Stolen Kitty

1 My cat had been missing for ten years. Wait, no. My ten-year-old cat had been missing for a week, and I had barely slept a wink since. Right as my mind was teetering on the edge of a total breakdown, a video popped up on my feed. What should you do when a cat attacks you? The girl in the video was sobbing, giant crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks as she claimed a cat had viciously scratched her. She held up her wrist to the camera. The “wound” was nothing more than a faint, barely visible red line. But when the camera flipped, my heart completely stopped. The girl filming the video was Bella, my boyfriend Rowan’s ex-girlfriend. And curled up in the background, trapped in a rusty wire cage, was my missing cat, Peanut. His normally vibrant gray fur was dull and matted. He was so severely emaciated that his spine protruded sharply against his skin. He just lay there on the cold floor, his eyes vacant and lifeless. “Some people say that when a cat attacks a human, it needs to be put down. Honestly, I think they might be right.” Bella sniffled perfectly for the camera. “Don’t get me wrong, guys, I’m not going to abuse it. After all, cats have nine lives, right?” She kept crying to her audience, but I couldn’t listen to another word. My hands shook violently as I dialed Rowan’s number. He paused for a second when he picked up, his tone completely indifferent. “Didn’t you always say that having Peanut around instantly cures your anxiety? Bella has been super depressed lately. I just brought the cat over to her place to cheer her up. Don’t be so petty about it.” Listening to his calm, rational voice, a hollow laugh escaped my throat. So in his eyes, my childhood pet was nothing more than a disposable anti-depressant for his ex-girlfriend. If that was the case, I was completely done with this man. I drove like a maniac to Bella’s apartment complex. Her front door was unlocked. I burst inside, only to hear her voice echoing from the kitchen. She was still live-streaming. “You guys are totally right in the chat. Filthy strays like this need to be sanitized, otherwise they bring diseases into the house.” Bella picked up her phone, walking toward the stove. “The water is already boiling. I’m going to go give him a nice hot bath.” I charged into the kitchen. A massive stainless steel pot of water was boiling violently on the burner. Peanut was locked inside a cramped, rusted metal cage on the floor. He was curled into a tight ball in the corner. When he saw me, he opened his mouth, but he was so weak that no sound came out. He was a senior cat, and his health had always been fragile. After a week of being tortured in Bella’s apartment, he was clinging to life by a thread. Bella grabbed the heavy pot of boiling water and tilted it directly toward Peanut’s cage. My heart flatlined. A bloodcurdling scream ripped from my lungs. “No!” Bella jumped, acting as if my sudden appearance had terrified her. Her hands conveniently slipped. Instead of hitting the cage, the entire pot of boiling water splashed directly toward me. In a split second of pure adrenaline, I twisted my body and scrambled backward, but it wasn’t enough. A wave of scalding water soaked the back of my dress and my thigh. I could instantly feel my skin blistering and swelling beneath the wet fabric. Half of my body erupted in a searing, agonizing fire. Bella gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in exaggerated horror. “Oh my god, Ivy! What are you doing here?” I ignored the blinding pain, dropping to my knees and ripping the cage door open. I scooped Peanut into my arms, holding him tightly against my chest. When I felt his weight, my stomach dropped. He felt like a skeleton. He had lost almost half his body weight. His fur was sticky and clumped together. His bright, expressive eyes were sealed shut with thick crust and discharge. He managed to crack one eye open just enough to look at me, the tip of his tail giving a weak, barely noticeable twitch. The room started spinning. Black spots danced in my vision. My mother had given this cat to me right before she died. On her deathbed, she had held my hand, gently stroking Peanut’s tiny head. “Ivy, when I’m gone, Peanut is going to be here to keep you company.” For the last ten years, this little cat was the one who sat with me through every single lonely, grief-stricken night. He saw me through high school, college, and my first real relationship. I always thought he would live long enough to see me get married. I thought he would meet my future children. But now, he was staring at me with the hazy, exhausted look of a creature that was about to cross the rainbow bridge. The dam broke. Hot tears streamed down my face. I held him tight, ready to sprint to the nearest emergency vet. But Bella suddenly stepped sideways, blocking the kitchen doorway. “Ivy, you can’t just take him.” She pointed to her phone, which was still broadcasting. “I’m on a live stream! Thousands of people saw him scratch me. They are waiting to see how I discipline him!” I clutched Peanut tighter to my chest. “If you touch a single hair on his body again, I will kill you.” Bella reached out to grab my arm. Just as I was about to shove her away, the front door clicked open. Rowan walked in. He stood in the entryway, his brows pulling together in heavy annoyance when he saw me. “Ivy? How did you even find this place?” In the blink of an eye, Bella burst into hysterical tears and threw herself against Rowan’s chest. “Rowan, I told you she was petty! She wouldn’t even let me borrow her cat for a few days.” She pointed a trembling finger at me. “Look at her! She broke into my house to steal the cat back, and she just tried to hit me!” Rowan instinctively wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back to soothe her. