After my wife, Corrine, the woman who loved me more than life itself, was murdered and dismembered, something strange started happening with our pet dog, Buddy.

When I came home, Buddy would grab my slippers and place them neatly at the door. When I went to bed, he would pull the blanket over me, tucking me in as if he were Corrine. And when I watched TV, he’d nudge my back with his paws, giving me a massage.

All the things Corrine used to do for me when she was alive.

The change in Buddy didn’t go unnoticed. It left the whole family in tears. But while they were mourning, I decided to call the specialty butcher shop down the street.

"I have a dog at home. I’m giving it to you for free. Please send someone over to take care of it."

——

Everyone saw Corrine as the perfect wife.

In twenty years of marriage, we never once fought. No matter how late I got home, Corrine was always keeping a light on and waiting for me with a hot meal ready.

When I was diagnosed with kidney failure, she didn’t hesitate to donate a kidney. She hid it from me for three years, not wanting to burden me.

I only found out during a routine checkup.

She was, without a doubt, the best person in my life. But that woman, the one who gave me everything, was brutally murdered on my birthday. She was dismembered on her way home.

Even in death, her severed hand still clutched the birthday gift she’d bought for me.

Her kindness was known to everyone.

Naturally, her death caused an uproar.

But with no surveillance, no clues, and no enemies in her life, the killer remained unknown.

While my mother-in-law, Harriet Allen, my son, Kyle, and my brother-in-law, Shane, wept for her every day, Buddy, the dog that had been with us for seven years, started acting differently.

Once playful and full of energy, Buddy suddenly became calm, gentle, and obedient.

When I came home, Buddy would quickly bring my slippers to the door.

When I slept, he would quietly cover me with the blanket.

When my back hurt, he would massage me with his paws.

The family observed Buddy’s behavior and interpreted it as a sign of healing. They felt relieved and mentioned that Buddy had become more human-like, taking over the care of me from Corrine.

But instead of joining in their false comfort, I quietly redialed the specialty butcher shop.

"Do you still take dogs? I have a dog at home, and I’m giving it to you for free. Please send someone to take care of it."

Then, I gave them my address.

Kyle, who had been sitting on the couch, quickly grabbed my phone.

"Dad, what are you doing? Buddy’s been so good! How can you do this?"

Shane stared at me, confusion and concern written all over his face.

"Yeah, Michael, if you don’t want Buddy anymore, just give him to someone else. Why send him to the specialty butcher shop? Are you seriously going to watch someone eat him?"

Harriet, my mother-in-law, rushed in from the kitchen, panic in her voice.

"Michael, is losing Corrine affecting you this much? Are you out of your mind? You and Corrine treated Buddy like your own child. Now he even carries a piece of her spirit. Why would you want to send him to the specialty butcher shop?"

I looked down at Buddy and said calmly, "Seven years of raising him is enough."

The specialty butcher shop arrived quickly.

When Kyle saw the two traders with dog cages and sacks standing at the door, panic flooded his face.

He ran up to me, tears in his eyes. "Dad, please, don’t send Buddy to the specialty butcher shop!"

I looked at him coldly.

Without hesitation, he said, "This dog can’t stay."

Then, I turned to the traders. "Hurry up and take him."

As the traders moved toward Buddy, Kyle, Harriet, and Shane immediately stepped forward, blocking them from reaching the dog.

Seeing the way things were unfolding, I couldn't take it anymore.

My voice came out cold, sharper than I intended.

"I said that this dog cannot stay. Didn’t you hear me?"

My words hit like a slap, freezing Kyle, Harriet, and Shane where they stood.

They had never seen me like this before. Even Buddy froze, his eyes glistening with tears, a silent plea in them.

In the middle of the stunned silence, I walked over, calmly picked Buddy up, and stuffed him in a sack. He didn’t fight me. There was no resistance, no struggle. It was almost like he understood, accepting whatever was coming.

By the time the dealers showed up and took Buddy away, Shane, looking like he’d been gut-punched, finally spoke.

His voice was laced with reluctance and pain as he said, "Michael, no matter what, Buddy is the dog you and my sister have raised for seven years. How can you do this?"

Harriet, her eyes full of worry and sorrow, stood by, holding herself together as best as she could, "Michael, even if seeing Buddy reminds you of Corrine and it drags you into sadness, there’s no need to send him to the specialty butcher shop. What’s going on with you?"

Kyle stood there, staring at me, not saying a word for what felt like an eternity. His eyes were full of confusion, sadness... and something else.

Then, the tears began to well up.

"Dad, you should be able to feel it. Buddy’s been more and more like Mom lately. With him by your side, taking care of you, you should be happy, right? Why are you doing this to him?"

I looked at their faces, confused and grieving, but stayed silent. I wasn’t ready to say anything, not yet.

Finally, after a long pause, I replied, "Tomorrow, you’ll all know everything."

...

The next day was my son’s celebration banquet for being admitted to Harvard University. It wasn’t the celebration it should’ve been.

Family, friends, neighbors—they were all there. But the joy was gone.

"This graduation party was something Corrine had planned for Kyle months ago. It’s such a shame, she was gone before it even started," someone murmured.

"Yeah, every dish, every banner, all of it was something she designed herself. No wonder they couldn’t bring themselves to cancel it, even though everything here reminds them of her," another voice echoed.

"I’m sure even now, Corrine is up there watching, eagerly looking forward to this celebration."

The party was grand and impressive, just as it should have been.

