” Jake recalled.

She tearfully responded, “Because it would seem so hard without you, anak. Kaya sa lahat ng mga taong iniwan ka at lahat ng taong isinoli ka, it’s their loss. Napakabuti mong bata.”

He went on to express his heartfelt gratitude to her, saying, “Pero kidding aside, Ibu, I’m glad that fate brought me to you. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako mapapadpad kung ‘di ko kayo nakilala. Kung ‘di ka dumating sa buhay ko. Ngayon lang ako nagkapamilya. Ibu, I’m the luckiest to have you as my mom. So, thank you. Thank you for looking after me all these years.”

Marissa retorted in between tears that she “wouldn’t have it any other way”.

Just when the Villarosas thought that they’re going to have a fun and satisfying celebration of their late patriarch Ramon’s (Alvin Anson) birth anniversary, a commotion erupted when Marissa and Jacob unexpectedly arrived upon the invitation of Sonya (Desiree Del Valle). Their presence indeed shocked everyone and sparked the rage of Ellice and their mom Carmelita (Cheska Inigo). 

Hope, on the other hand, was in great disbelief and immediately stormed out of the house. Jake followed her and got slapped by her as he tried to appease her.

“Paano mo natiis na itago ito sa akin? I can’t believe it. The first person who I trusted is the same person who would ruin my life. I hate you!” she furiously exclaimed after he calmly explained the situation then walked out, leaving him crying. 

Meanwhile, their moms were having a heated exchanged inside the house, with Gabriel (Sam Milby) between them to hinder them from getting into a ferocious catfight.

“’Di ba sinabi ko na sa’yo na layuan mo ang pamilya ko? Mahirap ba talagang intindihin ‘yon?” Ellice asked as Marissa, who proudly told her that they came since they were invited.

Marissa sarcastically replied, “Sa’n ka ba nanggagaling, ha? Masama bang ipakilala ang anak ko sa pamilya niya? O baka nasasaktan ka dahil naipapaalala sa’yo ang pagtataksil ng asawa mo?”

“Kung umaasa ka na makukuha mo si Gabriel gamit ang anak mo, [ikarir] mo na dahil kami pa rin ang pamilya at kahit kailan, hindi magwawagi ang kabit laban sa tunay na asawa!”

“Naiintindihan ko kung bakit ka nagkakaganyan. You are threatened, aren’t you, dahil bumalik na ako? Ngayon tingnan natin kung gaano katibay ‘yang pamilyang sinasabi mo!”

That remark by Marissa totally made Ellice, thus she yelled “Ilusyonada!” and attempted to attack her, but Gabriel was able to stop her. Carmelita and Cristina (Jef Gaitan) also spoke up against Marissa and chided Sonya for having her there. That obviously hurt Marissa, so she just decided to leave.

Nanay Lucing (Maricel Soriano) who was there as well chased her estranged daughter and reprimanded her for still being after Gabriel.

“Walang hiya ka talaga. Kahit ilang taon kang nagtago, lumalabas ‘yong kagustuhan mong manira ng pamilya!” she expressed. 

Apparently hurt by what her mom just told her, she was compelled to divulge that Ellice was actually the one who plotted her ambush that forced her to hide and stay away from her for almost two decades. However, instead of believing in her, Nanay Lucing refuted that Ellice is incapable of doing so since she’s been kind to her through the years. She even told her daughter, “Kung ganyan ang paniniwala mo, Marissa, hindi ka na magbabago.”

Observing how Ellice reacted on the sudden appearance of Marissa, Nanay Lucing couldn’t help but consider what her daughter disclosed to her earlier regarding the former’s involvement in the assassination plot against her almost two decades ago. She then went on to console Hope, who was then overly affected by the things they just had discovered earlier that day.

As Jake still found it difficult to go along with their plans, Marissa reminded him “not to fall in love with her” because it will just make things more complicated among them. Thus, he should keep a safe distance from her.

The following day, Jake attempted to reach out to Hope by striking a conversation with Hope. But that irked her, telling him that they do not need to get into small talks anymore and pretend that they’re fine.

“Hope, alam kong hindi okay ang mga pamilya natin. Pero sana tayong dalawa, magkaayos tayo bilang kapatid,” he pleaded.

