Chapter 12 Let's Get a Divorce

"Duffy! Let him go, Duffy!" Enduring the pain, I managed to pull Duffy away. He heard my voice and finally released Calvin but continued to growl at him. "Cal. Cal, you're bleeding." Emily cradled Calvin with a distressed look on her face. Indeed, Calvin's arm was covered in blood. Duffy had bitten down with all his strength. Seeing Calvin look over, Duffy was ready to lunge again. It took both me and Phyllis to hold him back, and even then, we barely managed. "Emily, let's go." Calvin gave me a long, hard look before leaving with Emily in his arms. It wasn't until I was sure they had entered the elevator that I collapsed to the floor, drained. The stitches from my surgery had torn open and soaked my shirt with blood. Phyllis panicked. She kneeled beside me to check on my condition. "Are you all right? There's so much blood! I'll call 911 right now. Don't be scared. Stay calm." Duffy whimpered and nudged me with his head. I weakly patted his head. "I'm okay, Duffy. Don't be scared. I'm fine." In his large eyes, I saw a reflection of my pale face. For a moment, I thought I might really die. … When I arrived at the hospital, Ralph rushed in, although it was his day off. He had returned upon hearing that I had been brought back to the hospital. "Summer, what did I tell you before you were discharged? Weren't you fighting to survive? You made it through two surgeries, so how could you be this careless?" The nurse beside him secretly wiped away her tears and feigned an angry expression too. "If you keep this up, we won't take care of you anymore!" I smiled lightly. She had no real authority, but I nodded obediently nonetheless. … After getting my stitches done, receiving anti-inflammatory medication, and spending a night in the hospital, I felt a bit better. Ralph wanted to keep me for further observation, but unfortunately, I received a call from the police. When I picked up the phone, I was confused. It turned out that Emily had gotten into a fight with Phyllis over Duffy. When I rushed to the police station, Phyllis' hair was a mess, but she still held Duffy's leash tightly. "No one's taking my dog! All our papers are in order!" Emily stood nearby, glaring with a twisted expression. "So what if the paperwork is in order? Even murderers have IDs, and they still get executed!" Turning to the police officer, she argued, "Officer, this is a mad dog! It bit someone! It must be put down!" "Emily, didn't those two slaps teach you anything?" While she wasn't paying attention, I gave her a hard shove. The police quickly stepped in to separate us, but they didn't scold me much, perhaps because they saw how weak I was. I patted Duffy's head and tried to calm myself down. "Officer, this dog's mine. All his paperwork is in order, and he's not mad." "No, officer! It's a mad dog! It bit someone!" Emily glared at me, but she shrank behind the police when I turned to face her. The two officers looked frustrated. "Well, it did bite someone…" "Officer, aren't you going to ask why the dog bit someone? And who it bit?" The female officer looked at me sternly. "It bit her boyfriend, and there are photos to prove it." "He's my husband," I said loudly, drawing all eyes in the police station toward me. In the past, I would've been too embarrassed to cause a scene and would've chosen to quietly endure the humiliation. But with Duffy involved now, I wasn't going to stay silent. Instead of confronting them head-on in the police station, I slumped weakly to the ground and leaned against Duffy. What could be more pitiful than being trampled by a mistress and being on the verge of losing my beloved dog? "Officer, my husband brought his mistress home, and now they want to send my dog to an animal shelter. Duffy bit him because this mistress was bullying me, and my husband laid hands on me. "It was my neighbor, Phyllis, who dialed 911 for me yesterday. The hospital still has my records." If it was all about playing the victim card, I could do that too. Besides, I wasn't lying. Calvin had indeed pushed me, and I had been rushed to the hospital. Whether it was a push or abuse, people could speculate on their own. I hugged Duffy tightly, and he whimpered like he was crying. People nearby began whispering and pointing fingers at Emily. Even the police officers who had been protecting her earlier started looking at her differently. She finally couldn't take it anymore. At that moment, Calvin arrived at the police station with his right hand still wrapped in gauze. As he walked in, he came to help me up, but Emily pulled him away. "Cal, are you okay? Didn't the doctor tell you to rest?" He looked at her with gentleness and stroked her hair. "Silly, why did you come to the police station alone?" "That animal hurt you. I had to report it…" Emily dared not finish her sentence. She now looked at me with timidity instead of arrogance. So that was her game—always playing the role of the weak in front of Calvin. After comforting her gently, Calvin finally turned his gaze toward me. "Summer, it's just a dog. If you'd gotten rid of it, none of this would've happened. Why make things so ugly? Someone muttered, "What a pair of scumbags." Calvin's expression darkened. His voice grew louder. "Summer, did you hear me or not?" I lifted my head and smiled bitterly. "Let's get a divorce. I'll take Duffy and get out of your sight."