Chapter 4

My eyes went red in an instant.

"Marshmallow never bites anyone. You must have hurt him first!"

"Let go of my Marshmallow!"

One of Carter's buddies actually laughed in my face.

"Mila, is there something wrong with your head? You can't even tell which matters more, a dog or a person's life?"

"We were all standing right here. We saw it with our own eyes. Mila tripped by accident, Carter reached out to steady her, and your dog went crazy and lunged at her. A grown man like Carter couldn't even hold it back!"

I dragged my lips into a cold smile.

"A dog has more loyalty than a person. He knows who the scum is. What makes a piece of scum fit to be compared to my dog?"

Carter blew up right away.

"Who are you calling scum? I explained it to you yesterday. That was for your own good!"

"Savannah is your best friend. Whoever you doubt, it shouldn't be her!"

"She knew how much you were hurting. She stayed up half the night, begging and pleading with everyone, just to get these people here today to apologize to you. You won't even appreciate that, and now you're being snide about it?"

I looked at Savannah, crumpled in his arms and crying prettily, and my voice turned to mockery.

"Is that so? Staying up half the night, or maybe busy with other things with my ex-boyfriend? He's your type, after all. If she couldn't teach me, sleeping with the teacher directly is a lot less trouble, isn't it?"

"The two of you slept in the same room, and today you barge into my home with the nerve to say you're apologizing, and you bully my dog on top of it. So who's really out of line here?"

Carter's chest heaved violently. He shot upright.

"I think you've kept that dog so long the animal's rotted your brain!"

The next second, Savannah's hand went up in front of him.

"Carter, that's enough. Let me go talk to Mila."

She walked up to me and signaled the men beside me with her eyes to let me go.

"Mila, I apologize. I never should have suggested something like that without thinking about how you'd feel. Don't blame Carter. Blame me if you have to. I promise I'll never interfere in your relationship again."

"I really do care about you as a friend. Please forgive me."

When she finished, she bent at the waist and gave me a deep bow.

Tears spilled out before I could stop them. I turned my face away.

"Don't bother. I can't accept it."

"I've already broken up with him. Who he sleeps in the same bed with is his own business."

Savannah reached out to me carefully and tugged at my sleeve.

I threw her hand off hard.

Right then, Marshmallow tore free from the men holding him down and threw himself at Savannah like something gone mad.

Savannah went down under him, her face drained white with terror, screaming.

"Help! Carter, save me!"

"Woof, woof, woof——"

Marshmallow's jaws were an instant from closing when I shouted.

"Marshmallow, no biting! Come here!"

Marshmallow froze, but he was still panting hard.

It all happened so fast that no one around had reacted yet.

Carter had had enough. He rushed forward and kicked Marshmallow in the side.

Marshmallow rolled several feet, his head struck the door frame, and every bit of strength went out of him.

Carter helped Savannah up carefully, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Are you all right? You're not hurt? You must be terrified."

"Don't be scared. I'm here. No one can hurt you."

He turned and glared at me.

"Mila, this is the animal you raised!"

"Apologize to Savannah, now!"

But I couldn't hear any of it anymore.

All I could see was that glaring pool of red at the edge of Marshmallow's mouth.

I scrambled over on my hands and knees and knelt down beside him.

I called his name frantically, shaking his soft, furry body.

No matter how hard I tried, Marshmallow gave no response at all.

Tears poured down. I turned my head and screamed at Carter.

"You gave Marshmallow to me! You said he was your child! How could you do this to him!"

Carter's brows knotted tight, as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world, his whole face full of contempt.

"An animal. How could I ever treat it like family?"

"The place was a mess every single day because of it. I've had enough for a long time!"

"Good thing it's dead. Guys, help me throw this animal out. Just looking at it makes my blood boil!"

When he finished, several men came toward me.

I threw myself over Marshmallow with everything I had.

"No! Don't take Marshmallow, I'm begging you!"

Carter gave the order coldly.

"Drag her off!"

"From today on, no animals in this house. That's the end of it!"

Two hands seized my shoulders, one on each side, and hauled me back hard.

My legs beat wildly against the floor as I fought.

But I was simply too weak, and none of it did any good.

I could only watch them drag Marshmallow out the door and then into the elevator.

My eyes had gone bloodshot with rage, my throat raw from screaming.

Carter never once looked at me through any of it.

He was too busy worrying over Savannah.

The elevator doors slid slowly shut.

The two men beside me let up their grip.

I seized the chance to break free and ran out the door in long strides.

The elevator kept carrying Marshmallow down, so I turned and ran for the stairs.

Carter came after me at once, shouting behind me.

"Mila, get back here! Are you insane? It was just an animal!"

But from the moment he betrayed me, Marshmallow had been my only family.

I jumped five steps at a time, ran down five floors.

My strength was draining away.

Rounding a landing, my foot slipped, and my whole body went tumbling down the stairs.

Carter was right behind me. His hand grabbed at empty air.

After several uncontrolled tumbles, a sharp pain shot through my forehead.

My abdomen felt like a dull blade was sawing into it.

I looked down. A pool of blood was spreading out from under me, red and glaring.

Carter scrambled over on his hands and knees.

"Mila——"

Everything went black, and I lost consciousness completely.