Beneath the Sweet Facade, a Dog Scammer

Hugo casually grabbed a bag of snacks and started teasing the puppy.

“Come on, people can be guilty, but the dog is innocent. I just wanted to surprise you.”

Hugo was such a typical straight guy—completely clueless about the twists and turns of a woman’s heart.

I was about to say more when the doorbell suddenly rang.

“Hugo, are you home? I came to check on the puppy.”

The moment Hugo opened the door, a sweet, sugary voice drifted into my ears, making my skin crawl. I glanced toward the entrance.

Standing there was none other than Xena, the woman I’d clashed with yesterday!

She was dressed in a skimpy silk nightgown, her slender waist peeking through the thin fabric. She clearly wasn’t expecting me. Without hesitation, she slipped her arm around Hugo’s.

“Hugo, didn’t I remind you this morning? You have to feed the puppy on time. Did you remember to be a good caretaker?”

Xena’s arrogance from yesterday had completely vanished. Now, she was all soft and fragile, playing the helpless damsel, oozing with fake sweetness.

Hugo, clearly uncomfortable, pulled his arm away and said politely, “The puppy’s inside. Go ahead and see it.”

As Xena stepped through the door, her face lit up with excitement. But when her eyes met mine, the joy flickered into shock—then quickly shifted to disdain.

Without acknowledging me, she strutted past, scooping up the puppy from the couch and cooing in a syrupy voice.

“Sweetie, Mommy missed you so much, even though we were only apart for half a day!”

I shot Hugo a sharp glance. He opened his mouth, clearly ready to explain himself.

But Xena cut in first, holding the puppy tight and saying to me with a smug, casual air.

“I’m just here to see the puppy. Hugo and I already set some ground rules when he bought it.”

I narrowed my eyes at them both, then chuckled coldly.

“Oh? And what kind of ‘ground rules’ would those be?”

Xena batted her lashes playfully, her voice dripping with mock sweetness:

“Why should I tell you? That’s between me and Hugo.”

The room instantly tensed. Hugo cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the silence.

“Miss Quinn, the puppy’s doing just fine here. It’s getting late. You should head home.”

Suddenly, Xena’s silk nightgown slipped off her shoulder, exposing her bare skin. Hugo’s face flushed red as he quickly averted his eyes, clearly flustered.

She acted like I didn’t even exist, her gaze locked on Hugo with a predator’s smirk.

I leaned back and let out a cold, cutting laugh.

“What’s wrong, Miss Quinn? Planning to spend the night at my place?”

Xena glanced at me with a challenge flashing in her eyes. Then, she turned back to Hugo with a sickly sweet smile.

“Aww, I’ll be going now, Hugo. Wouldn’t want to upset your girlfriend. Don’t forget our little agreement!”

With a playful wink, she swayed her hips and walked out, leaving behind a silence thick enough to choke on.

Hugo stood there, unsure what to do, his expression a mix of panic and helplessness.

“Kate, I swear, there’s nothing going on between us! I don’t even know why she showed up out of nowhere.”

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my emotions in check. Pointing at the dog, I snapped.

“I’m going on a business trip. So listen carefully—either the dog goes, or you do!”

Hugo immediately started nodding, scrambling to please me, offering tea and trying to smooth things over.

We had been together for three years. If he ever dared to cheat, he would need a lot more backbone than he has.

He started with nothing—a broke nobody with no power and no prospects. Every step of his success, from “Mr. CEO” to his fancy lifestyle, was because I paved the way.

The house? I bought it.

The car? I paid for it.

Even his precious company—my investment.

Why did I choose him? Simple. He had a pretty face and treated me sweetly. His only flaw? He was too soft, too spineless.

Cheat on me? Please. He wouldn’t dare. Not unless he was ready to throw away his cushy life and go back to being a broke loser.

*

This business trip was a nightmare. The client was a complete headache, and negotiations dragged on for two exhausting months.

Finally, it was over. I called Hugo to pick me up from the airport.

But no matter how many times I called, his phone just kept ringing. No answer.