Chapter 195
[ 470 words ]
Chapter 195:
“If that is really your dog,” Caroline stated brutally, “then you are a disgusting, abusive owner. You don’t even have the basic decency to avoid grabbing a fresh surgical wound.”
The atmosphere in the aisle shifted instantly.
The crowd of shoppers lowered their phones. Their eyes moved from Caroline to the blood staining Beatrice’s expensive jacket. The collective gaze of the crowd turned into a heavy, judging glare directed entirely at the wealthy woman.
Beatrice felt the sudden wall of hostility. She looked down and saw the blood smearing her clothes. Her face flushed a violent, blotchy red, then drained to a sickly pale. The public humiliation burned her skin.
She gritted her teeth, desperate to salvage her pride.
“I have the best private veterinarians in the state,” Beatrice spat venomously. “I don’t need a pathetic, broke nobody telling me how to handle my property.”
Beatrice spun around and snapped her fingers at the two massive bodyguards who had just pushed through the crowd to reach her.
𝘋о𝗐𝘯l𝘰𝘢𝗱𝗮b𝗅𝖾 𝘗𝖣𝖥𝘴 𝘰𝗻 g𝘢l𝗻o𝗏𝘦𝘭s.𝗰𝗼𝘮
“Block her,” Beatrice ordered.
She clutched the bleeding dog and practically ran toward the sliding glass exit doors.
Caroline stood frozen in the center of the aisle. She watched the small black dog look back at her over Beatrice’s shoulder, its eyes wide with pure terror.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an icy hand. Every instinct screamed at her to lunge forward, to take back the one creature that had given her comfort in this cold, new world. But she saw the strategic reality with brutal clarity. To retrieve the dog meant exposing herself, jeopardizing the mission, and potentially putting Jarrod in even greater danger. For the sake of the larger war, she had to sacrifice this small battle, even if that sacrifice felt like cutting out a piece of her own soul. She forced herself to remain still, each second an exercise in agony.
Caroline’s hands dropped to her sides. She curled her fingers into fists so tight her nails bit deeply into the flesh of her palms, drawing tiny drops of blood.
A security guard stepped in front of Caroline, blocking her view.
“Ma’am,” the guard asked cautiously, “do you want us to call the police? We can file a report.”
Caroline closed her eyes and swallowed the massive, burning lump of failure in her throat.
“No,” Caroline whispered, shaking her head. “It was a misunderstanding.”
The crowd slowly dispersed, muttering among themselves. Caroline was left standing completely alone next to the collapsed display of cat food.
She bent down, her fingers brushing against a premium can of puppy treats that had rolled across the floor.
She picked up the small tin and stared at the label. A massive, suffocating wave of emptiness crashed over her. The dog was gone. Jarrod was missing. She was entirely, completely alone in a world that felt like it was actively trying to crush her.
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