My Fiancé Said I Looked Lonely So He Found Me a ‘Friend’ to Share Him Chapter 03

My Fiancé Said I Looked Lonely So He Found Me a ‘Friend’ to Share Him Chapter 03

After I sent the message, I made another call.

“Hello, Ms. Shaw?”

“I spoke with you before about my stake in Ethan’s company and the assets we jointly own.”

“I’ve decided to formally retain you.”

There was a brief pause on the other end.

“Of course, Ms. Hale.”

“Are you available to come to my office tomorrow?”

I looked toward the closed door upstairs.

“Yes.”

“The sooner, the better.”

After I hung up, I walked to the photo wall.

Then I took down the picture in the center.

The one of Ethan and me.

The next day, Mira moved her mother into the villa too.

“My mom heard I was sick,” Mira said.

“She wants to stay for a few days and take care of me.”

I didn’t answer.

It didn’t matter.

I’d be gone soon anyway.

But her mother took my silence as permission.

She went through my belongings.

She entered my bedroom without knocking.

She moved my things around.

She made rude comments to my face.

And because she was older, she acted as though I was supposed to tolerate every damn thing she did.

I did my best to ignore her.

Again.

And again.

Until that afternoon.

I came home from Pilates, and she followed me through the house, complaining loudly.

“That damn dog barked all afternoon.”

“Mira and I couldn’t even nap.”

I stopped.

My voice turned cold.

“Snowball doesn’t bark without a reason.”

She flicked pistachio shells onto the rug and glared at me.

“Why would I lie about a dog?”

“It sheds everywhere.”

“It’s filthy.”

“And you treat it like some precious little baby.”

“There’s something wrong with you.”

“Ethan lets you get away with too much.”

My chest tightened.

I was about to answer when a strong metallic smell drifted from the kitchen.

Blood.

My face went cold.

I rushed toward the kitchen.

The housekeeper stood in the doorway.

She was pale.

Her voice shook.

“Ms. Hale…”

“It wasn’t me.”

“It’s Snowball…”

My bag hit the floor.

I pushed past her and ran inside.

Then I stopped.

Snowball lay motionless in the sink.

Her fur was soaked in blood.

My mind went blank.

My mother had raised Snowball from the time she was a puppy.

On her deathbed, Mom held my hand.

The two things she couldn’t bear to leave behind were me and Snowball.

Now the last living piece of my mother had been taken from me too.

A mocking laugh came from behind me.

“The thing wouldn’t behave,” Mira’s mother said.

“So I taught it a lesson.”

“How was I supposed to know it was that fragile?”

My head snapped around.

She was still smiling.

Actually smiling.

Something inside me broke.

I lunged at her and wrapped my hands around her throat.

“Who gave you the right to touch her?”

“You killed her!”

“You killed the last thing my mother left me!”

She screamed and fought me.

Mira rushed over and grabbed at my arms.

In the chaos, someone shoved me hard.

Mira and I both hit the floor.

That was when Ethan ran into the kitchen.

He didn’t even look at me.

He went straight to Mira.

“Mira, what happened?”

Mira threw herself into his arms and cried.

“The dog fell from the balcony.”

“But Vivian keeps saying my mom beat it to death.”

“She attacked my mom.”

“She tried to choke her.”

Ethan wrapped his arms around Mira.

Then he looked at me.

His eyes were cold.

“Vivian Hale, have you completely lost your mind?”

I sat on the floor with Snowball in my arms.

My whole body shook.

“Her mother killed Snowball.”

“She admitted it.”

“Enough!”

His voice cut through the room.

“Something happened to the dog, and now you’re blaming Mira’s mother?”

“Whatever happened, you put your hands around her throat.”

“Do you hear yourself?”

Whatever happened?

She had killed my dog.

She had laughed about it.

And Ethan still chose her.