She Melted the Ring, I Burned the Vows

The force of the impact slammed me to the ground. Its two front paws pinned my shoulders down hard and it immediately sank its teeth into me.

A searing pain shot through my body. The metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils. My vision blurred.

"Good boy! Bite him harder, go for his face!"

Andre, who was standing by, was cheering the dog on like it was some kind of sick sport. His voice was brimming with excitement.

The dog seemed to understand his command and lunged straight at my face.

I knew that today it would be either the dog or me who would die. 

I endured the severe pain, instinctively clamped the dog's neck with both hands, exerted force with my waist and abdomen and rolled sideways.

Crack!

The crisp sound of bones breaking suddenly rang out.

The Rottweiler convulsed violently for a moment, then went limp and became silent.

Andre's face, which had been excited just now, suddenly froze. His eyes filled with fury.

“Hubert, how dare you kill my dog?!”

As he said that, he raised his foot and kicked me.

“Have you had enough of this?!”

A woman's voice echoed coldly through the room.

Dressed in a white fishtail wedding gown, Kate appeared, flanked by several imposing female bodyguards.

She was undeniably beautiful, curved in all the right places, seductive and striking.

The moment Andre saw his backer coming, he rushed to her side and began whining like a loyal pet.

“Ms. Dawson, the Rottweiler you gave me was killed by him. You know how much I cherished it, since it came from you."

Kate's eyes swept over the lifeless body of the dog on the floor. Her expression darkened.

She looked up at me with disdain in her eyes.

“You are Hubert Taylor, right?”

Ignoring the pain in my bleeding shoulder, I extended a hand and forced a polite smile.

“Yes, I'm Hubert Taylor. About the dog..."

Before I could finish my words, she waved and her bodyguard stepped forward and kicked me hard in the knee.

“I don't care who you are. Now, apologize to Andre and kneel for the dog!”

The kick struck my already exhausted body and I collapsed onto one knee. The wound in my arm throbbed as fresh blood soaked through my sleeve.

I was stunned into silence by the absurdity of it all.

Then I sneered and broke free from the female bodyguard.

If I weren't bound by the responsibilities of my position—representing not just myself but the entire Bureau—these people would never have had the chance to walk all over me like this.

“Ms. Dawson, you come from a so-called prestigious family. Did no one ever teach you how to act like a decent human being?”

“You're asking me to apologize so indiscriminately, even kneeling before a dog. What kind of logic is that?”

“Logic?”

Kate raised her eyebrows, her eyes full of contempt and ridicule.

“In this city, no one can rule me, especially you. You don’t know what your mother and my grandfather discuss, right? Let me tell you then.”

“If I don't marry you, they’ll make me marry some philandering playboy! That’s why, I agree.”

“You think someone like you would ever have a shot at marrying into the Dawson Family otherwise?”

I listened to her words in disbelief. Was this woman really that clueless?

If her grandfather had arranged this marriage, then he must’ve known exactly who I was.

“Did I ask you to marry me? If you don't want to, you can just go back and tell him you don't want to, instead of using a dog to humiliate me!”

When Andre heard what I said, he couldn’t help but scoff, “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“There are countless men in Cloverdale who are begging for a chance to marry into the Dawson Family.”

“So, how dare you have this opportunity and not know how to appreciate it?!”