The whole thing happened so suddenly, Lenora was completely thrown off.

Monday had never acted like this before.

He was always such a good boy-obedient and gentle.

But today, as Lenora was walking him through the neighborhood, Monday suddenly lunged forward as if possessed by some wild instinct, yanking the leash so hard Lenora nearly lost her balance.

She stood barely five-foot-three and weighed a hundred pounds-there was no way she could hold back an eighty-pound dog in full sprint.

Within seconds, Monday broke free from the leash.

Lenora hurried after him, her heart pounding, and barely managed to grab hold of Monday before he could actually bite anyone.

Ann scowled, turning to Lenora. "Whose crazy mutt is this?"

"He belongs to Miss Caitlin," Lenora replied quickly. "Monday's usually very well- behaved. He's never bitten anyone before I have no idea what got into him today."

Monday looked big and intimidating, but in truth, he was a total coward.

He'd run away from a housecat, tail tucked between his legs.

Snow, the neighbor's cat, regularly smacked him across the face.

Once, Snow even scratched his snout until it bled.

Yet today, here he was completely out of control.

And even after Lenora managed to restrain him, Monday still glared at Amanda

and Ann, standing guard, low growls rumbling in his throat.

Lenora tapped Monday gently on the head. "Monday, stop that.”

He only growled louder, a warning in his eyes.

Lenora's patience wore thin. "Monday, if you keep this up, your mom won't want you anymore."

At that, Monday instantly went quiet, sat back on his haunches, and even his gaze softened.

Good boy.

Monday really was the most obedient dog in the world.

Amanda forced a smile, trying her best to sound gentle as she looked at Lenora. "Well, if he belongs to Freya, let's just forget about it."

She smiled, her tone syrupy. "You have to admit, Freya's done a great job with

him. His coat's so shiny. Come on, let me pet him."

Monday immediately bared his teeth with a sharp bark.

Amanda jerked her hand back, her eyes flashing cold for a split second before the pleasant mask returned.

Lenora quickly stepped between them, apologizing, "Sorry, Miss Amanda. Monday's just a dog. Please don't take it personally."

Amanda's smile brightened, almost too much. "Oh, it's fine. Why would I get upset over a dog? Especially when he's part of the Gonzales family. I should be happy to have him around. Lenora, you go ahead with your walk; don't worry about us." Amanda's acting was flawless.

To Lenora, she looked like the perfect, understanding aunt.

Lenora let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Miss Amanda. We'll be on our way then."

"Go on," Amanda replied with a warm nod.

Lenora patted Monday's head. "Come on, Monday. Let's go."

Monday followed at her side, but kept glancing back at Amanda and Ann every few steps, eyes suspicious and alert.

Not until Lenora and Monday were out of sight did Ann finally snap, rage written all over her face. "Mom, how could you just let them walk away? That mutt should be put down!"

Just thinking about what happened left Ann shaken.

She was sure-trashy people raised trashy dogs.

Caitlin was no good, so naturally her dog was bad news too.

Amanda turned to Ann, her voice soft and concerned. "Are you alright, Ann? That

didn't scare you too much, did it?"

"What do you think? I was scared out of my mind!"

Amanda's eyes narrowed slightly. "That dog belongs to Caitlin. You know what they say don't punishe the dog without looking at the owne Don't worry, I'll make sure that mutt pays for what it did But now isn't the right time."

Caitlin still held a special place in Keira's heart.

If they acted against Caitlin's dog now, they'd be crossing Keira-and that was a risk Amanda wasn't willing to take.

Ann bit her lip. "I bet Caitlin did this on purpose! She trained that dog to attack us!"

Otherwise, why else would the dog go for them specifically?

It was obvious-Caitlin must have shown the dog their pictures, given him their clothes to sniff, trained him to go after them. How else could you explain it?

Dogs are some of the smartest animals around. With just a little training, they could do almost anything.

The more Ann thought about it, the angrier she became. A sinister glint flashed in her eyes. "Just wait. I'll make sure Caitlin and her dog both pay dearly for this."

Back at home, Lenora called Caitlin to report what had happened.

Monday, seeing Caitlin's face on the screen, forgot all about his earlier rage. He wagged his big tail, tongue elling out eyes full of innocentjoy. He looked so friendly and goofy, it was hard to believe he'd just tried to attack someone.

He'd seen his mom!

Pure happiness!

"Woof woof!"

Mom, when are you coming back to see me?

When Caitlin heard Monday had almost bitten someone, she was just as

surprised.

She'd raised Monday since he was a puppy-she knew his temperament better than anyone.

He was timid as a mouse.

If he even caught sight of a cat, he'd turn and run the other way, even if it was across the street.