But now, I was blindsided by the realization that the precious warmth he once offered could be twisted into a threat.
I hated feeling cornered.
In the final moments of my life, I didn’t want to share a roof with Alexander and Chelsea, but his power loomed over me like a dark cloud. I feared he would cut off the orphanage’s funding and hurt the kind woman who had cared for me like a mother, leaving me no choice but to comply.
As I remained silent, his anger seemed to wane just a little.
Suddenly, his phone rang insistently. It was Chelsea, on the other end, whining about a stomachache. He hurried out of the bedroom, leaving me alone.
“Buddy…”
Just as he stepped out, my golden retriever, whom I’d raised for twelve years, limped in.
After our fight in the private room, I hadn’t returned to the yard; I went straight to a hotel, leaving Buddy behind. The house staff knew how much I adored him and took good care of him. In the ten days I’d been gone, he’d put on a bit of weight.
Buddy sensed my sadness and curled up his injured leg, half-sitting in front of me, nudging my hand gently with his head.
I knew he was trying to comfort me.