Heartbroken, Snoopy ignored the wooden broom handle Dixie’s dad was slamming down.
on his back.
The dog dragged itself over to the little goldfish, whimpering and choking with grief.
He was just too old.
All the strength he had left had been spent trying to protect me.
Snoopy’s sorrow and attachment to the goldfish was obvious.
But Dixie only sneered. With a cruel lift of her foot, she stomped down–right in front of both of us–and crushed the goldfish.
Then, without even flinching, she picked up the broken, bloodied pieces and shoved them toward Snoopy’s mouth.
“You liked it so much, didn’t you?” she spat.
Clenching her jaw, she shouted, “Then eat it! Go on–eat it!”
Snoopy resisted with everything he had, but Dixie kept slamming the remains into his face.
“Eat it!” she shrieked. “You filthy mutt! You crazy beast!”
Just then, my phone, which had fallen to the floor earlier, started ringing.
The dinner must’ve been about to start.
It was probably Dad, calling to remind me that the dinner was about to begin. He wanted me to bring Snoopy over to see his old buddies.
Dixie saw the caller ID.
“Dad“?” she read aloud with a scoff. “You even saved his name like that? Pathetic! You
really think you matter, don’t you?”
Her mother, standing nearby, spoke up in a low voice, urging her, “Dixie, come on. It’s almost time for dinner.”
“Let’s go already. Don’t keep your uncle waiting,” she said, nudging her daughter.
Her voice even sounded excited. “I heard he wants to introduce you to someone really important tonight. He wanted us to have dinner with them, that’s why he invited us here.”
Getting impatient, she leaned in and whispered meaningfully, “Don’t miss this chance.”
Dixie glanced at me with disdain, then snorted. “There can only be one ‘underprivileged student‘ my uncle sponsors–and that’s me!”
“If you don’t want to die, you’d better stay the hell away from him!” she warned.
The look she gave me… It was deadly.
Even her dad chimed in, trying to coax her. “Dixie, why don’t you head over first?”
“Didn’t you say you were going to apply for university?” he reminder her.
With a casual tone, he added, “I heard tonight’s guests are all big names.”
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Encouraging his daughter further, he said, “Getting your face out there wouldn’t hurt–you never know what doors it might open after you graduate.”
Dixie tilted her chin, proud and smug. “Of course! Uncle said someone really influential’s coming tonight.”
“Apparently, he’s here to visit an old friend,” she recalled.
Her dad grinned knowingly and replied, “And who else would that friend be? It must be your uncle, of course!”
Then, suddenly, Dixie grabbed me by the hair and, ignoring my cries of pain, dragged me
into the bathroom.
She turned on the cold shower and let the chilling water pour down over me.
The water mixed with the blood on my face, running down to stain the whole floor red.
Dixie shouted at me, “I bet you saw how rich my uncle is and thought you could seduce him, huh? Dream on!”
She gave me a glance over and shook her head. “I’ve seen too many sluts like you trying to get close to him.”
“And just so you know,” she went on, “every other girl he tried to sponsor before you? I broke their arms and legs. Made damn sure they disappeared from his sight forever.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. That’s when it all clicked.
Dad had once told me he didn’t just sponsor Dixie. Over the years, he’d helped a few other struggling girls too.
But each of them had suddenly cut contact. When they called him out of nowhere, they said they didn’t want his help anymore.
Apparently, it had always been Dixie behind it!
I screamed and suddenly burst out with strength. Despite the pain, I fought back and started grappling with her.
She yanked my hair and slammed my head against the edge of the sink.
Dixie grabbed another fistful of my hair, then shoved my head hard against the edge of the
sink.
My face was covered in blood and flesh. My head was spinning.
Then I heard a rush of footsteps; her parents had heard the chaos and burst in. The three of them pinned me to the floor!
