The Priceless Cat and the Obedient Dog

At our seventh-anniversary party, our friends are playing one of those viral personality games where people are compared to animals. Mindy Sutton props her chin on her hand and looks at Julian Payne. "What animal am I?" she asks. Julian doesn't even hesitate before answering, "A cat. You have a bad temper, you're always scratching people, and you love making other people's lives difficult." Mindy is just about to glare at him when he smiles and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But purebred cats are supposed to be high-maintenance. No matter how much money or patience it takes to keep them happy, they're worth it." The crowd erupts with teasing, saying that isn't an insult, and that Julian is clearly just bragging about having a precious cat. Someone else asks, "What about Celine?" Julian glances at me. For a long moment, he says nothing. "Her? A dog." A friend immediately jumps in to smooth things over, saying, "Right. Celine is like a puppy—warm, cheerful, and always following around the person she loves." Julian lowers his head and chuckles. "No. She's a dog because no matter how many times you chase her away, she keeps coming back. I've blocked her 27 times and called off our weddings three times. At most, she cries for one night, then comes crawling back to me the next day." Everyone at the table bursts into laughter. Before the night ends, a jewelry store delivers two gift boxes. Mindy receives a rare cat's-eye bracelet worth 480 thousand dollars, while I receive a silver dog tag. Engraved on the back of the dog tag are the words, "If lost, please return to Julian Payne." Mindy doubles over with laughter and leans against his shoulder. "Aren't you worried she'll actually run away one day?" Julian fastens the bracelet around her wrist and answers casually, "Dogs are loyal to their owners." I smile too. That night, I place the dog tag on top of the receipt of the cancellation of our fourth wedding. This time, I'm not going back to him. Chapter 1 I stared at the dog tag engraved with Julian Payne's name in my palm. The humiliation was so overwhelming that it felt hard to breathe. "Here, doggy." Someone in the private room suddenly started whistling and calling a dog. I looked up instinctively. The room immediately exploded with laughter. "She actually looked!" "Celine really is a dog! She responds as soon as you call her." One of them even held out his hand toward me and said, "Come here, Celine. Shake." The smile on Julian's face disappeared. He slammed his glass down on the table and swept a cold look across the table. "That's enough. Just because I make jokes about her, it doesn't mean you get to." The room instantly fell silent. Julian took my hand and softened his voice. "They've had too much to drink. Ignore them." Mindy Sutton, however, chortled. "Everyone's just joking around. Why are you taking it so seriously, Celine? Being compared to a dog isn't even an insult. Dogs are loyal. You can kick them away, but the second you call them back, they'll come running with their tails wagging." Julian frowned. "Alright. I'll keep quiet," she quickly said. Then, she stuck out her tongue, not looking sorry at all. I pulled my hand away. All I could think about was getting out of there. Someone called after me as I left, but I didn't stop. I was 20 when I met Julian. Mom had just died, and he was the one who stayed by my side through every formality. For three months, while I woke from nightmares over and over again, he never left me alone. Mindy was Julian's childhood friend. They had grown up together. Mindy's father had died saving Julian's father's life. Because of that debt, no matter how Mindy acted, Julian had always treated her like a younger sister who needed indulging. Our first three weddings never happened because of Mindy. The first time, she hid the rings. The second time, she took off with the wedding dress. The third time, at the ceremony, she cried and said it was the anniversary of her father's death, and that we shouldn't get married that day. Every time, Julian would scold her for causing trouble. And every time, I was the one who had to deal with a postponed wedding. Not long after I left the restaurant, my phone rang. Mindy's frantic voice came through. "Celine, come back, quick! Julian's stomach is cramping, and he just coughed up blood. Where is his medication?" Before I could even process whether it was true, I found myself already turning around. After all these years, worrying about him had become an instinct. By the time I ran back to the restaurant and pushed open the private room door, my