“You’re lying! I saw it all! Buddy didn’t attack you! You kicked him down the stairs on purpose!”
I couldn’t stand the thought of my Buddy dying in such agony, nor could I let her smear his memory. I thought Alexander would see through her lies—after all, Buddy had saved his life.
But then I heard him say, “Madeline, can’t you let it go? Chelsea said Buddy was attacking her! If that’s the case, she was just trying to defend herself. She didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just a dog. You can’t compare a dog’s life to a person’s safety!”
I was stunned.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I couldn’t let them fall. My heart ached so much I felt like I’d lost the ability to cry.
I couldn’t believe he was downplaying Buddy’s death while trying to defend Chelsea. He’d promised to take care of Buddy, yet now he was treating it like it was no big deal.
A dog’s life is short—Buddy was already thirteen and had been struggling for the last couple of years with old injuries. How could he have attacked anyone?
Alexander was smart; he knew Chelsea was lying. But he refused to question her.
I looked at him, feeling empty and lost.