Seeing the way things were unfolding, I couldn't take it anymore.
My voice came out cold, sharper than I intended.
"I said that this dog cannot stay. Didn’t you hear me?"
My words hit like a slap, freezing Kyle, Harriet, and Shane where they stood.
They had never seen me like this before. Even Buddy froze, his eyes glistening with tears, a silent plea in them.
In the middle of the stunned silence, I walked over, calmly picked Buddy up, and stuffed him in a sack. He didn’t fight me. There was no resistance, no struggle. It was almost like he understood, accepting whatever was coming.
By the time the dealers showed up and took Buddy away, Shane, looking like he’d been gut-punched, finally spoke.
His voice was laced with reluctance and pain as he said, "Michael, no matter what, Buddy is the dog you and my sister have raised for seven years. How can you do this?"
Harriet, her eyes full of worry and sorrow, stood by, holding herself together as best as she could, "Michael, even if seeing Buddy reminds you of Corrine and it drags you into sadness, there’s no need to send him to the specialty butcher shop. What’s going on with you?"
Kyle stood there, staring at me, not saying a word for what felt like an eternity. His eyes were full of confusion, sadness... and something else.
Then, the tears began to well up.
"Dad, you should be able to feel it. Buddy’s been more and more like Mom lately. With him by your side, taking care of you, you should be happy, right? Why are you doing this to him?"
I looked at their faces, confused and grieving, but stayed silent. I wasn’t ready to say anything, not yet.
Finally, after a long pause, I replied, "Tomorrow, you’ll all know everything."
...
The next day was my son’s celebration banquet for being admitted to Harvard University. It wasn’t the celebration it should’ve been.
Family, friends, neighbors—they were all there. But the joy was gone.
"This graduation party was something Corrine had planned for Kyle months ago. It’s such a shame, she was gone before it even started," someone murmured.
"Yeah, every dish, every banner, all of it was something she designed herself. No wonder they couldn’t bring themselves to cancel it, even though everything here reminds them of her," another voice echoed.
"I’m sure even now, Corrine is up there watching, eagerly looking forward to this celebration."
The party was grand and impressive, just as it should have been.
But with everything that happened with Corrine and the situation with Buddy, my son, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law were too worried to really enjoy the evening.
When I finally showed up, late as usual, Kyle, who had been withdrawn all night, immediately rushed over to me.
He couldn’t hold it back any longer.
"Dad, please...tell me, why did you send Buddy to the specialty butcher shop? Is this because of Mom?" His face was pale, his eyes dark with exhaustion, clearly having stayed up all night, wrestling with the same questions that had been eating at me.
I nodded. "Yes."
Harriet looked at me, her expression full of confusion and concern.
"But what does sending Buddy to the specialty butcher shop have to do with my daughter?"
Then, a realization hit her.
Her eyes sharpened as she asked, "Wait...could it be that you know something about Corrine’s death?"
Meanwhile, Shane’s face twisted with desperation as he grabbed my arm. "Michael, my sister died in such a brutal way, and the police still can’t find the killer. If you know something, you have to tell us now!"
Everyone in the room was now watching me, their faces filled with disbelief, expectation, and fear.
The weight of their gazes pressed down on me.
I took a deep breath, pulled my phone out, and dialed the police.
My voice was steady, but cold as I said, "Hello, I want to confess. I’ve committed murder. The victim’s name is Corrine Allen-Stone."
Before anyone could say a word, I hung up.
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at me, wide-eyed, shocked, and confused.
Finally, Harriet spoke, her voice trembling. "How...how is this possible? Michael, you’re joking, right?"