fingers were still shaking. "Julian!" Everyone inside was sitting exactly where they had been before, smiling at me. Julian, leaning back against the couch, nodded with satisfaction. After a brief silence, the room erupted into laughter. "Mindy wins!" "11 minutes. She's even faster than an ambulance." "Julian was right. No matter how far a dog runs, one call and it'll come right back." I stood frozen by the door. It wasn't until I noticed the pile of cash on the table that I understood. The phone call had been fake. It was just a bet designed to prove Julian's point. Mindy laughed, pulled a thick stack of bills from the pile, and tucked it into a waiter's pocket. "Here. Get a few extra treats for tonight's best-behaved dog. And open two more bottles for her owner." The room roared with laughter. When Julian finally saw how pale I had become, his expression darkened. He stood, walked over, and gently wiped the sweat from my forehead before guiding me back toward my seat. "Since you're back, stay. Sit with us for a while. When it's over, we'll go home together." In the past, whenever he treated me with that kind of tenderness, I would've softened immediately. But this time, I suddenly felt that it no longer mattered whether I stayed or left. For someone who had already decided to leave, staying a little longer wouldn't change the ending. Chapter 2 Amid the noise and laughter, I sat quietly and opened my phone. Seven days from now was supposed to be the day of our fourth wedding. Instead, I booked a one-way ticket departing at the same time as the ceremony. The dinner party ended around 2:00 am. Instead of taking Mindy home, Julian brought her straight back to our house. The moment she walked in, she tossed her handbag into the entryway and collapsed onto the couch. Her heels flew off in opposite directions. Half asleep, she waved at me, saying, "Good doggy. Go fetch your owner's slippers." Julian clicked his tongue. The next second, he turned to me. "Celine, pick up her shoes and get her a pair of slippers." I didn't move. "Does she not have hands?" He froze. Over the years, whenever it involved Mindy, I'd always taken care of everything without needing to be asked twice. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to refuse. Mindy suddenly slapped her forehead. "Oh, no! I forgot to feed my cat!" She pulled out her phone and opened her home security camera. "IYou said I’m the cat’s owner, but compared to me, he’s the real boss. How could I leave him home alone?" Julian glanced at the time and said, "You're too drunk to go back home yourself." Then, he looked at me. "Celine, can you run over? You know the door passcode. Feed the cat and bring him back while you're there." I refused immediately. "No. She insisted on keeping the cat, so it's her responsibility." Six months earlier, we'd found an injured stray cat behind our apartment building. I was the one who rushed him to the animal hospital and stayed through the surgery. I had even bought a cat bed and feeding bowls in advance. When Mindy found out, she demanded to keep him. Julian persuaded me to let her, saying, "Mindy never had pets growing up. She likes him. Let her have him." However, after bringing the cat home, the novelty barely lasted two weeks. After that, she couldn't even remember where the cat food was kept. "Fine. Forget it." Mindy pouted and retracted her hand. On the security camera screen, Puffy the cat was sitting beside an empty food bowl, meowing over and over. He scratched desperately at the cabinet door, his cries growing hoarse. My fingers tightened. Feeling sorry for Puffy, I grabbed my coat and left. When I arrived at Mindy's place, Puffy spotted me and immediately stumbled into my arms. Even after I fed him and refilled his water, he refused to let go of my sleeve when I tried to leave. I couldn't bring myself to abandon him, so I carried him back. The second Mindy saw Puffy, she sprang up from the couch. "Puffy! I've missed you so much." Ignoring the fact that Puffy was still trembling, she started poking his belly. Then, she grabbed his front paws and lifted him into the air. Puffy panicked instantly. "Don't touch him!" I stepped forward and stopped her. "He's already stressed." Mindy dodged away, still holding him. She said, "He's my cat. I can play with him however I want." She knew perfectly well that my wedding binder was sitting on the coffee table. Yet, she deliberately dragged a cat wand over it. The frightened cat lunged after the toy, his sharp claws slashing across the pages. The seating charts and invitation drafts were all torn to pieces in an instant. Mindy covered her