I’ve been married to Tom for three years now. Before we got married, I already had my two dogs, Max and Bella. They’re like my children, and Tom knows this. I always thought he felt the same way about them.

A month ago, I had a two-week work trip coming up. “Don’t worry,” Tom said, “I’ll take care of Max and Bella. You go and do your best at work.” I felt relieved.

The day I left, I gave Max and Bella big hugs. “Be good for Tom,” I told them. Tom smiled. “They’ll be fine,” he said. I got into the taxi and waved goodbye.

Once I got to the hotel and settled in, I heard my phone buzz. It was a text from my mom.

“Is everything okay with Max and Bella?” she asked. I frowned, feeling confused. “What do you mean?” I replied.

“They were tied up on the front porch,” she wrote back. My heart sank. I immediately asked her to send a picture. The image she sent made my heart race. There were Max and Bella, tied up outside. They looked so sad.

I called Tom right away. He answered on the third ring. “Hey, what’s up?” he said, sounding cheerful.

“Tom, why are Max and Bella tied up outside?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it was hard.

“Oh, that,” he said. “I just thought they needed some fresh air.”

“For how long?” I asked, my anger rising.

“Just for a little bit,” he said. “I’ll bring them back inside soon.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt so many emotions all at once. “Please, Tom, bring them inside now,” I said.

“Okay, okay,” he replied. “I’ll do it right now.”

I hung up and tried to focus on work, but it was impossible. My mind kept going back to the image of my dogs tied up. I worried about them constantly.

The next day, I called Tom again. “How are Max and Bella?” I asked.

“They’re fine,” he said. “Don’t worry so much.”

“Can you send me a picture?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said. A few minutes later, he sent a picture of Max and Bella inside the house. They looked okay, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

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