But my chest felt empty. The stray dogs found a home. So why didn’t I?
Something slipped from my finger. It was the ring. My heart sank as I picked it up. He didn’t even notice.
He gave me the wrong one.
The one meant for him. The one that receives. Which meant… The one he took was the one with the chip.
Tracking.
Monitoring.
For a long second, I just stared at it. Then… I pressed the switch.
A voice came through almost immediately.
“I’m sorry, honey… I didn’t want to get like this,” Shannon’s voice trembled, “But I’ve been locked here for four years, I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
My fingers tightened.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she continued, trying to sound strong. “It’s your seventh anniversary with Miss McKellar today. Go be with her. I’ll be fine. I mean… we made it through four years already, right?”
Silence for a second.
Then his voice.
“Don’t talk bullshit,” Felix said, sharp but controlled. “You think I’d leave you like this? You’re sick. I’m your man. I take care of you, no matter what day it is.”
My heart cracked.