Chapter 1
My mother-in-law threw my son’s dog out of our house and warned him that if he brought the dog back inside, she would make him go without food.
I came home from work and found my nine-year-old son, Noah, sitting on the front steps.
His school backpack was still beside him.
He was hugging our dog, Buddy, against his chest and crying.
I rushed over.
“Noah, what happened?”
He wiped his face.
“Grandma threw Buddy outside.”
Before I could respond, my mother-in-law, Diane, opened the front door.
“That filthy animal is not coming back inside.”
I stared at her.
“You threw my son’s dog out?”
“He smells, sheds everywhere, and ruins my house.”
I stepped closer.
“This isn’t your house, Diane.”
Her expression hardened.
Then Noah quietly said, “Mom, she threatened me too.”
I turned toward him.
“What did she say?”
He hugged Buddy tighter.
“She said if I bring him inside, I don’t get dinner.”
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Diane.
“You threatened to withhold food from my child?”
“He needs consequences.”
I reached for Noah’s backpack.
“You’re leaving this house tonight.”
Diane suddenly laughed.
“You might want to talk to your husband first.”
That stopped me.
My husband, Ryan, was standing silently behind her.
I stared at him.
“You knew about this?”
Ryan avoided my eyes.
“Mom and I talked about Buddy this morning.”
Noah began crying again.
“Dad told Grandma she could get rid of him.”
I felt my chest tighten.
Ryan quickly said, “That’s not what I said.”
But Noah reached into his backpack.
He pulled out a folded receipt.
It was from an animal shelter twenty miles away.
May you like
Then Noah looked at his father and whispered,
“Dad already paid them to take Buddy tomorrow.”
