"You really have some nerve!" Edmund raised his hand again to strike me.
Olivia hurried to stop him, putting on a show of restraint. "Enough, the child’s still young and ignorant. There's no need to lower ourselves."
She turned to me with a falsely gentle tone. "Alice, it’s not that I’ve been harsh with your sister. She’s simply unwilling to study. She said she preferred the freedom of being a dog."
"I never wanted her to stay in the kennel," she added with a sigh. "But every time we refused, she’d starve herself for days. In the end, we had no choice but to give in."
"If you don’t believe me, ask your father. Or better yet, let Cathy explain it to you herself."
Edmund gave a cold snort. "It’s Cathy who’s the problem. She won’t study, skips school, and would rather bark like a dog. A child like that isn’t worthy of being called my daughter!"
I felt a tug on my sleeve. My sister’s voice was hoarse and trembling. "Sister... I don’t like school. I like being a puppy. I like living in the doghouse."
Then she dropped to all fours. "Woof... woof... I’m a puppy!"
"You’re not a dog, Cathy. You’re a person!" I snapped, my heart breaking.
I looked around the yard. No familiar faces—no housekeeper, no old nanny, no bodyguard. Everyone had been replaced. And they all stared at me with wary, almost predatory eyes.
"I don’t care what happened before," I said, voice steady with fury. "Now that I’m back, my sister—Alice—will no longer be treated like an animal!"
Olivia chuckled and played the innocent. "Then, Alice, you take responsibility for her from now on. We clearly can't manage her."
As she spoke, she picked up a ball at her feet and tossed it across the yard.
Without hesitation, my sister dropped to all fours again and chased after it. She bit the ball with her teeth, ran back, and dropped it into Olivia’s open palm.
Olivia threw it again. Cathy eagerly prepared to run after it.
I rushed over and pulled her up. "Cathy! You are human. You stand on two legs. You use your hands, not your mouth!"
"Please," I said gently, "promise me you won’t pretend to be a puppy anymore, okay?"
But she only shook her head again and again. "No, I like it... I’m a puppy, I want to be a puppy..."
Olivia burst into laughter and dangled the ball again. "Want to play some more?"
My sister’s eyes lit up. She stuck out her tongue, panting happily. "Yes! Yes!"
"Enough!" I snapped, spinning toward Edmund. "My mother begged you to protect her before she died. Is this how you honor her wish?"
He shrugged without emotion. "She brought this on herself. I can’t help it if she turned out useless."
"Give me the key. I’m removing that chain from her neck!"
Silence. Not one servant moved.
I turned to them, eyes blazing. "Are you all deaf?! I said, get the key!"
Only after Olivia gave a nod did someone finally spring into action.
That’s when I realized—I had no authority in this house.
Once the chain was removed, Cathy panicked. She shrank back, scrambling toward the kennel.
"I don’t want to live in a house! I’m a puppy—I live in the doghouse!"
I grabbed her tightly and whispered, "It’s okay, Cathy. Don’t be afraid. I’m taking you to a doctor right now."
There was no time to gather our things. I rushed her straight to the hospital.
After the examination, the doctor’s expression turned grim.
Not only was her psychological state deeply damaged, but her body had been ravaged. Scars covered her chest and back—just hidden by clothing. There were signs of repeated whippings, burns, and blunt trauma. Several of her ribs had been fractured, and her skull had sustained damage as well.
As I listened to the doctor's report, tears spilled uncontrollably down my cheeks.
How could anyone do this to a child?
I pulled my sister into my arms, holding her tightly.
"Don’t be afraid, Cathy. From now on, I’ll protect you. No one will ever hurt you again."
