Dale, furious and sorry for the dog, scolded our son, pointing his finger at him, “I told you not to tell your mom, you snitch!”
He impatiently pushed me aside, speaking harshly, “Aren’t you overreacting? It's just a bite. Who hasn't been bitten by a dog before? I just can't believe that you, a mother, would be so cruel and heartless to kick a defenseless dog.”
Disregarding his protests, I swiftly gathered all the supplies he had purchased for the dog and hurled them into the hallway. With a firm tone, I cautioned him that unless he get rid of the dog from our home, I might just end up hitting it again. And I meant it.
That day, Dale left angrily holding the dog and didn't come home for three days. I took my son to the hospital and the doctor said it might be too late for the vaccine to be effective. Despite this, I insisted and the doctor reluctantly administered the shot. I wasn’t ready about the swift deterioration.
The next day, he become afraid of light and water, crawling around, writhing in spasms and cried of agony. I went crazy, rushing him back to the hospital and after a night of turmoil, he was gone. He was my beloved son, the baby conceived over ten months, never thought he would met the end like a dog.
With trembling hands I reached for my phone and dialed my husband's number. But just moments before, I had stumbled upon Eileen's status on WhatsApp. In the photo, they were smiling blissfully, celebrating the damned dog's birthday with the caption: 'Our boy is five years old now.'
The irony couldn't have been more brutal. The very day my son left this world happened to coincide with the birthday of that accursed dog. It was a devastating revelation, and in an instant, my entire world shattered into pieces.
Dale had been lying to me all along. It wasn't that he didn't love dogs—he simply didn't want to raise one with me. And to make matters worse, this dog wasn't just some stray, it was the boy he and his ex-girlfriend Eileen had raised together.
I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my tone calm and said, “Yes, I shouldn't have hit him that day. Bring him back.”
I knew Dale was chatting with Eileen, so I stealthily turned up the volume, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Dale was negotiating with Eileen, saying, “You're rarely home to take him for walks, anyway. I'll bring him back.”