Chapter 3

3、

The office went silent. I stayed on the floor, clutching my back.

Eight years. It was over.

Loyalty never stood a chance against the thrill of something new.

For a girl he barely knew, he had trampled on my heart.

I was done playing the martyr.

I wrote my resignation letter and walked it to HR myself.

The news spread like wildfire.

"Summer is leaving? The company is going to tank."

"Without her, who's going to fix the books or get the investors?"

I just needed Silas to sign it so I could be free.

I went back to the small apartment we used to share.

It was a modest place; I'd stayed there to save money for our future.

What a joke.

I walked in and realized something was missing. "Buddy? Buddy!"

My golden retriever, my best friend of five years, was gone.

I checked the security footage. Silas had lured him out with a treat while I was at work.

Rage boiled in my blood. I called him, but I was blocked.

I ran outside, screaming Buddy's name until my throat burned.

Then, I saw Melody's Instagram story.

She had tied Buddy to the back of Silas's moving SUV.

They were driving fast up a hillside, forcing the dog to sprint.

Buddy was stumbling, being dragged across the dirt by his neck!

"Don't be lazy, Buddy! The vet said you need cardio!" Melody giggled behind the camera.

A five-year-old dog can't handle that kind of strain.

The video ended with Buddy collapsed in the grass, his body shaking violently.

Melody poked him with her shoe.

"Uh oh, he's not getting up. Silas, what do we do?"

Silas's voice came from the driver's seat. "Throw some water on him. He's just a dog, he's faking it."

Buddy had heart issues. I was always so careful with him.

I flagged down a taxi, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Hang on, Buddy. Mommy's coming," I sobbed.

Halfway there, Silas finally called. "Buddy isn't doing well. Get to the vet clinic."

"You knew he was sick!" I screamed. "Why would you tie him to a car?"

"Melody wanted a picnic," he said casually. "I thought the fresh air would do him good. He's just weak, I guess."

I didn't have the energy to argue.

When I burst into the clinic, Buddy was lying on a cold metal table.

Blood was trickling from his mouth. His eyes were rolled back.

He had died in agony.

I sank to my knees, stroking his fur, my heart breaking into a million pieces.

I wailed so loud that people in the waiting room stopped to stare.

Silas looked embarrassed. "He's just a dog. I'll buy you a designer puppy, okay? Stop making a scene."

He had no idea what love was.

"Melody was nice enough to pay for a pet funeral service," Silas added. "You should thank her."

I looked at his blank, stupid face and felt nothing but ice.

I picked up Buddy's limp body and turned to leave.

"Wait," Silas said, holding out a folder.

"I'm giving Melody ten percent of the company shares. I need your signature as a primary stakeholder."

"Once she's an owner, no one can talk down to her. You two will be equals, so stop the drama."

I looked at the papers and started laughing. It was a dark, jagged sound.

I slapped the folder out of his hand.

"I would rather die than sign that. She will never be my equal. She's nothing."