Who’s the Dog Now? novel Chapter 185

Calls it even?

The words seemed foreign to Naomi. How could they say something like that so easily?

Was her suffering not even worth a single word of sympathy?

Why was it like this?

Though Naomi had already sensed their true feelings, hearing them discuss her pain with such casual indifference was another dagger to the heart.

Never had she felt so powerless.

She felt like an outsider in her own world. The elders, who had once seemed so kind, now wore monstrous faces, and she could no longer tell what was real and what was fake.

"Give it up," Carter said, seeing the dazed look on her face.

"You can't escape."

You can't escape.

The words echoed in her mind like a curse. She had always thought her entanglement with Zebulon was a result of her own persistent chase, but now she saw the truth. From the moment her parents decided to move to Tyra, she had been unwittingly bound to him.

It was merely a convenient coincidence that she had happened to love him, a fact both families were happy to exploit.

Now that a conflict had arisen, they weren't concerned with who was at fault. Their only thought was that, no matter what happened, the two families had to remain tied together.

And since Zebulon could never be made to suffer, she was the one who had to make the sacrifice.

"We'll take you home," Jonathan said, offering her a sympathetic glance. The truth was, everyone who lived in their world had their hands tied.

They might seem like they were living carefree, indulgent lives, but in reality, it was just a form of letting loose. They knew it was their last taste of freedom.

Once they reached the age to take over their family businesses, all the joy would be stripped away.

Unless they could seize absolute power for themselves, they were nothing more than puppets in their parents' hands.

"No, thank you."

Lennon didn't say much, only asking whether she wanted to go home or back to the university.

Naomi knew she couldn't run. After what she had said to everyone, her parents would definitely be waiting to talk to her. She told Lennon she was going home.

Lennon glanced at her but, in the end, said nothing and started the car.

The atmosphere inside was quiet, but it wasn't awkward.

In fact, Naomi felt her entire body relax.

She suddenly felt the urge to talk, to share. "Lennon," she asked, "are you happy, living with the Spencers?"

Lennon turned to look at her, his tone neutral. "It's alright."

Naomi had expected him to say he was happy, or that he wasn't. She hadn't anticipated this answer.

She shifted in her seat to face him, her curiosity piqued. "Can you tell me about it?"