The Wife Who Escaped Cruelty

nnounced the next morning, as if she were planning a

t look up. "How do you plan on doing that

e shy, innocent act. Go over there. Say you want to ask him about his college applications

In my past life, I would have argued, pleaded, and tried

in a way that wouldn'

? Lily, I can' t. I get all tongue-tied around Ethan. He' s... intimidating.

"Ugh, you' re useless. I swear.

act reaction

patting Lily' s shoulder. "We don' t need her. I' ll h

ised, pathetic plan. I felt a strange sense of detac

s, before Lily killed me. The report was a profile on Ethan Blackwood and his genius dog. It mentioned his childhood sweetheart,

The name ech

nside wasn' t a random dog' s soul? What if it

ch deeper, much more planned. Ethan wasn' t just a grieving neighbor.

nda and Lily returned later that aft

d Max w

ween them, not on a leash. He followed them right int

sked, genuin

rown eyes placid and watchful. "She told Ethan we were thinking of getting a dog just like Max and asked

mart as everyone thinks. A little fl

wasn' t one of them. He had handed over his precious dog, the ves

nted them to have the dog.

ged. Lily grabbed Max' s collar roughly. "Alright, you m

dug his paws into th

e," I said, st

t the wall. "Stay out of this, Sarah. This is

x' s side. "

crambled into Lily' s room. My blood ran co

didn' t hurt him-her-more. "You can' t

y said, slamming h

k on our front door. It wasn' t a friendly knoc

he looked at Lily' s closed door, then bac

was used to seeing. He was flanked by two large men in dark suits. His face was

s voice was low, but it filled our small h

dumb. "Ethan, dear, what are you

her off. "My security team informed me the moment

d by greed. A sly look entered her

e it here. And Lily has grown so attached. It would take a lot to convince

rying to blackmail him. The man who

ith an expression of pure, unadulterated contem

kward. He and his men stepped inside, their presence m

Ethan c

ood there, holding Max by the

id, a triumphant smirk on her face.

e bounded happily toward Ethan, cowered behind Lily. He whined and

aw a flicker of something in his eyes. He

They thought the dog' s strange affection for Lily was

I sa

ward Lily, Ethan' s gaze met the dog' s. An

g unde

og' s eyes. It was acti

ddenly understood that my entire family was nothing more than a