Chapter 3
Nancy was startled by my sudden appearance, but she was a pro on stage. She quickly recovered, tears streaming down her face like she was auditioning for an Oscar.
She said, "So that's it. No wonder you hate me so much.
"But your sister totally brought her death on herself."
As she said this, Nancy tilted her head away from the camera and shot me a smug, taunting smile.
I knew exactly what she was doing, trying to bait me.
Tracy's pain and sacrifice made me who I was. Nancy's petty games wouldn't faze me one bit.
I ignored Nancy's bait and held up the hamster, glancing toward the backstage.
I asked, "Where's the vet? Nancy's been torturing animals for years. Her vibe is so toxic that even a little thing like this gets knocked out just by catching a whiff of her.
"If we don't get it treated soon, it won't last much longer."
As soon as I said that, everyone's eyes went wide.
"Don't you dare accuse her like that. Nancy's literally the sweetest person, she'd never hurt a little animal," someone shouted.
"She donates to animal shelters and has adopted so many strays herself." another person chimed in.
"Smearing her just because your sister died young? Who the hell do you think you are?" someone else snapped.
I couldn't care less. Instead, I held the hamster right up to the camera, pulled its ears, and pinched its little paws.
No matter how I messed with it, the hamster that had been full of energy just seconds ago was totally out cold.
The crowd, who had been totally backing Nancy just moments ago, started to shift uneasily.
A person wrote: [Something's seriously weird. Even a person would've woken up after all that poking.]
Another wrote: [Yeah, I've heard some mice get so freaked out by cats they just pass out and don't move at all.]
Someone else asked: [Is the hamster really knocked out? Could Nancy actually be hurting animals?]
Nancy watched the live chat explode, her expression turning panicked as she rushed to defend herself.
"I know you blame me for Tracy's death, but this is just cruel. Stop messing with my little buddy and put him down," Nancy pleaded.
I gave a cold snort and handed the hamster straight to the vet who had hurried over.
"Could you check if this little guy's just sleeping, or if he's really knocked out?" I asked.
When the vet showed up, Nancy, who'd been looking nervous just a second ago, visibly relaxed.
This whole show was funded by her sponsors. The whole point was to make Nancy look good.
She knew everyone on the crew would be on her side, so with tears in her eyes, she turned to the camera and kept talking.
She said, "Don't worry about me, everyone. I'm fine, and my little buddy is going to be okay, too.
"The best vet is here now. Doctor, tell us, is he just sleeping?"
The vet shot Nancy a cold look, then made a big show of pulling out his stethoscope and checking the hamster over. Finally, with a helpless look, he turned to the camera.
"Sorry, Ms. Hines, but this hamster really did get scared unconscious," he said.
Nancy's eyes widened in disbelief and anger, her tone icy and full of threat.
She asked, "Dr. Malcom, you better think about your career. Say it one more time, what's wrong with it?"
Windsor Malcom was so freaked out that he just plopped down on the floor.
He stammered, "Ms. Hines, even if you threaten my future, I still have to be honest.
"This hamster really did faint from fright. Hamsters may be tiny, but they're pretty resilient. They only pass out if they run into something truly terrifying, like a predator.
"You must have been butchering lives all the time. No wonder this little guy got scared stiff."
Nancy was about to explode, her fake nice-girl mask long gone, her words dripping with poison.
She spat, "If you can't even do your job, then stop mooching off the crew.
"You're fired. Get out now. Once I say the word, no pet hospital will ever hire you again."
I stepped in front of Windsor, my expression icy.
I said, "Nancy, aren't you supposed to be the kind-hearted one, the one who's all about compassion and love?
"Just a minute ago you were calling Dr. Malcom the top vet, and now you're ready to wreck his career just because he spoke the truth?"
Nancy's face turned beet red, and she looked like she was about to faint, struggling to catch her breath.
Nancy screamed, "Shut up.
"Where's the director? Drag your ass out here and blacklist this bitch too."
I just stood there in silence, waiting for Nancy to finish her tantrum before finally speaking up.
"You know, when you're shrieking like that, you don't look anything like the sweet angel you pretend to be," I said.