Chapter 2

B typed for a long time, and the message finally came through six or seven minutes later. B: [Is your dog suddenly aggressive, extremely vigilant, losing its appetite, always tucking its tail, and uninterested in anything?]

I was a little shocked. He'd hit the nail right on the head.

Kate: [How do you know that?]

He didn't answer my question. B: [I'm just trying to give you a kind reminder. Believe it or not, it's up to you.]

I didn't believe him, but I still felt a bit uneasy.

Henry suddenly said, "Who are you chatting with? Laughing one minute and frowning the next."

I looked up and met Henry's scrutinizing gaze.

I'd just opened my mouth to speak when my phone vibrated again. It was Robin Bennett, the vet from the pet hospital.

Thanks to this perfect timing, I said in a hurry, "No one. The pet hospital sent a message about a physical exam promotion."

I flipped my phone over to show Henry, then stood up and headed for the bedroom. "I'm going to lie down for a while."

Henry's voice came from behind me, his tone a little too quick. "A physical exam? Is that necessary? Sophie's just not used to you being away. She'll be fine in a couple of days."

I shut the bedroom door, blocking out his voice. Then, I buried my face in the bed, my mind in complete chaos.

It wasn't long before Henry came in, too. And to my surprise, Sophie followed right behind him.

I lay on my stomach watching the two of them, not wanting to move an inch. Sophie dragged her feet in with her tail hanging low, then plopped down on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Kate, have some fruit. Don't worry. Sophie's going to be okay," Henry said.

The fruit plate was filled with all kinds of fruits. The grapes were peeled, and the strawberries had their stems trimmed off.

He set the plate on the bedside table, climbed onto the bed, and started massaging my shoulders, working his way down. "You've been tired these past few days, haven't you? Let me give my wife a Thai massage."

He patted my back clumsily, making me giggle.

Meanwhile, I scolded myself inwardly for doubting him because of some stranger's random words.

Sophie was probably just feeling under the weather. Tomorrow, I'd take her to the hospital to get checked out.

Henry's hands pressed down on my waist. I really had been exhausted lately, and the massage felt so good that I let out a soft hum.

I was just about to tell him about that weird guy B when Sophie suddenly kicked her legs and darted to the bed. She barked twice loudly, then opened her mouth and lunged at Henry, who was straddling my legs.

Henry was caught off guard and tumbled to the other side of the bed.

Sophie bared her teeth, showing her gums, her teeth chattering uncontrollably, and saliva dripping from the corners of her mouth. Her eyes were fixed fiercely on our overlapping legs.

For six years, Sophie had always been gentle and well-behaved. She'd never lost control like this before. She really meant to bite Henry.

There was definitely something wrong with Sophie, and it had nothing to do with separation anxiety, as she was particularly wary of Henry.

The next day, I took Sophie to the pet hospital for a full physical exam.

Robin looked at the test report. "There's nothing else wrong with Sophie. But we did find a pelvic fracture and bleeding in the inner wall of her vulva."

I froze, my mind going blank. "What?"

Robin looked a little awkward and glanced away before speaking again. "We also detected dimethicone in Sophie's body. To put it simply, that's lubricant."

I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. Had B been right all along? I stumbled back home with Sophie in a daze. As soon as we walked in the door, she curled up in the corner, her stomach tucked tightly.

My heart ached as I stroked her head. I reached out to pick her up, but she resisted, growling at me.

I wiped away my tears and hid the test report at the very bottom of the drawer.

When Henry got home, I was lying on the bed in a daze, and Sophie was curled up in the corner at the foot of the bed.

He pushed the door open without turning on the light, then lunged onto the bed and hugged me through the blanket.

I heard my own hoarse voice. "Henry, while I was away on business, did Sophie come into contact with anyone else?"

He buried his face in the quilt against my chest, his tone casual. "No. Except for going out for walks, Sophie stayed at home the whole time."

He continued, "I was at work during the day, and she was with me every night. There was no chance for her to meet anyone else."

Then he lifted his head. His eyes were bright in the darkness. "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking that?"

I couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes. As I shifted my gaze aimlessly, I accidentally glanced at the power socket at the foot of the bed. In the darkness, a faint red light flickered on and off inside it.

I shivered, wondering if the air conditioner was set too low. Henry moved closer and kissed my neck. Sophie immediately tensed up.

I stared at the power socket and pushed Henry away. "But Sophie's scared. Let's sleep in separate rooms for the next few days."

With that, I took Sophie and walked to the guest room. Only when the door clicked shut did it block the intense gaze that had been fixed on my back.

As soon as we got into the guest room, I pulled out my phone quickly and searched for pinhole cameras online.

I bit my nails as I scrolled through dozens of them. Some of them had the exact same faint red light I'd seen in the socket.

I had lived in this house for two years. No one except Henry and I had ever been here. The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. I fumbled to open the chat with B.

Kate: [You were right. There's something wrong with my dog. Her symptoms are exactly what you described. And I found a pinhole camera in my house.]