The Unseen Wife's Six-Year Sacrifice

Hughe

pression filled with a weary sort of pleading. "Almeda,

ys," I said, my voice even. "S

angement. She knew I had held up my end of the bargain. "I know, dear, b

to do with Helene. This is about Almeda' s irrational behavior. Sh

oney. He stood there, so confident, so certain that Gladys's presence would be enough to cow me back into submission. He h

butterfly. In that moment, he was the only thing in this world

ng yelp of pain cu

d snap

as standing over Buddy, who was whining and trying to crawl away. Jacob

ce twisted in a terrifying rage.

fury erupted from

shoved Jacob away from my dog, sending him stumbling backward onto

creamed, my voice raw with an

rom the ground. "Buddy is a bad

okay, Jacob? Did she hurt you?" He glared at me, his eyes cold

radling Buddy' s head in my lap.

, the words tasting like po

tiful thump. His eyes were filled with pain and

m, displaying a faint red line on her skin, so shallow it was barely bleeding. She lo

entlest creature I had ever k

d from Helene's "wound" to my tre

d. "I'm calling animal control. They'

ispered. "Hector, please. You

any emotion. He pulled out his phone. The security team for our gated co

tween Hector and my dog. "I'm taking him

ds in crisp uniforms emerged from the side

got your call about

That one. It attacked a guest

ing my arms around Budd

ated, looking fr

tranquilizer gun in his hand. "Ma'a

ion pieces. He stood there, impassive, watching as they prepared to take the las

Buddy's collar. In a surge of pain and fear, Buddy s

he justificati

He didn't use the tranquilizer.

hot echoed through th

t limp in

friend, a crimson stain spreading across his golden fur. My mind went blan

rth, a keening sound tearing fr

er hand outstretched. In it, she was holding a sheaf of papers. A divorce agreeme

f something-was it shock? regret?-in hi

disbelief, as if the idea had never occurr

his. The tears had stopped. There was nothing

e empty and hollow. "I