Brian thought that a hug and a few soft words would be enough to erase everything. That no matter how deeply he hurt me, I would forgive him like always. Even if just yesterday, he had sent me home bruised, broken and covered in blood.

It seemed that Brian believed he could slap me ninety-nine times … and then hand me a single piece of bones to make me wag my tail and come crawling back.

I lifted my head and looked at his face. My heart ached so fiercely it felt as if it might shatter into pieces. Sadly, he was wrong.

The next morning, I was awakened by loud noises coming from outside.

Still groggy and confused, I sat up just as a servant knocked on my door.

"Miss, Mr. Herbert has invited a circus to perform. He asked me to tell you to come downstairs and watch."

I straightened my clothes, feeling a wave of disbelief. Did he really think a circus performance could make up for everything that had happened? Besides, I had never liked circuses. It was always Adeline who loved these kinds of spectacles, not me.