Chapter 3

"Yeah, classy ladies spend their time fooling around with other people's husbands." I said flatly.

My words darkened her face.

I smiled faintly. "I'm walking my dog—get out of the way."

Peanut immediately bared her teeth at her.

Eloise was shocked and furious, her words laced with malice. "Damn dog—who do you think you're scaring?"

As soon as she said that, Peanut broke free from the leash and charged at her aggressively.

Labradors had bigger sizes. Eloise screamed and fell to the ground, her neat hairstyle now messy against her face. She looked utterly pathetic.

I quickly stopped Peanut, saying, "Meat soaked in makeup is toxic, sweetheart—we don't eat that."

As we walked away, Peanut was still growling at Eloise.

I didn't miss the malice that flashed in Eloise's eyes—and it made me nervous.

*****

The next night, right after eating, Peanut suddenly started foaming at the mouth. It was critical.

Panicked, I picked her up and ran barefoot into the pouring rain.

The rain stung like needles, making it hard to keep my eyes open, but the resolve in my heart was stronger than the storm. "Peanut, hang in there!"

I stumbled forward, and suddenly my foot slipped. I fell into a puddle with a splash.

Pain shot through my body, but my hands held Peanut tight—I never let go for a second.

My mind was racing like leaves in a hurricane, but I knew I couldn't give up.

Just then, the rain above my head suddenly stopped.

I lifted my rain-soaked face, and through the blur, I saw a gentle-looking man looking down at me.

The sound of rain hitting the umbrella was loud and clear, standing out in the quiet night.

"Who are you?" I asked weakly.

"I'm Julius Alvarez. I run the animal clinic down the street," he introduced himself briefly.

Then he took Peanut from my arms. "My place is just ahead. Come with me."

I followed him in a daze, my heart filled with helplessness and despair.

But God wasn't on our side that night.

In the end, Peanut didn't make it.

Julius told me Peanut had eaten rat poison.

This news was like a bolt from the blue, instantly pushing me to the brink of collapse.

Then I remembered the malice in Eloise's eyes—a strong gut feeling told me she was behind this.

Trembling, I dialed Myron's number and screamed, "Why don't you just kill me too?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, then his mocking voice came through.

But I wasn't listening. My whole world was falling apart.

Suddenly, the phone was taken from my hand.

I looked up and saw Julius' calm profile. He put the call on speaker.

He said, "Myron, I assume? Peanut wasn't just a pet. She was a certified rescue dog. Poisoning her is a criminal offense.

"I have surveillance footage of your assistant planting the poison. If you want to keep this quiet, send her over to apologize. Properly."

The other end of the line immediately went silent.

I was also stunned by Julius's words.

Peanut was a rescue dog? And Julius had video evidence? It felt like a dream.

But Myron's cold voice pulled me back to reality. "Who is this?"

Julius didn't flinch. "It doesn't matter who I am. You're a grown-up. Can't even control your assistant? Going after your wife's dog? How pathetic."

Myron was clearly in no mood to talk. He sounded furious. "Where's Maeve? Put her on.

"You've got some nerve—sneaking around behind my back with another man?"

I ignored Myron, who was furious and caught up in his suspicions.

In the end, he snapped, "You'll regret this, Maeve!" and hung up the phone.