Hugo casually grabbed a bag of snacks and started teasing the puppy.

“Come on, people can be guilty, but the dog is innocent. I just wanted to surprise you.”

Hugo was such a typical straight guy—completely clueless about the twists and turns of a woman’s heart.

I was about to say more when the doorbell suddenly rang.

“Hugo, are you home? I came to check on the puppy.”

The moment Hugo opened the door, a sweet, sugary voice drifted into my ears, making my skin crawl. I glanced toward the entrance.

Standing there was none other than Xena, the woman I’d clashed with yesterday!

She was dressed in a skimpy silk nightgown, her slender waist peeking through the thin fabric. She clearly wasn’t expecting me. Without hesitation, she slipped her arm around Hugo’s.

“Hugo, didn’t I remind you this morning? You have to feed the puppy on time. Did you remember to be a good caretaker?”

Xena’s arrogance from yesterday had completely vanished. Now, she was all soft and fragile, playing the helpless damsel, oozing with fake sweetness.

Hugo, clearly uncomfortable, pulled his arm away and said politely, “The puppy’s inside. Go ahead and see it.”

As Xena stepped through the door, her face lit up with excitement. But when her eyes met mine, the joy flickered into shock—then quickly shifted to disdain.

Without acknowledging me, she strutted past, scooping up the puppy from the couch and cooing in a syrupy voice.

“Sweetie, Mommy missed you so much, even though we were only apart for half a day!”

I shot Hugo a sharp glance. He opened his mouth, clearly ready to explain himself.

But Xena cut in first, holding the puppy tight and saying to me with a smug, casual air.

“I’m just here to see the puppy. Hugo and I already set some ground rules when he bought it.”

I narrowed my eyes at them both, then chuckled coldly.

“Oh? And what kind of ‘ground rules’ would those be?”

Xena batted her lashes playfully, her voice dripping with mock sweetness:

“Why should I tell you? That’s between me and Hugo.”

The room instantly tensed. Hugo cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the silence.

“Miss Quinn, the puppy’s doing just fine here. It’s getting late. You should head home.”

Suddenly, Xena’s silk nightgown slipped off her shoulder, exposing her bare skin. Hugo’s face flushed red as he quickly averted his eyes, clearly flustered.

She acted like I didn’t even exist, her gaze locked on Hugo with a predator’s smirk.

I leaned back and let out a cold, cutting laugh.

“What’s wrong, Miss Quinn? Planning to spend the night at my place?”

Xena glanced at me with a challenge flashing in her eyes. Then, she turned back to Hugo with a sickly sweet smile.

“Aww, I’ll be going now, Hugo. Wouldn’t want to upset your girlfriend. Don’t forget our little agreement!”

With a playful wink, she swayed her hips and walked out, leaving behind a silence thick enough to choke on.

Hugo stood there, unsure what to do, his expression a mix of panic and helplessness.

“Kate, I swear, there’s nothing going on between us! I don’t even know why she showed up out of nowhere.”

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my emotions in check. Pointing at the dog, I snapped.

“I’m going on a business trip. So listen carefully—either the dog goes, or you do!”

Hugo immediately started nodding, scrambling to please me, offering tea and trying to smooth things over.

We had been together for three years. If he ever dared to cheat, he would need a lot more backbone than he has.

He started with nothing—a broke nobody with no power and no prospects. Every step of his success, from “Mr. CEO” to his fancy lifestyle, was because I paved the way.

The house? I bought it.

The car? I paid for it.

Even his precious company—my investment.

Why did I choose him? Simple. He had a pretty face and treated me sweetly. His only flaw? He was too soft, too spineless.

Cheat on me? Please. He wouldn’t dare. Not unless he was ready to throw away his cushy life and go back to being a broke loser.

*

This business trip was a nightmare. The client was a complete headache, and negotiations dragged on for two exhausting months.

Finally, it was over. I called Hugo to pick me up from the airport.

But no matter how many times I called, his phone just kept ringing. No answer.

During my business trip, Hugo kept making excuses to ask me for money multiple times.

