My Mentor Sponsored My Tuition Until My Rescue Dog Refused to Eat Near Him — Uncovering the 3-Year Cold Case That Lost Me Everything
Panic set in. Twenty-four hours. Where could I go with Lily and Buster? I had saved some money from my part-time job, but not enough for a deposit and first month’s rent on an apartment, especially not on such short notice.
I started to pack frantically, tossing clothes, books, and Lily’s toys into whatever suitcases and boxes I could find. Lily, sensing my distress, hovered nearby, clutching her favorite stuffed animal.
Buster, meanwhile, was agitated. He whined, nudging my hand, then trotted to the back door, looking towards the rose garden. He pawed at the door, then turned and barked, a deep, insistent sound.
“Not now, Buster,” I murmured, tearing my eyes away from a half-packed box of clothes.
But he wouldn’t quit. He ran to the loose brickwork of the rose garden wall, the exact spot Arthur had forbidden Lily to play near. He began to dig furiously, his nose pressed to the ground, dirt flying. He was digging with an intensity I hadn’t seen before, tearing at the loose earth beneath a crumbling brick.
“Buster, stop!” I called, rushing outside.
Just as I reached him, a harsh voice cut through the air. “What in God’s name is going on here?”
Arthur stood by the back door of the main house, his face contorted in a mask of fury. He stalked towards us, his eyes blazing, fixed on Buster and the freshly dug hole.
“That animal is destroying my property!” he roared, a complete departure from his usual calm demeanor. He reached down and physically grabbed Buster’s leash, yanking it hard.
Buster yelped, a sound of pure fear, and struggled against Arthur’s grip. He clawed at the ground, trying to get back to the hole.
“Arthur, no! Leave him alone!” I cried, trying to intervene, but he pushed me back with his free arm.
“I’ve had enough of this,” Arthur spat, his face inches from mine. “This dog is a menace. Unstable. I’m calling animal control. They can deal with him. He’s not coming with you.”
My heart pounded. Take Buster? He wanted to take away Clara’s only witness, the only connection I had to the truth.
“You can’t!” I shouted, grabbing at Buster’s leash, trying to pull him free.
Arthur held fast, his grip surprisingly strong. He fumbled in his pocket with his free hand, pulling out his phone. “Oh, yes I can, Maya. This is my property. And I’m removing a dangerous animal.”
He started to dial, his eyes burning into mine with a look of pure, unadulterated malice. Buster whined, looking from Arthur to the hole, then back to me, his desperation clear. The clock was ticking, not just on our eviction, but on Buster’s safety, and the truth he was trying so desperately to show me.
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