Chapter 4

I woke up the following morning with a splitting headache—a clear sign of a hangover. I didn't think I'd had one since dating Cameron. I opened my eyes to see that Five-O wasn't by my feet. Instead, he was curled up on the couch again. His fur didn't look sleek and smooth, perhaps because of the things he'd gone through in the past. I sat beside him and picked him up from the couch, placing him on my lap. I savored the feeling of his soft fur and warm belly. I also looked into his bright eyes. It was no wonder people said having a dog was the cure to many things. Five-O seemed mad at me, though. He turned his butt to me. I was amused and played with his ear. "Why are you mad at me? Is it because you're out of food?" He wouldn't answer me, of course. I put him on the floor and went to check his dog bowl. I'd only taken a couple of steps when I heard a man's voice ring out behind me. "Go ahead and drink more, why don't you? I'd like to see that headache kill you." I froze. The voice sounded exactly like the one I'd heard while half asleep last night. Could it be that I hadn't been imagining things? Was there a burglar in my house? I whipped around, but Five-O was the only living creature in the living room. He'd moved to sit on the couch as he looked at me. There wasn't another soul in sight. I didn't give up so easily. I got onto all fours to peer underneath the couch, but there was nothing. The same went for behind the curtains and inside the closet. In the end, I flopped onto the floor, panting and sweating from the exertion. I hadn't found anything or anyone. What was with that voice, then? Had my drinks from last night come with something special and addled with my brains? I was hearing things. What came after that? I had to get myself checked at the hospital! I hurriedly grabbed my phone to make an appointment with a doctor, but the voice appeared again. This time, I heard it loud and clear—it came from before me. "What's she doing? She's not crazy, is she?" I looked up and met Five-O's gaze. I could even discern the faintest hint of disdain in his eyes. I also heard a soft, soft bark that was almost drowned out by the voice. Janet snarled, "Look. Cameron's always been a bit of a freak. I told you that even before you two got together—he's too extreme. Someone with a personality like that will only hurt you after you guys break up!" She sounded so angry and indignant that I would've believed her if I hadn't been the one in the situation. "Oh, really? Who was the one who kept persuading me to get together with him after he helped her with her graduation dissertation?" She chuckled awkwardly. My thoughts trailed back to my college days. Cameron and I had met by pure accident. At the time, we'd been competing for a scholarship, and Cameron had lost to me because he wasn't as excellent as me in extracurricular activities. After finding out about each other's existence, Cameron had insisted on meeting me once. That was what had started his four-year pursuit of me. Yes, he'd pursued me for four whole years. Throughout that time, his feelings for me and determination to win me over spread all over campus. He hadn't changed despite my iciness toward him. What had truly made me change my mind about him was something he'd said to me in our junior year. He told me he knew I didn't have many expectations for love because I hadn't grown up in a loving family, but that was okay. He would lead me out of the abyss step by step. However, he later turned out to be the one to shove me deeper into it. "What's your plan, Savannah?" Janet asked. Her words pulled me out of my reverie. I looked out the window to see that night had already fallen. I sighed. "I don't know, but I don't think he'll do anything too crazy." "You still think too highly of him. Cameron isn't the type of guy who will let go so easily." Janet shook her head, looking wise. Meanwhile, Five-O's ears twitched as he lay in his corner. At the time, I thought Janet was just scaring me. It was only until later that I realized I was the most naive—borderline ignorant—person in the situation.