So, I decided to catch him off guard and see what he was up to behind my back.

But luck just wasn’t on my side. The moment I entered the neighborhood, a dog came charging at me, snapping viciously.

It sank its teeth into my pant leg, tugging hard and growling furiously. Panicked, I kicked it off with all my strength.

“What are you doing? How dare you kick my dog!”

A woman in flashy designer clothes came running over, scooping up the dog and cradling it in her arms.

“It’s okay, sweetie, Mommy’s here. Don’t be scared.”

The dog whimpered pitifully in her embrace, as if it fully understood her comfort.

Then, she looked up and started cursing me out.

“Are you insane? What gives you the right to kick my dog?”

That was when I finally saw her face and recognized her.

It was Xena Quinn. The same woman who had flaunted herself outside my home two months ago.

Xena recognized me too, and her words were dripping with malice.

“Oh, it’s you. What’s the matter? Couldn’t snag a new target, so you came crawling back here?”

I couldn’t tell if I was imagining it, but Xena seemed to show off her bracelet on purpose.

And what a coincidence, while I was away on my business trip, Hugo had secretly bought the exact same bracelet. I knew because the purchase alert had popped up on my phone.

But I kept my voice steady, sticking to the issue at hand.

“Your dog attacked me out of nowhere. Why wasn’t it on a leash?”

Xena rolled her eyes with a sneer.

“My dog doesn’t just bite people for no reason.”

I knew how unreasonable she was from our last encounter, so I didn’t bother arguing. I turned to leave, planning to report her to property management later.

But Xena grabbed my arm, her expression fierce and her voice sharp.

“You kicked my dog and think you can just walk away? Get on your knees and apologize to my dog!”

I shoved her off, my voice cold and sharp.

“You’re the one who needs help. If you’re gonna behave like a rabid dog, maybe you should be on a leash too.”

Suddenly, the dog squirmed free from Xena’s arms and lunged at me again.

On instinct, I kicked it away hard.

Xena’s face twisted with rage. She stormed up and slapped me across the face.

“You shameless woman! You kicked my dog again! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I’d be a disgrace to my own name!”

My cheek instantly swelled, and the sharp ringing in my ears left me dizzy.

Before I could recover, Xena shoved me to the ground and pinned me down, raining punches and kicks on me without mercy.

I struggled to break free, but then—pain shot through my arm. The dog had sunk its teeth into my hand, the sharp, searing agony blinding me.

Xena yanked my hair, clawing at my face with a ruthless, calculated aim. I fought back with everything I had, but I was no match for her fury.

A crowd had gathered, whispering and gossiping, but not a single soul stepped in to help.

The property management arrived quickly, and only then did Xena release me, yanking her dog’s leash and stepping back.

“Perfect timing!” she sneered, her voice dripping with fake outrage. “This woman kicked my dog! I want her on her knees—apologizing to my baby!”

*

One of the property managers immediately whipped out their phone and started snapping photos right in my face.

I smacked my hand over the lens, my voice cutting and furious.

“What are you filming for? Do my thousands a month in HOA fees pay you to play paparazzi?!”

My words had barely left my mouth when Xena burst into laughter, covering her lips in mock amusement.

“Pfft! HOA fees? Seriously? Please! You’re nothing but a gold-digging tramp chasing rich men. What, you actually think you own a place here?”

The crowd, already buzzing, erupted into sleazy whispers. From an outsider’s view, it must have looked like some mistress drama showdown.

“OMG, she’s hot. Look at her—decked out in designer. Definitely some rich guy’s side piece.”

“She’s probably here scouting for a sugar daddy.”

“Come on, how much could a woman like that earn on her own?”

The filthy, degrading comments hit me like a slap, and my face flushed with burning rage.

Meanwhile, the property manager, suddenly meek and submissive, rushed over to Xena, his tone dripping with flattery.

“Don’t worry, Miss Quinn. We’ll handle this right away.”

Then, without warning, the property manager and security guards pinned me down, their grips tight and unrelenting. One of them sneered with a mocking grin.

