Beneath the Sweet Facade, a Dog Scammer

During my business trip, Hugo kept making excuses to ask me for money multiple times.

So, I decided to catch him off guard and see what he was up to behind my back.

But luck just wasn’t on my side. The moment I entered the neighborhood, a dog came charging at me, snapping viciously.

It sank its teeth into my pant leg, tugging hard and growling furiously. Panicked, I kicked it off with all my strength.

“What are you doing? How dare you kick my dog!”

A woman in flashy designer clothes came running over, scooping up the dog and cradling it in her arms.

“It’s okay, sweetie, Mommy’s here. Don’t be scared.”

The dog whimpered pitifully in her embrace, as if it fully understood her comfort.

Then, she looked up and started cursing me out.

“Are you insane? What gives you the right to kick my dog?”

That was when I finally saw her face and recognized her.

It was Xena Quinn. The same woman who had flaunted herself outside my home two months ago.

Xena recognized me too, and her words were dripping with malice.

“Oh, it’s you. What’s the matter? Couldn’t snag a new target, so you came crawling back here?”

I couldn’t tell if I was imagining it, but Xena seemed to show off her bracelet on purpose.

And what a coincidence, while I was away on my business trip, Hugo had secretly bought the exact same bracelet. I knew because the purchase alert had popped up on my phone.

But I kept my voice steady, sticking to the issue at hand.

“Your dog attacked me out of nowhere. Why wasn’t it on a leash?”

Xena rolled her eyes with a sneer.

“My dog doesn’t just bite people for no reason.”

I knew how unreasonable she was from our last encounter, so I didn’t bother arguing. I turned to leave, planning to report her to property management later.

But Xena grabbed my arm, her expression fierce and her voice sharp.

“You kicked my dog and think you can just walk away? Get on your knees and apologize to my dog!”

I shoved her off, my voice cold and sharp.

“You’re the one who needs help. If you’re gonna behave like a rabid dog, maybe you should be on a leash too.”

Suddenly, the dog squirmed free from Xena’s arms and lunged at me again.

On instinct, I kicked it away hard.

Xena’s face twisted with rage. She stormed up and slapped me across the face.

“You shameless woman! You kicked my dog again! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I’d be a disgrace to my own name!”

My cheek instantly swelled, and the sharp ringing in my ears left me dizzy.

Before I could recover, Xena shoved me to the ground and pinned me down, raining punches and kicks on me without mercy.

I struggled to break free, but then—pain shot through my arm. The dog had sunk its teeth into my hand, the sharp, searing agony blinding me.

Xena yanked my hair, clawing at my face with a ruthless, calculated aim. I fought back with everything I had, but I was no match for her fury.

A crowd had gathered, whispering and gossiping, but not a single soul stepped in to help.

The property management arrived quickly, and only then did Xena release me, yanking her dog’s leash and stepping back.

“Perfect timing!” she sneered, her voice dripping with fake outrage. “This woman kicked my dog! I want her on her knees—apologizing to my baby!”

*

One of the property managers immediately whipped out their phone and started snapping photos right in my face.

I smacked my hand over the lens, my voice cutting and furious.

“What are you filming for? Do my thousands a month in HOA fees pay you to play paparazzi?!”

My words had barely left my mouth when Xena burst into laughter, covering her lips in mock amusement.

“Pfft! HOA fees? Seriously? Please! You’re nothing but a gold-digging tramp chasing rich men. What, you actually think you own a place here?”

The crowd, already buzzing, erupted into sleazy whispers. From an outsider’s view, it must have looked like some mistress drama showdown.

“OMG, she’s hot. Look at her—decked out in designer. Definitely some rich guy’s side piece.”

“She’s probably here scouting for a sugar daddy.”

“Come on, how much could a woman like that earn on her own?”

The filthy, degrading comments hit me like a slap, and my face flushed with burning rage.

Meanwhile, the property manager, suddenly meek and submissive, rushed over to Xena, his tone dripping with flattery.

“Don’t worry, Miss Quinn. We’ll handle this right away.”

Then, without warning, the property manager and security guards pinned me down, their grips tight and unrelenting. One of them sneered with a mocking grin.

“You’ve really screwed up this time. Miss Quinn lives in Unit 601, Building 8—and guess what? That apartment belongs to our boss’s daughter.”