When my wife’s secretary was caught abusing an injured puppy, I stepped in without hesitation.

Someone in the crowd recorded everything and posted it online. In no time, I was hailed as a hero by animal lovers across the internet. At the same time, her secretary, Steven Jackson, became the face of cruelty and perversion.

Under public pressure, the company had no choice but to fire him. My wife had always been especially fond of Steven; no matter what happened between us, she would always defend him without question.

But this time, she didn’t blame me. She simply said, her tone calm and cool, “Someone so heartless has no place in the company. He should be gone.”

I breathed a deep sigh of relief, thinking she had finally seen him for who he was. Overjoyed, I went all out, preparing a candlelit dinner just for her.

But the moment I finished the glass of wine she handed me, darkness swallowed me whole.

When I came to, I was inside a dog breeding facility, surrounded by a pack of Shiba Inus, all staring at me with eerie, glowing green eyes.

My wife stood there, eyes like frost. “Since you love protecting dogs so much, then stay here, get along with this pack that hasn’t eaten in a week.”

Next to her, Steven raised a livestream device, his voice dripping with mockery. “Young Master Mitchell, you’re so full of compassion. Even if they rip into you, I bet you’d never lift a hand against them, right?”

A bitter chill spread through my chest. I never imagined she’d go this far just to help Steven get revenge, to the point of handing me over to starving dogs.

I looked straight into the camera, forcing my voice to remain steady. “If this is your choice, Tessa, I only hope you don’t live to regret it.”

——

My wife, Tessa Curran, laughed, like I’d just told the world’s most ridiculous joke. “Are you threatening me, Cooper Mitchell? Don’t forget, you brought this on yourself.”

“Who told you to play the hero? Steven was just in a bad mood, teasing a mutt for fun. But you blew it up, got him canceled, cost him his job, and made him a public enemy. And you? You strutted around, so proud of yourself. You're nothing but a pathetic little man. This time, I’m going to teach you a real lesson.”

“You love playing the animal lover, right? You adore little dogs, don’t you? Take a good look at those Shiba Inus. They haven’t eaten in a week. Let’s see if you still act so noble when they tear into you from hunger.”

As I watched my disheveled image flash across the giant screen, a bitter laugh slipped from my lips.

Steven was nothing more than a two-faced scumbag, a man who found pleasure in tormenting defenseless animals. That day, I saw it with my own eyes. He pressed a lit cigarette into the skin of an injured stray, feeding his sick, twisted urges.

That’s why I stepped in. The video? Just a random clip taken by a bystander. I never imagined it would explode across the internet.

But I didn’t regret it. People like him deserved exposure, deserved to be dragged through the mud and trampled by public outrage.

What truly cut deep was that Tessa chose to protect him and punish me instead.

Seeing that I remained silent, Steven smirked with arrogance. “What’s the matter, Young Master Mitchell? Don’t tell me you’re frozen with fear now?”

“President, don’t you think this might be too harsh? Maybe we can let him go, if he kneels, apologizes publicly, and posts a statement online clearing my name.”

Tessa looked down at me with disdain. “Cooper, you’re not even worth one of Steven’s fingers. And yet, look at how generous he is, still thinking of you.”

“Now get on your knees in front of the livestream. Apologize to Steven, say you framed him, that he never hurt any dogs, and that the video was your scheme to spark outrage. Do it and I’ll let you out.”

At that moment, the livestream flooded with viewers, and the bullet comments began to pour in like wildfire.

“Could it be that Steven didn’t abuse the puppy at all, and Cooper framed him out of jealousy? That’s disgusting.”

“I can vouch for Steven; he was my classmate. He’s always been gentle and loved animals. That video must’ve been edited to smear him.”

“I work with Steven, too. He’s warm to everyone. Cooper’s the one who kept using his status as Tessa’s husband to oppress Steven, even stealing his projects.”

I didn’t even need to guess; those comments were obviously from trolls Steven had paid for.

Sure enough, with his orchestrating, the tide quickly turned. The crowd in the livestream began siding with him, tearing into me like wolves.

“People like him deserve to be punished.”

“What’s the delay? Release the dogs! Let them rip this manipulator apart; he’s an embarrassment to men.”

I had already made up my mind. My gaze turned cold as I looked at Tessa.

“I will never apologize.”

Steven, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, let out a smug, satisfied chuckle.

Tessa clearly hadn’t expected me to reject her so bluntly. Her hand lifted slightly, ready to give the order.

“Then let these Shiba Inus enjoy themselves.”

The second the words left her lips, the cages swung open.

The pack of ravenous Shiba Inus lunged out, eyes glowing a sickly green, tongues hanging, mouths open, locked onto me with a deadly hunger.

I stumbled back in fear as they closed in.

Above, Steven was already doubled over with laughter, practically giddy with amusement. Tessa, meanwhile, remained still and composed, entirely unfazed by whether I lived or died.

In a split second of distraction, one of the Shiba Inus lunged at me. I raised my arm instinctively to block, but its jaws clamped down, teeth sinking deep into my flesh. I shoved it off with all my strength, and a chunk of skin tore away.