mouth. "Oops! I guess cats and dogs just don't get along. Even Puffy doesn't like your things." Instead of scolding Mindy, Julian crouched and began gathering the shredded pages. "I'll have someone recreate everything tomorrow," he said. There was a time when smudging a single page of that binder would've broken my heart. But now, staring at the scraps of paper scattered across the floor, I felt nothing. "Don't bother. It's not needed anymore anyway." Julian froze, a torn page still in his hand. He had just opened his mouth to ask what I meant when Mindy staggered into the master bedroom. Giggling, she said, "The owner gets the master bedroom. The kitty gets the couch. And the doggy can sleep in her doghouse." Julian sighed helplessly. I stood by the door, waiting for him to tell her to get up. Instead, he smiled and said, "She's drunk. Let her sleep there tonight." I didn't answer. I simply bent down, picked up Puffy huddled in the corner, and headed for the door. Julian followed me a few steps. "Are you seriously still upset?" Before I could respond, Mindy's voice drifted from the bedroom. "Julian, I don't feel so good." His footsteps stopped instantly. Without thinking, he turned back toward her. I didn't wait. Just before the door closed behind me, I heard Mindy laughing softly from the bed. With a drunken, playful lilt, she said, "The doggy will come back." I tightened my arms around Puffy and stepped into the elevator. This time, she was wrong. I had already booked a room at a nearby hotel for six nights. On the seventh day, I would take my luggage and head straight to the airport. As for the house, the master bedroom, and the so-called owner… I didn't want any of it. Chapter 3 The next morning, I woke to find Puffy curled up beside my pillow. I reached over to pet him, and he immediately pressed his head into my palm. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. When I opened it, Julian was standing outside. Mindy stood behind him, looking annoyed. Julian stepped aside and said coldly, "Apologize." Mindy pursed her lips. "Sorry. I shouldn't have made jokes about you being a dog. I shouldn't have taken your bedroom, and I shouldn't have deliberately let the cat ruin your wedding binder. Happy?" Julian didn't respond. He just looked at me. I started to close the door, but Julian caught it with his hand. The heavy door slammed against his fingers, but he didn't even flinch. "Stop being stubborn. We have something to do today." He held up the white chrysanthemums in his other hand. "It's the anniversary of your mother's death." I lowered my gaze. In seven days, I would be gone. Before leaving for good, I had planned to visit Mom one last time anyway. In the end, I changed my clothes and left with him. By the time we reached the cemetery at the foot of the mountain, Mindy had completely returned to her usual carefree self. She crunched through fallen leaves, chasing stray cats along the stone pathways. When we reached my mother's grave, Julian personally wiped the dust from the headstone. I took an empty bottle and walked to a nearby fountain to fill it with water. When I returned, Mindy was standing in front of the grave. The silver dog tag hung beside Mom's photograph. When the wind blew, the metal tag swung back and forth, clinking against the cold stone. The bottle of water slipped from my hands. "Take it down." Mindy turned toward me, smiling innocently. "Don't be mad. I was just sharing some good news with your mom." She even reached out and tapped Mom's photograph. "Mrs. Whitmore, you don't have to worry about Celine. She has an owner now. She's very obedient in the Payne family. Julian only has to wave his hand once, and she'll come running back." I strode over, snatched the dog tag away, and slapped Mindy. The crisp sound echoed through the cemetery, frightening several nearby visitors. Mindy clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief. "How dare you hit me!" "If you touch my mother again, I'll hit you again." Nearby, a middle-aged man who had been visiting his own mother's grave had overheard everything. His expression darkened. Pointing at Mindy, he snapped, "This is a cemetery! Mocking a living person is bad enough. What kind of person says such things in front of the dead? You owe her mother an apology." Mindy had already been humiliated by the slap. Hearing a stranger rebuke her pushed her over the edge. She suddenly ducked behind me, then slammed both her hands hard into my back. "A good little dog should know to protect its owner." Caught off guard, I stumbled forward toward the man, who instinctively stepped aside. The cemetery