Chapter 4

4

Grace remained cold toward me for days after the incident, still refusing to give the dog away.

I ignored her, focusing solely on getting rid of the animal.

Although the dog had calmed down somewhat recently, it still occasionally urinated on my belongings and my son’s things, taunting me.

I began to wonder what I had done to offend it, allowing it to dominate our household.

To lure the Golden Retriever away, I placed a female dog outside our door.

But the creature was clever and completely immune to such temptations.

After considering several options, I finally contacted a dog trader while Grace was out for a beauty appointment.

Only when the Golden Retriever was locked in a metal cage did the weight in my heart finally lift. I thought the beast was gone for good.

To my utter shock, it returned unharmed that very evening.

"Mom, since Liam is back, I’ll let it slide. But if you ever pull something like this again, I’ll divorce your son."

I knew how deeply my son cared for Grace.

As much as we argued, marriage was a serious matter. I didn’t dare make decisions for my son, fearing he would blame me when he woke up.

So I agreed to ignore the dog as long as it didn’t provoke me.

From then on, Grace guarded against me as if I were a thief.

Afraid I might harm the dog, she took it with her everywhere, even sleeping with it every night.

To accommodate herself and the Golden Retriever, she moved my son from the master bedroom to the guest room.

Since I didn’t trust the beast sharing a room with my son anyway, I let it be.

However, after Grace started sharing a room with the dog, she began neglecting my son.

Naturally, I was displeased and intended to remind her to prioritize her husband.

When I pushed the door open, Grace was wearing only a thin lace nightgown. The Golden Retriever had its head resting on her chest, its tongue lolling out.

The way Grace interacted with the dog made me deeply uncomfortable, stirring strange thoughts in my mind.

Grace glanced at me and casually adjusted her clothing. "Mom, couldn’t you knock?"

I averted my gaze uncomfortably.

"I came to remind you that Leo is your husband. You need to distinguish between a person and an animal."

"My compromise doesn’t mean I’ll indulge you. If you don’t want to stay with Leo, you can divorce him. But as long as you’re his wife, you must fulfill your duties. What kind of example are you setting, mingling with an animal like this?"

I deliberately mentioned divorce to test her, and she visibly panicked, nodding meekly.

"Divorce is out of the question. Leo is my husband for life. Even if he never wakes up, I’ll care for him forever."

True to her word, Grace became much more attentive to my son in the days that followed.

She also resumed her previous considerate behavior toward me, easing the tension between us.

To apologize for slapping her in a fit of anger, I even gave her fifty thousand dollars.

Just when I thought our household had finally found peace, another blow struck.

One evening, I attended a social event and drank more than usual. Waking in the middle of the night, I passed by Grace’s room and heard faint, rustling whispers.

Worried the dog was misbehaving again, and fueled by drunken memories of its tongue on Grace’s chest, I cracked the door open slightly. What I witnessed would haunt me for the rest of my life.