Chapter 2 · The Puppy Came Home, The Marriage Went To Court

The next morning, when I came downstairs, breakfast was already laid out on the table.

There were warm biscuits, scrambled eggs, milk, and a bowl of fresh berries.

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes fixed on the glass of milk.

I was allergic to milk, and it was so bad that it could land me in the ER. After three years of marriage, Steven couldn't possibly not know that.

Amy poked her head out of the kitchen and called out warmly, "Nina, you're up? Come have breakfast. Steven will be down soon."

"Who made all this?" I asked.

"I did. I've been working on it for a while," Amy replied.

"You didn't know I'm allergic to milk?" I asked.

Amy blinked, looking all innocent. "Oh? I didn't know. Nina, you're not seriously going to make a fuss over a glass of milk, are you? What's the big deal? I mainly made it for Steven. If you don't want it, don't drink it."

I shrugged, grabbed the fork from the table, and slammed it down hard. "Say that again."

"What's all the noise about so early in the morning?" Steven called out as he came downstairs.

Amy's eyes instantly turned red, tears streaming down her face. "Steven, I was making breakfast, and Nina said I did a bad job and even slammed the fork down."

Seeing Amy looking all helpless and teary-eyed, Steven couldn't hold back anymore. "Nina, Amy got up early to make breakfast for you. If you don't want to eat, say so. Why are you being so picky?"

I shoved the glass of milk toward him. "I'm allergic to this stuff. Don't tell me you forgot?"

The glass spun across the table, milk splashing everywhere.

Steven scoffed, "How serious could an allergy be? A couple of sips won't kill you."

Amy tried to smooth things over. "Steven, let it go. If Nina doesn't want it, don't force her. I can make something else."

Steven said, "No way. After all the work you put into that milk, she has to drink it."

I looked at Steven, trying to connect him to the Steven I used to know.

Three years ago, after a couple of sips of milk, I broke out in hives and got a fever. He ran out in the middle of the night to buy medicine for me.

Now, even though he knew I was allergic, he was acting all high and mighty, saying, "A couple of sips won't kill you."

I turned and walked away.

Right then, Steven grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. "Who said you could leave? You're drinking this glass of milk today."

"Let go," I said.

"And what if I don't? Is it that you can't stand Amy? Let me make this clear. I'm the one who calls the shots in this house," Steven said.

"You're really going to force me to drink something I'm allergic to, just for her?" I gritted my teeth, raised my other hand, and slapped Steven hard across the face. "Steven, you bastard. You're so heartless."

He turned his head from the slap, a red mark blooming on his cheek. "Nina, are you fucking crazy?"

Furious, he shoved me back into the chair and waved Amy over. "Amy, come here. Force her to drink that milk."

I stared at him, eyes wide. "Steven, you wouldn't dare."

"You think I don't dare? Amy, do it." Steven snapped.

Amy quickly refilled the glass of milk and walked over to me.

I clenched my jaw, trying to pull my head back, but Steven pinned my shoulder with one hand and grabbed my chin with the other, forcing my mouth open.

Amy's face lit up with a smug grin as she brought the glass to my lips and tilted it, forcing the milk down my throat.

I choked and coughed, trying to spit it out, but Steven clamped his hand over my mouth. "Swallow it."

I had no choice but to swallow.

Once the glass was empty, Steven finally let go and grabbed a napkin to wipe the spill from his hands. "Alright, that's it. Amy, clean up. Let's get you to school."

Amy beamed and nodded. "Okay."

I slumped over the table. My neck itched like crazy, and my throat felt tight and blocked. Breathing was getting harder. I managed to lift my head with difficulty. "I'm having an allergic reaction."

Steven shot me a cold look, then picked up his phone and called 911.

After hanging up, he slung his arm around Amy. "Let's go. Don't want to be late."

The two of them walked out the door, one after the other.

I slumped in the chair, my vision growing blurrier by the second, my hand clutching the memory card I'd taken from the puppy's collar.

Chapter 2

The next morning, when I came downstairs, breakfast was already laid out on the table.

There were warm biscuits, scrambled eggs, milk, and a bowl of fresh berries.

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes fixed on the glass of milk.

I was allergic to milk, and it was so bad that it could land me in the ER. After three years of marriage, Steven couldn't possibly not know that.

Amy poked her head out of the kitchen and called out warmly, "Nina, you're up? Come have breakfast. Steven will be down soon."

"Who made all this?" I asked.

"I did. I've been working on it for a while," Amy replied.

"You didn't know I'm allergic to milk?" I asked.

I shrugged, grabbed the fork from the table, and slammed it down hard. "Say that again."

"What's all the noise about so early in the morning?" Steven called out as he came downstairs.

Amy's eyes instantly turned red, tears streaming down her face. "Steven, I was making breakfast, and Nina said I did a bad job and even slammed the fork down."

Seeing Amy looking all helpless and teary-eyed, Steven couldn't hold back anymore. "Nina, Amy got up early to make breakfast for you. If you don't want to eat, say so. Why are you being so picky?"

I shoved the glass of milk toward him. "I'm allergic to this stuff. Don't tell me you forgot?"

The glass spun across the table, milk splashing everywhere.

Steven scoffed, "How serious could an allergy be? A couple of sips won't kill you."

Amy tried to smooth things over. "Steven, let it go. If Nina doesn't want it, don't force her. I can make something else."

Steven said, "No way. After all the work you put into that milk, she has to drink it."

I looked at Steven, trying to connect him to the Steven I used to know.

Three years ago, after a couple of sips of milk, I broke out in hives and got a fever. He ran out in the middle of the night to buy medicine for me.

Now, even though he knew I was allergic, he was acting all high and mighty, saying, "A couple of sips won't kill you."

I turned and walked away.

Right then, Steven grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. "Who said you could leave? You're drinking this glass of milk today."

"Let go," I said.

"And what if I don't? Is it that you can't stand Amy? Let me make this clear. I'm the one who calls the shots in this house," Steven said.

He turned his head from the slap, a red mark blooming on his cheek. "Nina, are you fucking crazy?"

Furious, he shoved me back into the chair and waved Amy over. "Amy, come here. Force her to drink that milk."

I stared at him, eyes wide. "Steven, you wouldn't dare."

"You think I don't dare? Amy, do it." Steven snapped.

Amy quickly refilled the glass of milk and walked over to me.

I clenched my jaw, trying to pull my head back, but Steven pinned my shoulder with one hand and grabbed my chin with the other, forcing my mouth open.

Amy's face lit up with a smug grin as she brought the glass to my lips and tilted it, forcing the milk down my throat.

I choked and coughed, trying to spit it out, but Steven clamped his hand over my mouth. "Swallow it."

I had no choice but to swallow.

Once the glass was empty, Steven finally let go and grabbed a napkin to wipe the spill from his hands. "Alright, that's it. Amy, clean up. Let's get you to school."

Amy beamed and nodded. "Okay."

I slumped over the table. My neck itched like crazy, and my throat felt tight and blocked. Breathing was getting harder. I managed to lift my head with difficulty. "I'm having an allergic reaction."

Steven shot me a cold look, then picked up his phone and called 911.

After hanging up, he slung his arm around Amy. "Let's go. Don't want to be late."

The two of them walked out the door, one after the other.

I slumped in the chair, my vision growing blurrier by the second, my hand clutching the memory card I'd taken from the puppy's collar.