She Called Me Cold, So I Gave Her The Rabid Dog

Chapter 2

Emily's door slammed shut.

I stood there for a moment, watching the closed door, then turned and went back to my apartment.

The first thing I did was pull out a suitcase and pack the documents and valuables I would need in the near future. Then I rented a furnished apartment for 1 month in a nearby building with good security.

I would never put myself in danger again.

Before I moved out, however, I still had a few things to handle.

About 2 hours later, the building group chat began exploding with messages.

Emily posted five or six videos in a row.

In them, the stray dog paced restlessly around her vintage rug, dripping yellowish saliva everywhere.

Emily's wounded voice played over the footage. "Neighbors, Buddy is having a pretty severe stress response because this is his first day in a new home. He already chewed up my brand-new couch cushions, but that's okay. Love can overcome anything. Still, a full veterinary exam and vaccinations are going to cost a lot of money. Since Buddy wandered into our building, I think that makes helping him everyone's responsibility. I propose that every household contribute 200 dollars to an adoption fund. That's not much money for anyone, right?"

The group stayed silent for a full 5 minutes.

Linda Hayes, an older neighbor who loved posting wellness links, was the first to respond.

Linda: Emily is right. Helping him is a good deed for the whole building. 200 dollars is barely the cost of one meal. Come on, everyone. Chip in.

Once Linda took the lead, several residents who usually liked to get involved in whatever was going on posted thumbs-up stickers.

No one, however, actually volunteered to pay.

Emily grew impatient and tagged me directly.

Emily: @Audrey Blake, you're the one who suggested I bring Buddy home today. You're a department manager and earn more than the rest of us. Shouldn't you set an example and contribute first?

I looked at the screen and laughed.

There it was again: the same old guilt-tripping.

In my previous life, she had done the same thing. A casual "you make more money" or "you're better off than we are" was apparently enough reason for me to foot the bill for whatever she decided to do.

I calmly opened my browser, downloaded a document, highlighted the relevant sections, and posted a screenshot in the group.

It was the Dog Ownership and Public Safety Ordinance.

Audrey: Emily, now that you've brought the dog into your home and publicly declared yourself his owner, you are legally responsible for his care and control.

I followed with another message.

Audrey: Under the ordinance, if a dog injures someone, creates a public nuisance, or causes property damage, the owner may face civil liability and, in serious cases, criminal charges.

Audrey: I respect your decision to do something charitable. But you collected the livestream gifts, and you got the views. Now you want every neighbor in the building to share the costs and risks of the dog you chose to adopt?

Audrey: Do you think everyone else's money grows on trees, or do you think we're all stupid?

The group went completely silent.

Several residents immediately deleted the thumbs-up stickers they had posted after seeing the words "responsible for all liability."

Linda stopped talking too.

Emily began sending furious voice messages.

Emily: Audrey, stop trying to scare everyone! Buddy is sweet. He would never hurt anyone. You're just cheap and don't want to spend 200 dollars, so you're inventing excuses!

I didn't respond. Instead, I opened a private chat with building management.

Audrey: Emily in Building 6, Unit 802 has taken an unidentified stray dog showing signs of a serious infectious disease into her unit. Unless ownership and responsibility are formally documented, the management company could be held liable if an incident occurs after receiving this warning.

A few minutes later, the property manager replied that staff would be sent up immediately.

After I set down my phone, I heard muffled curses from across the hall, followed by the dull thud of something heavy striking a wall.

Buddy's condition was worsening quickly. The virus was already beginning to affect his nervous system.