8
Animal cruelty. It could be a big deal or a
small one.
Infidelity? Just tabloid fodder.
But with the right leverage, even the smallest
spark could ignite a firestorm.
Chloe, wanting to flaunt her triumph, had
livestreamed the share transfer ceremony.
The consequence was that the entire scene
went viral.
The first casualty was Chloe’s social media
presence.
To maintain her imag
لمصصمصنيل
く
To maintain her image as a kind and
compassionate heiress, she had participated
in numerous charities, many involving animal
welfare.
Now, exposed as an animal abuser, the
previous video of her killing Buddy was
deemed authentic, not a staged scene.
Animal lovers flooded her accounts with hate,
reporting her until they were nearly shut
down.
Chloe became a pariah, and the company
began to suffer.
Falling stock prices were just the beginning.
The CEO’s infidelity and his daughter’s
scandal spooked investors, causing a sell–off.
Г
Dad was stressed at work and faced Mom’s
accusations and recriminations at home.
Even if it was his fault, he wouldn’t admit it.
Their relationship became glacial.
The screaming and smashing at night was no
longer coming from me, but from the other
three.
Ironically, Mom, who faced the least public
backlash, suffered the worst mental
breakdown.
She abandoned her skincare routine, stopped
going out, and wandered the mansion in her
nightgown.
Rival companies pounced, exploiting every
<
opportunity to bring Sterling Enterprises
down.
After Mom hit Dad in the head with a vase
during an argument, he turned on me, his
eyes bloodshot. “Your mother has never been
like this! This is your fault, isn’t it? You want
to destroy this family!”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard of mental
illness being hereditary, but not contagious.”
Dad froze, his face changing color.
I smiled. “Dad, did it ever occur to you that if
there’s no history of mental illness in your
family, where did mine come from?”
“Mom’s been fine all these years. Why is she
suddenly losing it? It’s all because of your
L
“Shut up!” he roared. “I only love her! Those
other women meant nothing!”
I scoffed. “Tell that to Mom.”
With his career and personal life in shambles,
Dad screamed at Mom one night. “You’re
both lunatics! One crazy daughter wasn’t
enough, you had to bring another one to
torture me! You both belong in a mental
hospital!”
But the next morning, Mom woke up as usual.
Dad, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Then Chloe screamed.
I ran to her room and found Dad lying in bed,
his face pale and lifeless. He had been dead
Г
The police arrived quickly and took Mom and
Dad’s body away.
Apparently, Mom had confessed. She
resented Dad’s infidelity and his threats to
institutionalize her, so she suffocated him
with a pillow in the middle of the night.
I visited Mom. She glared at me, her eyes full
of hatred. “It’s all your fault, you little bitch!
Psycho! I should have left you where I found
you!”
“I thought you were normal, but you tricked
me!”
It turned out my disappearance wasn’t an
accident. She had abandoned me, afraid I
would inherit her mental illness.
<
“The medication was right there on the
nightstand! Buddy was my service dog! You
never cared about me, so how can you blame
me for not telling you?”
Her eyes bulged, and her teeth gnashed. “You
just wait! I’m insane! I won’t go to jail!”
I nodded. “True. But you’ll be in a mental
hospital. I have friends there, too.”
“And if you need company, I can make
Chloe’s ‘depression‘ a reality. She can join
you.”
“Ashley!” Her face contorted in rage.
I turned and left without another word.
vee deed the company on the brink of
Dad was dead, the company on the brink of
bankruptcy, the mansion being foreclosed on.
Chloe stood outside, looking haggard.
When she saw me, her demeanor changed.
“Ashley, Mom and Dad are gone. I only have
you left now. Please help me. I’ll give you all
my shares!”
I clutched Buddy’s urn. “Sure. Kowtow to
Buddy and apologize.”
Chloe gritted her teeth, but actually knelt
down and banged her head on the ground
several times. “I was wrong. I’m sorry, Ashley.
I’m penniless now. Just give me some money,
and I’ll do anything!”
I turned to leave, holding the urn. “Did you
think my IQ dropped just because I’m mentally
Г
“Those shares are worthless now. Keep
them.”
I watched Chloe’s face crumble as she sank
to the ground in despair, and walked away
without a second glance.
The fallen heiress, with no skills and no
resources, was shunned by everyone.
Not long after, I heard she had died on the
streets, mauled by stray dogs while
scavenging for food.
I didn’t bother claiming her body. I bought
some flowers for Buddy’s grave.
On my way back, a Labrador puppy ran up to
me, circling my legs and pawing at my pants.
I froze.
It sat down and offered me both paws,
looking at me with big, wet eyes.
Buddy used to do that whenever I was sad.
I bit my lip, reaching out to take its paws.
“Hey there, little guy. Wanna come home with
me?”
