“Then since a life was lost, shouldn’t it be paid with another life?”
Dyrroth froze, stunned. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing.”
I turned around and walked into the building, the resignation letter already tucked neatly in my pocket.
The process went smoothly. As the vice president of the group, I applied and signed off on it myself.
That night, I didn’t go home. I checked into a hotel instead.
Dyrroth’s messages came flooding in.
[Where did you go? Why aren’t you home?]
[Still angry? I only said those things out of frustration. Come back, I brought you something from abroad.]
[Alright, alright, I was wrong. Please come home. This house feels too empty without its hostess.]
Frustrated, I turned off my phone without a second thought.
The next day, I timed it perfectly, just when Dyrroth would be with the group. I checked out of the hotel and headed home to pack.
What I didn’t expect was to open the door and find Dyrroth sitting coldly on the sofa, with Cleo crying beside him.
“Why did you kill Browny?” Dyrroth demanded the moment he saw me.
I blinked, confused for a second, then remembered. Browny was Cleo’s vicious dog.
A laugh escaped my lips. “That beast’s dead? Whoever did it deserves a medal. They really did the world a favor.”
“Carmela!”
“You did it, and now you won’t even admit it. With that attitude, you….”
“Hold on.” I cut him off sharply. “You’re saying I killed that dog?”
“Who else could it be?” Cleo snapped, her red-rimmed eyes full of accusation. “Browny was always gentle. Except for biting your mom when she teased you, it never hurt anyone.”
“You did it,” she hissed, pointing straight at me. “Because it bit your mom, you killed it!”
I looked straight at Dyrroth. “Is that what you think, too?”
His expression was cold, his eyes stripped of all warmth. “Carmela, I didn’t expect you to be so heartless. Just because your mom was hurt and hospitalized over something minor, you killed Browny?”
I stood there, stunned.
So that was what he believed.
My mother, attacked and hospitalized, was just a “minor” matter. But the death of that vicious dog? That was the real tragedy.
In his eyes, dogs mattered more than people.
How laughable. How cruelly ironic.
My heart completely shattered at Dyrroth’s words. I couldn’t even summon the will to explain. My voice was calm, numb. “So what if I did?”
“You killed my Browny! I’ll fight you to the death!”
Cleo screamed and lunged at me from the sofa.
“Get lost!”
I shoved her to the ground without hesitation.
The very next second, a heavy slap struck my face. My vision blurred.
Dyrroth pointed to the door, his voice thunderous with rage. “Get out! Get out now!”
I stood frozen in place.
Dyrroth actually hit me.
Over Cleo. Over a dog.
He rushed over and helped her up gently. “Are you okay? Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Watching him support Cleo as they walked away, I stood still, my voice calm and even. “You’re the one who forced me out today. I hope you won’t regret it.”
Dyrroth paused and turned his head, his eyes sharp and unforgiving. “You have one day. Apologize to Cleo. Attend Browny’s funeral. Confess sincerely. If not… the wedding is off. Don’t even dream of marrying me.”
I smiled faintly and nodded. “Alright, then.”
After that, I packed immediately, hailed a taxi to the airport, and boarded the flight I had booked long ago.
As the plane lifted into the sky, far away in the hospital, Dyrroth felt a wave of unease wash over him. He pulled out his phone and typed hurriedly:
[What I said was out of anger. You don’t need to repent. Just apologize to Cleo.]
He hit send, only to be met with a glaring red exclamation mark.
