Chapter 5

Dr. Warren let out a scornful laugh, his eyes filled with contempt. "You can't help someone who's determined to make a fool of herself. Since you're so eager to humiliate yourself, I'll happily oblige."

He gestured toward the restroom. "Ten minutes. Let's see how you plan to cure irreversible neurological damage with a bath."

I didn't waste another second. Scooping Buddy into my arms, I sprinted into the restroom and locked the door behind me.

There were no cameras inside. Just me and the dying little dog in my arms.

I gently placed him in the sink, turned on the faucet, and adjusted the water until it was lukewarm.

"Buddy, don't be scared. I'm going to wash all that stuff off you."

The warm water flowed over his frail body. Instantly, the tiny restroom filled with the overpowering, acrid smell of peppermint oil. It was so strong my eyes began to water.

I carefully washed his belly, where a large patch of skin had been burned raw by the chemical.

Buddy's voice had become so faint it was barely there. "Oh, it hurts... Even the water hurts..."

"Just hang in there. It'll be over soon."

I worked faster, lathering his fur over and over with hand soap.

The seconds ticked away.

Outside, Dolores began pounding impatiently on the door. "Your ten minutes are almost up! Hiding in there won't save you! Get out here and pay up!"

I ignored her and kept rinsing Buddy.

Then, just as the stream of water ran over his head, his body suddenly went rigid, and all four legs stretched straight out. The whites of his eyes rolled back, and a strange rattling sound escaped his throat.

His chest stopped moving.

I froze.

The handheld sprayer slipped from my fingers and clattered into the sink, sending water splashing everywhere.

"Buddy?"

With trembling fingers, I reached for his nose.

Nothing.

I pressed my hand against his chest.

No heartbeat.

The faint voice that had accompanied me all this time was gone.

Bang!

A security guard kicked the restroom door open.

Dr. Warren charged in first, followed closely by a cameraman. The cameraman immediately trained the camera on Buddy's motionless body lying in the sink.

Dr. Warren took one look and curled his lips into a smug smile. Then he turned toward the camera and spread his hands.

"I'm sorry to tell everyone watching that because of Ms. Moreno's reckless attempt to save him, Buddy has completely lost all signs of life."

Dolores shoved her way through the crowd.

The moment she saw Buddy's body, she let out a gut-wrenching scream. "My Buddy! You died such a horrible death!"

She spun toward me, glaring with bloodshot eyes. "Buddy's dead. Pay up. A million dollars. If you're short by even a penny, I'm calling the police right now."

Naomi collapsed onto the floor, covering her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

The livestream comments reached a fever pitch.

[Time to pay what she owes! Hand over the million!]

[Throw her in prison! She's disgusting!]

[Dr. Warren already said Buddy couldn't be bathed. She refused to listen. She deserves this.]

I stood beside the sink, soaked from head to toe. Water dripped from my hair onto Buddy's cold body.

Dr. Warren walked over and looked down at me with the smug confidence of a man who believed he'd already won.

"Moreno, you lost. I hope you've got your money ready. A bet's a bet."