Chapter 1

When my husband returned from his business trip and tried to get intimate with me, Pumpkin—my orange cat of six years—suddenly leaped out. In a flash, her claws tore across his face, leaving deep, bloody gashes as she emitted a low, menacing growl.

Seeing this, I scooped up my cat and demanded a divorce without hesitation.

Stunned and furious, my husband roared, "You want to divorce me over a damn animal?! Nicole, have you lost your freaking mind?!"

"I haven't lost my mind, Logan. I've never been more serious in my life!"

In less than fifteen seconds, Pumpkin had left my husband, Logan, covered in blood.

He howled in agony, his face twisted in rage. "Give that thing to me! I'm going to kill it!"

Clutching Pumpkin tightly, I soothed her as I took two steps back. "Logan, we're getting a divorce."

Logan blew his top. "You're divorcing me over a damn beast?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The moment he took a step forward, Pumpkin arched her back, hissing and growling violently at him. Something was definitely wrong.

I had raised Pumpkin for six years, and Logan and I had been married for six years. He had always treated Pumpkin well, and the two of them usually played together happily.

Just yesterday, during our FaceTime call, Logan had told me he couldn't even sleep without the sound of Pumpkin purring beside him.

Yet the second he returned from his trip, Pumpkin was violently aggressive toward him.

My heart sank with an ominous premonition. Still, I gently stroked Pumpkin’s bristling fur. "It's okay, sweet girl. Don't be scared."

I looked at Logan coldly. "Stay away from her. You're sleeping in the guest room tonight."

He stared at me in sheer disbelief. "Are you out of your mind, Nicole? I just got back from a trip, and you're kicking me into the guest room?!"

"It's just an animal!"

"She's not just an animal! She's my family!"

"You won't go? Fine, I will!"

I immediately began packing my things, determined to get Pumpkin away to a different environment.

I had found Pumpkin on a stormy night six years ago. She was just a tiny newborn kitten back then, drenched in the pouring rain, too weak to even meow.

I brought her home and nursed her around the clock, fighting tooth and nail to keep her alive.

Now, the moment Logan returned, Pumpkin became intensely agitated. Her sudden attack tonight meant she had sensed something terrifying.

Whatever it was, it alarmed her so deeply that she had to resort to this frantic, violent way to warn me.

Logan grabbed my wrist tightly. "Nicole, where do you think you're going?! You're storming out in the middle of the night for an animal?!"

I yanked my arm away. Pumpkin let out a sharp shriek, lunging forward with her arched back and slamming hard against him!

Logan cried out in pain, stumbling back before crashing to the floor. Seizing the chance, I held Pumpkin close and whispered, "Don't be scared, baby. We're leaving right now!"

"Logan, we are getting a divorce. I'm not negotiating with you—I'm informing you!"

"Nicole!" His eyes were bloodshot, clutching his bleeding face as he shrieked hysterically.

I ignored him, rushing out the door and into the elevator with Pumpkin in my arms. When the doors began to close, I looked back at Logan. His eyes were murderous, staring at me with venomous malice.

The moment I drove out of the parking garage, I hit the gas. Logan’s call immediately buzzed through the car system. I answered on speaker.

"Nicole! You left me alone at home bleeding out for that damn beast! Do you have another man out there?! Are you using this as an excuse to leave me?!"

I glanced at Pumpkin. Resting on the center console, she had visibly calmed down.

Without another word, I hung up the phone and checked into a nearby hotel.

Once settled, Pumpkin fell into a deep sleep.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, lost in thought.

Soon after, I dialed our vet’s emergency line to explain Pumpkin's sudden behavior.

"She must have been heavily triggered. Unfamiliar surroundings or the scent of a stranger can drastically spike a cat's fear and aggression."

A stranger?

Before Logan came home, Pumpkin and I were totally fine. Even during our FaceTime call with him, Pumpkin had purred affectionately.

Yet the moment he stepped foot inside the house, she became completely unhinged.

This wasn't Logan’s first business trip. Why did Pumpkin lose her mind this time?

I tried to clear my head, but suddenly, the hotel doorbell rang. When I opened the door, two police officers were standing outside.