Dumping My Wife Because of Her Golden Retriever

The man my wife could never forget—her first love—came back to the country, only to discover she was already married to me.

That night, Eric drank himself into a stupor and tragically died in a car accident.

When the news reached my wife, she was devastated. She held his lifeless body in her arms and stayed up all night, unable to sleep.

Everyone said she must hate me now. That she’d surely file for divorce. After all, I was just the man who adored her like a fool—her second option. The one she truly loved had always been Eric.

But surprisingly, she didn’t lash out at me. Instead, she became even more loving.

The woman who had always disliked pets suddenly brought home a dog, saying she wanted to build shared hobbies to strengthen our relationship.

That was time I said I wanted a divorce—right in front of all our friends and family.

Everyone was stunned. Some even whispered I must be possessed.

My wife, Hazel, stared at me in disbelief. “Are you insane? Haven’t I been good to you?”

I stared back, emotionless. “That’s exactly why I want a divorce.”

——

“Austin, what the hell is wrong with you?!” Her eyes turned red with rage. Her voice shook with emotion. “We’ve only been married for four months! You promised to love me forever—have you already forgotten that?”

Gasps echoed around us. My mother rushed over, dabbing at Hazel’s tears with tissues.

“Hazel, don’t cry. Austin is just joking, right? He loves you so much—why would he want a divorce?”

“I’m not joking, Mom. I’m serious. I’m leaving her.”

My mother froze, utterly speechless as she looked into my unwavering eyes. She couldn’t even find words to comfort Hazel anymore.

Hazel’s eyes flamed with fury. She screamed at me hoarsely, “Why are you doing this?! What did I do wrong?”

“You like dogs, so even though I’m terrified of them, I brought one home just for you. Isn’t that enough?”

I stared at her blankly. “You did nothing wrong. I just want a divorce. Please sign the papers.”

My mother lunged forward and snatched the divorce papers from my hand, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.

“Austin, have you lost your mind? You’ve loved Hazel since you were a teenager. You chased her for eight years! You worked yourself to the bone to buy that seaside apartment just because she mentioned liking ocean views. Now that you’ve finally married her, why would you throw it all away?”

I ignored my mother’s pleading eyes and looked coldly at Hazel.

“Sign it. Let’s end this on peaceful terms.”

“Sign it?” Hazel let out a bitter laugh as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Austin, look me in the eyes and tell me the truth—is this about Eric? Do you think that now he’s dead, I finally belong to you? That you can do whatever you want, control me, humiliate me?”

Her fingernail scratched across the words "Mutual Agreement to Divorce" on the document. Her voice suddenly rose in pitch. “Let me tell you—I'll never divorce you!”

“I know you’ve always been jealous of Eric. But he’s dead now! Are you seriously still competing with a corpse?” She collapsed in front of me, sobbing. “I just want to live a normal life with you now. I cook for you, wash your clothes, and even adopted Lucky for your sake—what more do you want from me?!”

My stomach churned at the mention of that golden retriever.

Hazel had been terrified of dogs her whole life. As a child, she was once chased three blocks by a neighbor’s German shepherd. Ever since, she’d trembled at the sight of anything furry.

But two weeks ago, she suddenly walked into our home with a three-month-old golden retriever in her arms, smiling as she said we should raise it together and build a bond.

That dog always stared at me with those wet, watchful eyes. Especially at night, when it would lie silently outside our bedroom door, quietly growling in its throat.

One night, I got up to use the bathroom. In the moonlight, I saw it pawing at my nightstand.

And on that nightstand was our wedding photo.