“Ah!” Blood gushed down my arm as searing pain shot through me.

My scream echoed through the space, cold sweat pouring down my face.

Terror surged through me. I knew, if I didn’t fight back now, I’d be torn apart.

Spotting an opening, I bolted to the side, snatched up a metal rod from the ground, and swung it with all my might at the nearest Shiba Inu.

The rod struck its skull with a sickening crack.

It dropped instantly, twitching, whimpering, then went still, blood pooling around its muzzle.

The others howled in rage.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

I could see the hatred burning in their eyes, yet none dared to charge recklessly.

They began circling me, pacing low and slow, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

My hands were slick with sweat, the iron rod nearly slipping from my grip, but I couldn’t let down my guard.

I forced myself to stay calm. I had to hold out. I needed time.

Then, the big screen started up again, fueling the fire.

“Now we see Cooper’s true face, such a fraud. If he really cared about animals, he’d be like that monk who offered himself to an eagle. But what did he do? One bite and he killed a dog.”

“A dog’s life is still a life. That one was starving. Why did Cooper kill it just to survive?”

“He looked so kind in that old video. Now he’s exposed, ruthless when things turn real. So much for being an animal lover.”

How laughable.

Was I supposed to just stand there and be torn apart alive?

I admit that I wasn’t some enlightened monk.

I never claimed to be a saint.

I only wanted one thing: to live.

Was that such a sin?

From above, Tessa’s voice rang out again, sharp and smug. “Cooper, if you kneel now and admit your fault, I’ll let you go.”

I looked up at her, my eyes bloodshot, my voice flat and cold.

“Keep dreaming.”

“You—!”

Tessa’s chest rose and fell with fury, her words filled with venom.

“Didn’t you say you loved dogs? Now you’re fighting a pack of Shiba Inus just to survive? You already killed one. What now? Ready to kill another? A third?”

“So this is what you call compassion?”

I couldn’t believe she had the gall to question me at a time like this, as if none of this had been her doing from the very start.

I let out a cold laugh. “Tessa, tell me, what crime did I commit that makes you want me dead?”

My words made her pause, her expression stiffening. But before she could speak, Steven’s eyes lit up with something twisted.

“Ah!”

With a shout, he flung a piece of beef jerky toward me. It landed at my feet.

The pack, which had hesitated just moments ago, instantly caught the scent.

There was no stopping them now. They charged.

Even as I swung the iron rod with all my strength, I couldn’t hold off the frenzy.

The starved dogs came at me one after another, their eyes wild and bloodshot, their jaws snapping in desperate hunger.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

One bit into my arm, another clamped onto my waist, and as I struggled to move, a third leapt onto my back and sank its teeth in.

Pain tore through me from every side.

Just as I was about to be completely overwhelmed, I gritted my teeth and roared, “Ahhh!”

I swung the iron rod with everything I had.

A few of the dogs were knocked back, but not before they tore more flesh from my body.

Agony rippled through me as I stumbled backward, my clothes shredded, blood soaking through the fabric.

Sensing my weakness, the pack began to circle me again, paws twitching, eyes locked, waiting for the next chance to strike.

Upon the platform, Tessa gasped, her expression shifting to panic.

She spun toward her subordinates and barked, “Didn’t you say those dogs were trained, well-fed, and wouldn’t bite?!”

“I only wanted them to scare him! How are they attacking like this? Look at those wounds! Cooper can’t stand pain. This is going too far!”

“Stop them right now! Don’t let them bite anymore!”

The nearby bodyguards hesitated, unsure whether to act.

Steven stepped forward, his expression darkening, and clung to Tessa’s arm with a pitiful look.

“He’s your husband, huh? Starting to feel sorry for him now?” His voice trembled, but the bitterness was unmistakable.

“But he still hasn’t apologized to me.”

“These Shiba Inus were trained. The wounds just look bad, nothing but surface cuts.”

“So in your eyes, no matter what Cooper did to me, it means nothing, right?”

“I don’t matter. My pain doesn’t count.”

He lifted his arm, revealing the bandages, and let a tear slide down his cheek.

“Even if I was nearly pushed to death by the online hate, that’s fine, isn’t it?”

Tessa quickly put on a concerned face and gently wiped away his tears.

“There, there, you’re the one who matters most to me.”

“If you think he hasn’t been punished enough, let him stay with the Shibas a bit longer, until you’ve calmed down. How about that?”

Only then did Steven finally smile, looking pleased. Their voices echoed clearly through the loudspeakers, and I heard every word.

I stared at Tessa, bitter disappointment flooding through me.

She saw I was in real danger.

Yet all it took was one word from Steven for her to turn away, choosing to ignore my life like it meant nothing.

Maybe she felt my gaze, because she glanced over. For a moment, guilt flickered in her eyes.

“You brought this on yourself. Besides, they didn’t hurt you that badly… just a few scratches. Compared to what Steven went through, this is nothing.”

Meanwhile, comments scrolled across the big screen.

“So this was all just the president trying to scare Cooper? I thought it was serious.”

“She’s actually kindhearted, too bad about the poor Shiba that got killed.”