“You’ve really screwed up this time. Miss Quinn lives in Unit 601, Building 8—and guess what? That apartment belongs to our boss’s daughter.”

The moment I heard that unit number, I froze in shock.

Unit 601, Building 8—that’s my apartment.

Since when did my dad have another daughter?

The property manager shot me a smug look and said with disdain.

“So, what’s it gonna be? Get on your knees and apologize to Miss Quinn, and we’ll let this slide. Otherwise, trust me, we’ve got plenty of ways to make your life miserable.”

Xena stood there, smirking triumphantly, waiting for me to grovel.

But I was not an idiot. I broke free from their grip, pulled out my phone, and called the police on the spot.

*

Both Xena and I were taken to the police station to give our statements.

I cooperated fully with the officers, telling them everything that happened. When they reviewed the security footage, it was clear that I acted in self-defense.

Xena, on the other hand, was found at fault for walking her dog without a leash, for causing the entire altercation, and for assaulting me.

But when the verdict came down, Xena didn’t even flinch.

“Ugh, are you guys done yet?” she scoffed, completely unfazed. “So what if my dog bit her? Just tell me how much. I’ll pay.”

The officer’s tone turned stern.

“Miss Quinn, this isn’t just about money.”

Xena slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet.

“Oh, cut the crap! You dragged this out with reports and cameras—what, you’re hoping for a payday? Fine! Name your price!”

I stared at her, amused. Honestly, if I hadn’t seen her cramped little one-bedroom rental, I might have believed she was some rich heiress.

“Well, if she wants to act high and mighty, who am I to deny her a fitting price?” I thought to myself.

I flashed her a cold smile.

“Fine. You want to pay? Give me one million dollars.”

Her face twisted with fury. “You… shameless!”

I raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “What’s wrong? Can’t afford it? Then why play the rich heiress?”

Xena’s eyes blazed, and she stomped her foot in frustration before whipping out her phone and making a call.

Moments later, she smirked at me with renewed confidence.

“One million? No problem. My boyfriend’s on his way. He’ll handle it.”

No sooner had those words left her lips than my phone started ringing.

The caller ID flashed—Hugo.

His voice came through, smooth but slightly tense:

“Kate, you’ve called me so many times. What’s going on?”

My gut screamed that something was off. The image of that bracelet flashed in my mind again.

My voice turned cold.

“It’s nothing.”

But Hugo didn’t hang up. Instead, he hesitated, then said,

“Kate, listen... something urgent came up at the company. I need some funds. Can you transfer me one million yuan?”

One million? What a coincidence.

I kept my tone sweet, pretending to agree.

“Sure, babe. I’ll handle it.”

Then, I hung up.

Turning to Xena, I smirked playfully.

“Tell you what—once I see one million hit my account, I’ll gladly get on my knees and apologize.”

Xena’s eyes lit up with smug delight, and she sneered.

“You really don’t know when to quit. Face it—now that I’m the main woman, you’re just history.”

Her words weren’t lost on me. The meaning was crystal clear.

*

Sure enough—ten minutes later, Hugo burst into the police station, his face flushed and panicked.

“Officer,” he said, trying to steady his breath, “the dog is mine. Whatever compensation is required, we’ll pay it!”

The officer shot him a glance and asked,

“And what’s your relationship with Miss Quinn?”

Before Hugo could answer, Xena slid up to his side, wrapping her arm around his with a sickeningly sweet smile.

“He’s my boyfriend.”

Hugo didn’t deny it. Instead, he straightened up, his tone taking on a smug edge.

“Alright, who’s the victim? How much do you want? Just name your price.”

I stood behind them, a cold smirk curling on my lips.

“Well, well… small world. How about I give you two a special deal—$880,000 for old times’ sake?”

The moment the words left my mouth, Hugo’s head snapped around. His face drained of color, eyes wide with panic.

And in that split second, I saw guilt.

But then, in a flash, he tried to recover, forcing a shaky smile as he shuffled toward me nervously.