When my wife’s secretary was caught abusing an injured puppy, I stepped in without hesitation.
Someone in the crowd recorded everything and posted it online. In no time, I was hailed as a hero by animal lovers across the internet. At the same time, her secretary, Steven Jackson, became the face of cruelty and perversion.
Under public pressure, the company had no choice but to fire him. My wife had always been especially fond of Steven; no matter what happened between us, she would always defend him without question.
But this time, she didn’t blame me. She simply said, her tone calm and cool, “Someone so heartless has no place in the company. He should be gone.”
I breathed a deep sigh of relief, thinking she had finally seen him for who he was. Overjoyed, I went all out, preparing a candlelit dinner just for her.
But the moment I finished the glass of wine she handed me, darkness swallowed me whole.
When I came to, I was inside a dog breeding facility, surrounded by a pack of Shiba Inus, all staring at me with eerie, glowing green eyes.
My wife stood there, eyes like frost. “Since you love protecting dogs so much, then stay here, get along with this pack that hasn’t eaten in a week.”
Next to her, Steven raised a livestream device, his voice dripping with mockery. “Young Master Mitchell, you’re so full of compassion. Even if they rip into you, I bet you’d never lift a hand against them, right?”
A bitter chill spread through my chest. I never imagined she’d go this far just to help Steven get revenge, to the point of handing me over to starving dogs.
I looked straight into the camera, forcing my voice to remain steady. “If this is your choice, Tessa, I only hope you don’t live to regret it.”
——
My wife, Tessa Curran, laughed, like I’d just told the world’s most ridiculous joke. “Are you threatening me, Cooper Mitchell? Don’t forget, you brought this on yourself.”
“Who told you to play the hero? Steven was just in a bad mood, teasing a mutt for fun. But you blew it up, got him canceled, cost him his job, and made him a public enemy. And you? You strutted around, so proud of yourself. You're nothing but a pathetic little man. This time, I’m going to teach you a real lesson.”
“You love playing the animal lover, right? You adore little dogs, don’t you? Take a good look at those Shiba Inus. They haven’t eaten in a week. Let’s see if you still act so noble when they tear into you from hunger.”
As I watched my disheveled image flash across the giant screen, a bitter laugh slipped from my lips.
Steven was nothing more than a two-faced scumbag, a man who found pleasure in tormenting defenseless animals. That day, I saw it with my own eyes. He pressed a lit cigarette into the skin of an injured stray, feeding his sick, twisted urges.
That’s why I stepped in. The video? Just a random clip taken by a bystander. I never imagined it would explode across the internet.
But I didn’t regret it. People like him deserved exposure, deserved to be dragged through the mud and trampled by public outrage.
What truly cut deep was that Tessa chose to protect him and punish me instead.
Seeing that I remained silent, Steven smirked with arrogance. “What’s the matter, Young Master Mitchell? Don’t tell me you’re frozen with fear now?”
“President, don’t you think this might be too harsh? Maybe we can let him go, if he kneels, apologizes publicly, and posts a statement online clearing my name.”
Tessa looked down at me with disdain. “Cooper, you’re not even worth one of Steven’s fingers. And yet, look at how generous he is, still thinking of you.”
“Now get on your knees in front of the livestream. Apologize to Steven, say you framed him, that he never hurt any dogs, and that the video was your scheme to spark outrage. Do it and I’ll let you out.”
At that moment, the livestream flooded with viewers, and the bullet comments began to pour in like wildfire.