was built into the mountainside, with steep stone staircases winding between rows of graves. I staggered, then fell over the edge of the platform. Before I lost consciousness, I heard Julian shouting my name, panicked and terrified. I heard something hit the ground as he threw everything aside and ran toward me. Then, darkness swallowed me. Chapter 4 I woke to the sound of Mindy's voice. "The 21st time—Julian, it's okay if you won't answer me. I'll wait for you downstairs. The 27th time—as long as you come back, I'll do anything you want." In an exaggerated tone, she recited the messages I'd once sent Julian while begging him to take me back. The hospital room door was wide open. Nurses, caregivers, and passing patients could all hear about how he blocked me, how I'd stood in the rain waiting for him, and how I'd pleaded with him not to call off our weddings. When Mindy noticed my eyes opening, she grinned and blew a dog whistle. Julian sat on the couch nearby, dark circles under his tired eyes. "Why did you give that to her?" My voice came out hoarse. He stood and poured me a glass of water. His voice remained calm as he spoke. "The doctor said familiar sounds and memories could help wake you up. Dogs wake up when they smell their owner. I figured that people aren't that different." Mindy laughed. "Celine, don't be mad. At least, now everyone knows how much you love Julian." I ripped the IV needle from the back of my hand and yelled, "Get out!" Blood immediately trickled down my skin. Julian's expression darkened. He was about to call a nurse when a woman's sobs suddenly echoed from outside the room. The man who had defended Mom at the cemetery walked in. Behind him, a pregnant woman followed. The man's face was bruised, and his clothing was wrinkled and disheveled. The moment he entered, he lowered his head toward Mindy. "Ms. Sutton, I'm sorry." I froze. Julian explained calmly, "If he hadn't rushed toward Mindy, you wouldn't have fallen. Mindy was frightened, and her cat's-eye bracelet broke. Obviously, he's responsible for it." That bracelet was worth 480 thousand dollars. The man was a delivery driver, and his wife was eight months pregnant. The entire family depended on his income. To scrape together money for compensation, he'd already sold his delivery van. I stared at Julian. "He didn't do anything wrong! It was all Mindy's fault. I want her to apologize at my mother's grave." Mindy's eyes instantly reddened. Julian leaned against the couch, looking at us like a judge observing a courtroom. "Fine. The moment you forgive Mindy, I'll let him go. Until then, he'll pay for every cent of that bracelet." The driver's wife broke down crying and grabbed my sleeve. "Ms. Whitmore, our baby is due next month. We really can't afford this." My whole body trembled with rage. I said, "Julian, if you want to take this out on someone, take it out on me." "I am." His gaze settled on me. "Celine, if you won't give in, someone else will suffer in your place." Mindy snorted a laugh. "I guess making an example of one to warn another works on dogs too." Julian didn't stop her. His attention remained on the man on the verge of breaking down as he said casually, "A man with no money and influence thought he could stand up for someone else. You and Celine are alike. You both think that if you make enough noise, you'll get justice." The man's wife was crying so hard that she could barely stand still. I closed my eyes, and at last, I spoke. "I forgive Mindy." Only then did Julian lift a hand, gesturing for the bodyguards to step aside and release the man and his wife. Then, he reached out and smoothed my hair, as if petting a dog that had finally learned obedience. "If you'd been this reasonable from the beginning, he wouldn't have had to suffer." Over the next four days, I took my medication on schedule. I quietly attended wedding fittings. I let Mindy come and go into our home like it was her own. On the morning of the wedding, Mindy suddenly insisted that Julian take her for a drive in the wedding car before the ceremony. Julian adjusted my veil and said, "I'll come back for you." I nodded. When his car disappeared past the gates, I took off the wedding dress. Then, carrying Puffy in my arms, I grabbed the luggage I had packed days earlier and headed to the airport. Just as the boarding announcement echoed through the terminal, my phone rang with a call from Julian. For the first time, his voice was shaking. "Celine Whitmore, where are you?" I looked through the glass wall at the aircraft slowly taking off. I smiled. "This dog is lost. And this time, she won't be brought back to you."