But with everything that happened with Corrine and the situation with Buddy, my son, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law were too worried to really enjoy the evening.

When I finally showed up, late as usual, Kyle, who had been withdrawn all night, immediately rushed over to me.

He couldn’t hold it back any longer.

"Dad, please...tell me, why did you send Buddy to the specialty butcher shop? Is this because of Mom?" His face was pale, his eyes dark with exhaustion, clearly having stayed up all night, wrestling with the same questions that had been eating at me.

I nodded. "Yes."

Harriet looked at me, her expression full of confusion and concern.

"But what does sending Buddy to the specialty butcher shop have to do with my daughter?"

Then, a realization hit her.

Her eyes sharpened as she asked, "Wait...could it be that you know something about Corrine’s death?"

Meanwhile, Shane’s face twisted with desperation as he grabbed my arm. "Michael, my sister died in such a brutal way, and the police still can’t find the killer. If you know something, you have to tell us now!"

Everyone in the room was now watching me, their faces filled with disbelief, expectation, and fear.

The weight of their gazes pressed down on me.

I took a deep breath, pulled my phone out, and dialed the police.

My voice was steady, but cold as I said, "Hello, I want to confess. I’ve committed murder. The victim’s name is Corrine Allen-Stone."

Before anyone could say a word, I hung up.

The room fell silent.

Everyone stared at me, wide-eyed, shocked, and confused.

Finally, Harriet spoke, her voice trembling. "How...how is this possible? Michael, you’re joking, right?"

Harriet’s face grew pale, and her voice quivered as if she had received a sudden shock.

I just looked at her coldly and said, "Do you think I’m joking?"

The weight of my words seemed to hit her like a freight train.

She staggered back, almost falling, but Shane caught her in time. He was still trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

"No. I don’t believe it. Michael, my sister treated you like gold. You had no reason to kill her!" he yelled, disbelief still heavy in his voice.

I didn’t bother to explain.

Instead, I reached into my bag, pulled out the blood-stained knife, and placed it on the table between us.

"This is the weapon I used to kill her," I said, letting the words hang in the air.

The room went dead silent.

Everyone around me turned ghostly pale and backed away in fear.

Only Kyle, my son, stayed where he was.

He was frozen, staring at me like he’d just seen a ghost. His eyes, the same ones I’d known for years, now looked completely unfamiliar, like I wasn’t the man he thought he knew.

Then, without warning, a slap rang through the room.

Harriet had slapped me across the face. The sting was sharp, but I didn’t react.

Her voice cracked as she yelled, "Michael, you beast! No wonder you insisted on sending Buddy to the specialty butcher shop. You’re guilty, and now you can’t face the truth! How could my daughter, even in death, still be thinking about the birthday gift she was going to give you? She never did anything to hurt you. So why did you kill her? Why let her die in such a horrible way?!"

I didn’t respond.

The words didn’t need a response.

Shane, standing next to me now, gripped my shoulders hard, his voice full of pain and disbelief.

"Do you even know what my sister went through for you? The day she donated her kidney to you, she was in so much pain her mouth bled. But she still took care of you, making sure you wouldn’t suspect anything, so that you wouldn’t have to worry about her! She could hardly take care of herself, and she still learned to cook for you, learned to massage you, did everything for you! She had your kids, she donated her kidney to you, and made sure you never had to struggle for twenty years. And now you—"

Shane choked on his words, his fists clenched.

"My sister treated you so well, so why the hell did you kill her?!"

The guests who had been silently watching until now could no longer contain their anger. Some began shouting and cursing at me loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Someone even pulled out their phones, streaming live and broadcasting my so-called confession to the world.

"Breaking news, remember the sensational dismemberment case?" one of the voices in the crowd shouted. "I never thought the killer would be the victim's husband!"

"His wife was perfect, always taking care of him. She didn’t even ask for a dowry when they married. She put all her savings into supporting his business," the streamer continued. "She knew he had stomach problems, so she cooked him special meals every day. She never let him worry about the family, never raised her voice at him."

Then, the woman even said, "And how does he repay her? By killing her and cutting her up like she was nothing! Even their dog? Sent to the specialty butcher shop. By now, it’s probably on someone else’s plate!"

The crowd’s anger grew louder and fiercer.

The live stream was gaining momentum, and the comments were pouring in, filled only with curses aimed at me. I felt like a lamb being led to slaughter, publicly condemned by thousands.

The police finally arrived, and within moments, I was cuffed and taken to the patrol car.

"You’re under suspicion for intentional homicide," one officer said flatly. "Please come with us."

As they escorted me out, Kyle rushed in front of me, standing tall, his face a mix of pain and defiance.

"Dad, you and Mom always had so much love. Every time she was sick, you couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and was always worrying about her. I don’t believe you could kill her!" His voice cracked, but he was still trying to protect me. "You confessed at my graduation party, but did someone threaten you? Or is there something more behind this?"

Kyle’s eyes were full of pain, but also determination. He was trying to protect me, afraid I might be wrongfully accused.

I stared at him, my expression cold and flat, and said, "I have no reason, and no one threatened me. I killed your mom."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut.

In an instant, the light in my son’s eyes went out.

"I hate you! I don’t want a father like you!"

With that, Kyle turned and leapt through the nearby window.

The sound of his fall shattered the silence, and the room froze.

Everyone’s faces went pale. The air thickened, suffocating in shock.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall.

Everything…was finally coming to an end.