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.