Chapter 2

Hi" I said awkwardly. " my name is uh, Le Raymond. I live close to sommerlin park and ... I found a dog that had this phone number on his tag. I was wondering if it belongs to you..." I said hesitantly waiting for it the wrong number.

" Oh, you found my Luke?" Her voice is carried with hope."

" It looks like it." I said cynically and in in a certain state of disbelief that she didn't recognize my name.

"Thank you so much sir! Please I need to see him. I have been desperately looking for him..."

" Excuse me. Just to make that we are talking about the same dog. What breed of dog is Luke?" I ask her knowing damm well that I was taking to the dog's owner. But I just want to be an ass.

"He is a Brittany spaniel adorable puppy. Is that the one that you found?" Her voice trembles.

"Yes ma'am." I roll my eyes.

"Thank you Mr. Raymond and I really would like to compensate you for finding my Luke." She said, struggling with her words. I sit down on my immense and very comfortable sofa and prepare to lash out.

"No need. However I have to say that it's a shame that you let that dog get lost. He is such a cute and fragile little thing and yes you neglected to pay attention to him. What kind of dog mom are you and Uum what is your name again?"I rudely ask her already regretting my words. But see, I was really upset at the lady. Specially now that  I am totally in love with Luke.

" Ella, my name is Ella."

"What could possibly have happened to you Ella,

to be so distracted and let this dog wander by himself, I know pets and children get lost all the time but, come on now?" I am not able to control my disappointment and I am also playing my mom's game of putting us children in such an awful guilt trip that we felt like  we didn't deserve the new toys that got broken minutes after we took them out of the boxes. It always worked ! The plan was make this lady feel so bad that she would give up on Luke and give to me.

" My husband threw him away without me knowing." The words barely come out of her mouth. " See, Mr. Raymond, Luke is adorable but he is also kinda messy and he can be a little loud sometimes. My husband got sick of him and left him in the park yesterday ." She goes silent after that.

" What kind of evil scum bag would do such s thing?"   I am fuming now and pacing back and forth like

a caged animal.

When she didn't answer I finally broke the awkward silence.

"Fine, I guess that is none of my business. Gosh, what a shame!" She continued to be silenced.

" Really lady? You making this situation very difficult to yourself. See, I cannot just let you take b this dog back  just to know that your "lovely" husband is going to kill him next time he gets into his case of cheap beers." She remained silent.

" You know, I am very tired of the uneducated, beer drinking, bar fighting, animal abuser, white privileged assholes. Your husband is a disgrace." I yelled in exaggerated fury. Hoping that my theatrics are  going to work with this woman. I just need to keep going until I win her over.

" You are right." She said with the voiced carried with resentment. "To be honest I really don't want to take him with me, I just need to see him sometimes if it's possible. I mean, when you take him for walks I can meet him at the park. Play with him for a little bit and you can take him back to the safety of your home. If you don't mind." Her surprise response and candid pleading won me over.

" I think it sounds fair for the three of us. Your keep Luke safe, I get to see him in a daily basis and he will be away from my husband's reach." She added hopeful that I would agree with her plan.

" Fair enough." I said and signed with relief. Things turned out much better that I expected.

"Thank you. Please text me the time you will be at the park with Luke tomorrow." She said.

" Before you go, can I ask you if I can name him something else?" I don't  like that name Luke for a dog and since he was still a puppy and he is my dog now I can name him as I please. She hesitated for a few seconds.

" lady, are you there?" I have zero patience now.

" His name sake was a man that I really loved and adored." Her words catch my curiosity.

" We dated in high school and we almost got married. Very cliche, I know but his parents were wealthy and  didn't like the fact that I come from a very simple family. After we graduated from high school. He went to the University for medic school and I stayed behind to take care of my family's book store. Both my parents are teachers and that book store was supposed to be their retirement. Anyway, the internet put us all out business of course. But, anyway Luke and I kept talking to each other almost every day for an entire year after he had gone to college. But one day, out of nowhere he just stopped calling me. Later I found out that his mom lied to him about me. She told him that I was dating someone else. He never called again and when I heard from him was from the local news paper with his wedding invitation and a picture of the happy and perfect couple. After he got married, I went in this cycle of depression and ... Let's just say that it was very easy for my parents to convince me to marry one of their friend's son. They were well off and I had no prospect, no hope, no nothing. Not even the book store. I had lost everything and that marriage sounded like my only way to make my parents proud and guaranteed a better future for this maiden. As time passed by, Luke found me on social media and we both realized that we had made a terrible mistake by marring other people. At that point he was already divorced from his ex wife. He caught her cheating on him with her boss and I was buried in a loveless and abusive marriage."

"I am sorry." I said, speechless.

" six months ago him and I were supposed to get together for our high school reunion, but things changed when his ex wife took almost everything from him and won the full custody of their baby boy. The worse thing was when Luke found out that he was not the boy's real father. He got so desperate that took his car and ran a red light." She stopped for a while and I heard her sobbing.

" He was hit by an SUV and died at the scene." She added in tears. "I lost it completely and became even more hopeless. Life didn't make any sense to me anymore until my mom brought me this cute little dog that felt like a gift from God. From Luke. This is why I name him after the love of my life. So, I can feel as if he is still close to me." My voice is stuck in my throat. I am speechless.

" I beg you not to change his name please." She pleaded.

" Ok." I managed to say holding my own tears.

" I see you guys tomorrow then?"

" Yes, I will text you to let you know when we get to the park."

Later that day...

I am struggling to focus on my work tonight and I am not exactly certain why. My chest is heavy, my thoughts are everywhere. I am tired of cleaning Luke's poop - I hope that lady can help me with that. At least she knows this dog better than I do.

I take a shower to clear my head, put on my comfortable  super comfortable and super expensive pajamas and go straight to my computer. I have tons of work to do. But as I said, Thanks heavens I have work.  Divine Diva high fashion clothing store is booming. Most all designs are mine and any woman can just order the same piece according to her measurements. That made an entire difference in the market. My online magazine is showing glamour pictures of ladies of all ages and sizes. My transgender models are gorgeous and from different races and nationalities. My over 60's vintage models are more alluring than the younger ones and the plus sizes are just deliciously sexy. In fact the "bbgs"are the ones helping me stay with my head above the water. They really love my clothes and they way they make them feel. Beautiful!

I just finished upgrading my site when Luke comes closer with those loving eyes. I can't help but put him on my lap and pet him. He responds to my love by licking my hands. I stay in that wonderful place of  peace when my phone rings. My friend and model Samia, sent me a text.

" I am sorry to be the one to show you this." I read with my heart jumping out of mouth and I want to throw up.

Pictures of a drunk Harper kissing another man floods up on my screen. Harper did it again. Consumed by rage I thrown my phone and luckily fell on the fluffy carpet and it didn't brake. I can't rest my mind. I am angry, embarrassed and in a verge of a nervous breakdown. I drink an entire bottle of whisky by myself with Luke as the witness of my pain. Ten years of thus shit. Now I am drunk and sobbing. I yell at Harper, I yell at the world and I yell at God. "Wait, I am an atheist. I am not supposed to believe in God." I shout as I cry even louder and uglier. I am a really pathetic creature. I cry myself to sleep hugging Luke as if there is no tomorrow. Life sucks even more today. But before I fell asleep I remember that life sucks much more for that lady than for me. Poor woman! May she have a peaceful night. May we all have a peaceful night. May that cheater, ungrateful Harper go to hell!!