Chapter 3

Lonnie's face twisted in displeasure as he looked at me. His voice was as cold as ice. "Didn't you hear Maxine talking to you? What kind of attitude are you trying to pull now? If it weren't for Maxine pleading on your behalf, I would've kicked you out of the Vaughns a long time ago."

I forced a bitter smile. If I could go back three months, I'd beg Lonnie to throw me out of the Vaughns.

But I didn't dare utter those words. Maxine's unwavering gaze was a clear warning not to say anything reckless. I feared that if she were displeased, she'd persuade Lonnie to have me taken away again. After all, in this household, she was the one Lonnie trusted most.

"I-I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again…" I murmured, biting my lip as I cautiously apologized.

Surely, if I apologized enough, I wouldn't be subjected to more torment.

Maxine's lips curved into a satisfied smile as she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the table. "Olivia, I made a special dish just for you today. You have to try it."

She placed a meatball in my bowl and motioned for me to eat it.

"Maxine put in a lot of effort. Don't be ungrateful and waste her kindness," Lonnie said coldly.

I had no choice but to pick up the meatball and take a bite. The strange texture made my stomach churn. I chewed with difficulty, struggling to swallow it.

Maxine's smile widened, a hint of malice in her eyes. She then ladled a bowl of meatball soup and placed it before me. "Olivia, you should eat more. Now that the weather's getting colder, dog meat is the best for warming your stomach and nourishing your body."

The spoon froze in my hand. My head snapped up as I stared at her, disbelief flooding my face. "What did you just say this is?" I whispered, dread rising in my chest.

Maxine set the bowl down and replied cheerfully, "Dog meat, of course. It's Tubby, your dog. Don't you remember?"

The words hit me like a thunderclap. My gaze locked on the pot of meatball soup in front of me. Tubby. That was Tubby's meat. I had just eaten Tubby.

The realization made my stomach heave. I bent over and retched violently, my whole body trembling.

Tubby was the only puppy my family dog had before she passed away, back when my parents and I lived in the countryside.

When Lonnie was a baby, my umbilical cord blood saved his life, so after my parents died, Cedric took me in and brought me to live with the Vaughns.

We had nothing much to our names, and the only thing I could take with me was the little puppy.

"Tubby's smart. He'll stay by your side and protect you in our place," they'd said as they placed the tiny, squirming pup into my hands.

For over twenty years, Tubby had stayed by my side, his once spry body now showing the signs of age, his steps unsteady.

No wonder I'd felt something missing since I returned to the Vaughns. Tubby wasn't there to greet me like he always did, bounding toward me as soon as I stepped through the gates.

And now, I'd eaten him.

Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed to the floor, retching in anguish.

Lonnie stormed over and yanked me up by my arm. "Olivia! Look at yourself! What kind of scene are you making now? It's just a dog! Maxine went out of her way to make this for you, and this is how you repay her? You're unbelievable!"

"Just a dog?" I murmured, my voice breaking. To me, Tubby was family. He had replaced my parents, staying by my side through everything.

Tubby was gentle, loyal, and never caused trouble, even after we arrived at the Vaughns. He knew Lonnie disliked him, so he never stepped inside the house, choosing instead to sleep by the door every night.

I was convinced Lonnie and Maxine knew he was a good dog, trusting anyone who showed him kindness. And that trust must have been what had Maxine exploited to harm him.

She had killed him, no doubt about it. She'd done it to crush me, to make me feel like my world was crumbling piece by piece.

Maxine had been scheming from the very moment I brought her into the Vaughns. Every step of her plan had led to this—making me witness how little Lonnie cared about me, driving me deeper into despair.