Chapter 2

"Teddy doesn't know any better. Can't you just be the bigger person?" Dad continued. "Look at Cochran. He used to be so patient with Teddy. Why can't you be like him?"

"It must be because you're treating Teddy poorly. Otherwise, why was he so well-behaved and gentle when your brother raised him, but bites you the moment he's in your hands?"

Unable to endure it any longer, I jumped from the 30th-floor window. It was only after my death that I learned the truth.

It turned out that Cochran's soul had been inside Teddy's body all along. He hadn't actually died in the car accident. Instead, he'd been in a vegetative state the entire time.

Desperate to save him, my parents spent a fortune to find a shaman who could perform a life-swapping ritual.

The shaman told them that Cochran had to possess a dog and remain at his blood relative's side for 49 days. He would have to bite me and scratch me every day to drain my life force. Once my life force was fully depleted, he'd come back to life.

And in my parents' eyes, I—their daughter—didn't matter at all. I was nothing more than a tool to keep their son alive.

When I opened my eyes again, I found that I had been reborn. I had returned to the very day they had brought the toy poodle home.

Snapping back to the present, I realized the blood was still dripping from the back of my hand. Comment by Belinda Chiew: i added to make the timeline a little clearer

Mom was completely unbothered. She just said dismissively, "Teddy is loyal and has always been most attached to your brother. Now that Cochran's gone, he needs time to adjust. Spend more time with him. He'll warm up to you eventually."

Dad nodded as well.

"Exactly. Take a couple of days off work. Stay home and bond with Teddy."

I chuckled at those words. I pulled out two tissues and wiped the blood from my hand.

"Mom, Dad, since this dog loves Cochran so much, why don't I send him down so he can keep Cochran company?"

The air itself seemed to freeze.

Dad's face stiffened. "W-What did you just say? Your brother is dead. Where would you even send Teddy? What nonsense are you talking about?"

He hurriedly snatched the dog out of my arms and hugged him tightly against his chest.

Mom froze as well, panic flashing across her eyes. "No, absolutely not! Teddy isn't going anywhere! He's the only thing your brother left us to remember him by. If you send him away, what reason do I have to live?"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened with tears.

I looked at her tears but felt absolutely nothing inside.

In my previous life, she'd wept this exact same way. Every time I wanted to give the dog away, she'd cry. She knew this tactic worked on me better than anything else. I was a dutiful daughter who couldn't bear to see her cry, so I'd always compromise.

Yet, she'd been plotting to take my life all along.

I suppressed the coldness in my eyes and smiled. "Fine. We'll keep him."

Mom let out a long breath of relief, and the tension in Dad's face eased as well.

I crouched down and looked at the dog. He tilted his head at me, his eyes full of provocation.

I reached out to pet his head. He opened his mouth to bite me again, but I jerked my hand back in time, and he ended up snapping at thin air instead.

"If you bite me again, I'll sell you straight to the slaughterhouse," I hissed in a low voice so that only he could hear.

A flicker of fear crossed his eyes. He turned to my parents and started growling hysterically, as if wanting to beg them for help.

But before he had the chance, I scooped him up into my arms.

Mom and Dad hadn't heard what I said. They assumed I was simply showing affection to him and thought nothing of it.

Immediately after, they began putting their life-swapping plan in motion.

Dad moved the dog bed into my bedroom, placing it right next to my bed. Mom piled dog food, treats, and toys all over my desk. They even moved into my apartment so they could keep an eye on me.

"Erika, starting today, Teddy will sleep in your room. Spend more time with him. That way, he'll grow closer to you. Better yet, stay with him 24/7 so you two can bond faster."

I listened to their words without arguing back even once. I knew full well that they weren't really trying to get me to bond with the dog. They just wanted the dog to bite me as often as possible.