"Well, I guess it is okay. Don't be sad, Sweetie. If you want me to play you, I will play with you for a while," Seeing how disappointed Alan seemed, Kate rubbed his belly.
After about an hour, Alan suddenly became lethargic. He fell to the floor, motionless at her feet and whined.
"Alan, what is wrong?" Kate touched his head and asked warmly, "Are you hungry?"
Kate jumped up to get his food bowl and put it in front of him. He immediately began to eat, and Kate let out a sigh of relief, but Alan only ate a few bites before lying back down on the floor.
Smiling, Kate thought he was playing and went over to pet him, but before she got to him, he started to whimper again. He rolled around and cried louder and louder. Kate was terrified and yelled for Amy.
"What's wrong, Lady Kate?" Amy looked scared when she Alan, "Lady Kate, how did this happen? Alan was okay not long ago!"
Even though Kate was petrified, she managed to pick Alan up and run out of the room and shouted at Henry to get the car.
On the way to the veterinarian clinic, Kate saw that Alan stopped moving and that his body was becoming rigid. She began to sob and asked Henry to confirm her worst fear.
After touching Alan, Henry put his head down and said, "Lady, he is gone…"
"NO!" Kate held Alan in her arms as tears poured down her cheeks, "No, he was just playing with me. He must just be uncomfortable. Let's go, let's go to the clinic..."
Seeing that Kate was too upset to hear the truth, Henry didn't say anything more. He drove the rest of the way to the veterinarian clinic as he was ordered.
At the clinic, the veterinarian told Kate that Alan had already passed away, but she couldn't accept what they were saying. She asked the doctor to check him again and to find out what happened.
While Kate was waiting for answers, Anna walked in the door, shouting loudly.
Before Kate could say anything, Anna rushed in, grabbed Alan in her arms, and asked furiously, "What did you do to Alan? Why… Why did he die?"
Kate looked at Alan then said sadly, "I don't know. I don't know why Alan would suddenly... die..."
Although Alan was Anna's dog, Kate had spent the last two years with him. Even when Joseph ordered her not to touch Alan, they would still play from time to time. She was distraught that he was gone; she loved the cute dog.
"How don't you know? I know you always wanted everything I had, just so that you can keep your position as Lady Kate!" Anna accused Kate.
Kate felt outraged, "If I killed him on purpose, why would I wait until now?"
"Anna, since you're so good at making up stories, you should be an author? Or do you just feel the need to harass me?"
"Kate, don't try to change the topic!" Anna knew Kate was persuasive and that she would not be able to win an argument with her, yet she wasn't giving in.
"How are you going to pay for taking Alan's life?" Anna asked bluntly.
"I'll repeat it, Alan's death had nothing to do with me. Don't try to frame me for it!" Kate was too upset to argue with Anna and tried to walk by her.
Anna didn't want the conflict to end though, she chased Kate, "You can't just walk away and not fix this, Kate!"
Suddenly, a group of large men appeared behind Anna. Instead of looking scared, Kate smiled and took out her phone, "Are you going to have me beat in public? If you want to be in the headlines, I can make it happen."
"You shouldn't threaten me!" Anna wished that she could rip Kate apart when she thought of everything she had done. Since Joseph was out of town, it was the perfect time for Kate to be taught a lesson.
"I don't mind being in the news. It was you who killed Alan; you need to pay for it!" Anna shouted.
"Fine, then I…" Kate stammered but was hit on the head from behind before she could say anything more. She spun around and saw a man in a wheelchair angrily staring at her.
"Dad, why did you ..." Kate asked. She was stunned to see that it was her father who hit her.
Anna was quite delighted to see the shocked expression on Kate's face when she was hit. She smirked and laughed, "Don't be so arrogant, Kate! Someone needs to teach you a lesson."
Walking toward Leo, Anna asked, "Dad, why are you here? Do you have work nearby?"
"Shut up!" Leo yelled angrily, "You two are shameful! You shouldn't be quarreling in the street!"
Anna assumed that Leo was only pretending to be angry with her, so she didn't take him seriously. Lowering her head, she sobbed, "I am so sorry, Dad. I was upset when I found out Kate killed Alan. I just couldn't control my emotions, so I…"
"He was a pet! There is no reason to fight and argue!" Leo snapped.
Anna stomped her feet, angrily, "Dad, how can you say that? He was my dog for many years. Joseph took care of him after the accident, and I was going to bring him home until someone killed him!"
"You need to let it go, Anna. If you play games after this, I will teach you a lesson as well!" Leo demanded and waved his hand for his guard to wheel him away.
"Dad..." Anna shouted, pretending to be persecuted until she saw Leo was out of sight.
The pain in Kate's leg began to throb, but the pain in her heart was worse. Her father hadn't beaten her since she was young. If she got bad marks in school, Flora would beat her, but it was always her father who would stop it. He used to say she was too young to be hit; he was such a kind-hearted and good-natured husband and father then. However, when Dora and Anna moved in, he changed a lot, Leo was sterner and much colder.
"Kate, don't think that this is over. After I bury Alan, I will be coming after you!" Anna shouted then motioned for one of the large men to pick up Alan's body.