This made her snap and utter, “Kapatid? Hindi kita kapatid. Wala akong kapatid na traydor na katulad mo. You’re nothing to me. ‘Yong dati nating pagsasamahan as friends? Wala na rin ‘yong meaning sa akin, Jake. Because you threw that away the moment you broke my trust. So, don’t you dare ask me to forgive you o tanggapin ka bilang kapatid dahil hindi mo ‘yon deserve. Partner lang kita sa project na ‘to, nothing more. Kaya the sooner we finish this, the better because I want nothing to do with you.”

RJ (Karl Gabriel) overheard them and seemingly saw it as an opportunity to get closer to Hope again. He’s probably even the one who spread the gossip in the entire campus as a photo of them together circulated on social media indicating that they’re siblings. They became the talk of the town, with their classmates alleging them with incest and comparing them to the two characters in a popular American series.

As soon as Hope went home from school, Ellice immediately approached her and consoled her over everything that happened to them recently.

“Naiintindihan ko na nasasaktan ka at tiyak na nagulat ka sa mga nalaman mo. And I’m sorry that you have to find out in the worst possible way,” Ellice apologetically said.

Hope tearfully uttered, “Sana mas maaga ko lang nalaman. Sana hindi ako nagtiwala kay Jake, kay dad, o sa kabit niya.” 

Ellice assured her, “Ipinapangako ko sa’yo na gagawin ko ang lahat para hindi makuha ng Marissa na ‘yon ang daddy mo. Hindi ko hahayaan na masira niya ang pamilya natin.”

After Gabriel left, Marissa once again had a heart-to-heart talk with Jake regarding their plan as he started to get wary anew about calling him “father”. Thus, she reminded him of their goal to seek justice for what they did to her many years ago. 

The following day, Marissa invited Gabriel to come over their house by dinner to once again bond with Jake. However, as soon as he arrived, it was Marissa – cladded in a black lingerie and all glammed up – who greeted him. She tried to seduce him by talking sweetly to him and attempting to kiss him.

However, Marissa’s charms didn’t work on Gabriel as he pushed her away and quickly left.

The following day, Hope and Jake were again picked on by their schoolmates, yet the latter wasn’t able to do anything to protect her, thus RJ entered the picture to be her “knight-in-shining-armor”.

Meanwhile, their moms once again got into a heated argument after they unexpectedly met at the Villarosas’ residence. Ellice swung by to visit her mother-in-law, while Marissa was with Sonya. Knowing the outcome of this chance meeting, Ellice decided to leave but was stopped by her sister-in-law and invited her to join them in their tea session. So, she sarcastically told her, “Come on, Ellice, tsaa lang ‘to. Huwag masyadong pikon.”

Sonya went on to subtly insult or attack Ellice when she uttered, “Do you still remember when daddy used to tease Gabriel? He said, ‘Gabriel, find a woman worthy enough na ipaglaban. Hindi ‘yong kinakalaban’.”

As Carmelita tried to shut her up, Ellice spoke up, “I believe, nahanap na ni Gabriel ang babaeng worthy enough to fight for.”

Her sister-in-law once again got mocked her and suggested that she and Marissa should just make up since they used to be best friends.  Ellice declined and reacted, “Ate, ganyan ka ba talaga? Sanay ka na ang kahalo ng tsaa mo, kabastusan?”

As Marissa chimed in saying that she didn’t knew she was there, Ellice uttered, “Noong una, akala ko immediate family ko lang ang gusto mong angkinin. ‘Yon pala, pati extended family ko.”
“Ganyan ka ba mag-welcome ng pamilya? Where’s the warmth?” Marissa retorted.

Then she replied, “Warmth? Pamilya? Alam nating lahat na pinagsisiksikan mo lang sarili mo dito sa pamilyang ito. I’m sure there’s a word for it. Desperada.”

Meanwhile, Ceasar seemed to already have the inkling who the spy is in Cenidoza after he saw Marissa’s incoming call on Chona’s (Tart Carlos) phone while she was preparing coffee at the office pantry. He warned her, “Ingat ka. Maraming mas matalas ang mata dito kaysa sa’yo.”

Don’t miss an episode of Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin, created by Dindo C. Perez and Julie Anne R. Benitez and directed by FM Reyes and Avel.Sunpongco, weeknights after FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z!