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.” He turned his cold gaze toward me. “Ivy, it is just a cat. Are you seriously acting like this?” I stood there, trembling from the agonizing burns on my skin and the dying weight in my arms. “Rowan, do you have any idea how long this cat has been in my life? He is dying!” His frown deepened into absolute disgust. “Ivy, your animal attacked Bella. Instead of checking on the actual human being who got hurt, you are throwing a fit over a pet.” He shook his head slowly. “When did you become so completely heartless?” I stared at the man I had loved for three years. I didn’t have a single word left to say to him. I pushed past them, holding Peanut securely, and ran out the door. Once I was on the street, I pulled out my phone and searched for the nearest animal hospital. I sprinted for twenty agonizing minutes, the burns on my legs stinging with every step. When I finally burst through the glass doors of the clinic, I rushed straight to the front desk. But the receptionist immediately held up her hand to stop me. “Miss, I’m sorry, but our entire veterinary team is currently occupied conducting a medical assessment for Ms. Bella’s injuries.” She glanced at my dying cat. “Mr. Rowan left instructions. He said you need to wait in the lobby. Once the doctors are free, they will take a look at the animal.” I looked up at the glowing sign above the reception desk. Whitmore Veterinary Care. Rowan’s family owned this clinic. The next closest emergency vet was at least twenty miles away in heavy traffic. Peanut wouldn’t survive the drive. A desperate sob ripped from my throat. “This is an animal hospital! Why the hell are your veterinarians doing a medical assessment on a human being?” I begged her. “Please, just get a doctor to look at Peanut. He’s not going to make it.” The receptionist looked incredibly uncomfortable. “But Ms. Bella’s situation is also an emergency.” I followed her line of sight. Through the glass wall of examination room one, I saw Bella sitting on a sterile table. A group of vet techs hovered around her, taking high-resolution photos of that tiny, pathetic red scratch on her wrist. A senior veterinarian was crouching next to her, speaking in a soothing, overly gentle voice. “Don’t worry, Ms. Bella, we are documenting everything for your records. If this leaves a scar, we can write a formal medical certificate for you.” My vision went completely red. I couldn’t take it anymore. I bolted straight toward the trauma bay with Peanut in my arms. Rowan stepped out of nowhere, blocking the double doors with his broad shoulders. “Ivy, stop making a scene. This is a medical facility. We have protocols.” At that moment, an ER vet stepped out of the trauma bay. He took one look at Peanut’s condition, and all the color drained from his face. “Code red, get this cat in here right now.” I lunged forward like a drowning woman reaching for a life raft. But Rowan stuck his arm out, blocking the doctor. He looked down at me with absolute authority. “You want us to save your cat? Fine. But you need to record a video first.” He shoved his phone into my face. The screen showed the comment section of Bella’s viral video. The internet was violently divided. Some people were accusing her of animal abuse, while others called her a victim. A few people had already started doxxing her personal information. Rowan pointed at the vicious comments, his voice dropping into a dangerous, commanding tone. “You are going to record a public clarification. You will look into the camera and say that you voluntarily lent the cat to Bella.” He paused, staring into my eyes. “You will say that Bella followed all of your feeding instructions, and that she absolutely did not abuse it.” I stared at him, my mind completely blanking out from the sheer audacity of his words. “Rowan… I spent an entire week tearing the city apart looking for him.” My voice was a shredded whisper. “I printed hundreds of flyers. I begged security guards to check surveillance tapes. I haven’t slept in seven days. And you want me to tell the internet that I happily lent him to her?” Rowan sighed, completely exasperated. “Ivy, can you stop being so unbelievably stubborn? I gave her the cat on your behalf. Is there really a difference?” In my arms, Peanut let out a tiny, rattling gasp. His fragile body twitched violently against my chest. That tiny, desperate movement felt like a spike driven straight through my heart, instantly deflating all my rage and replacing it with pure terror. I looked down at him. He didn’t even have the strength to open his eyes anymore. Bella walked over, dabbing her perfectly dry eyes with a tissue. “It’s okay, Rowan. If Ivy doesn’t want to clear my name, she doesn’t have to.” She sniffled. “I only got attacked by a vicious animal. It’s not a big deal.” She glanced down at Peanut, a flicker of genuine malice flashing in her eyes before she hid it behind her tears. “He really is so aggressive, though. Just looking at him makes me shake.” She started crying even louder, making sure the entire lobby could hear her. Rowan immediately lost his temper. He glared down at me. “Ivy. Get on your knees. Apologize to Bella on behalf of your vicious animal.” I stared at him. “You want me to kneel?” My voice cracked. “She tortured him for a week! She is the reason he is dying!” Rowan’s expression was made of stone. “Don’t make wild accusations without evidence. If you want your cat saved, you fix Bella’s reputation first.” My tears finally broke free, silently tracking down my face. We were surrounded. The receptionists, the vet techs, the doctors, the paying customers in the waiting room. Every single pair of eyes was glued to me. I had no other choice. I slowly bent my knees, the agonizing burn on my thigh screaming in protest, and knelt on the cold tile floor right in front of Bella. A momentary flash of pure, intoxicating triumph crossed Bella’s face. But she quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, acting horrified. “Oh my god, Ivy, what are you doing?” I raised my phone, flipping the camera to face my tear-streaked face. My hands shook so badly I could barely hold it steady. “I… I completely misunderstood Bella.” My voice was dead. Hollow. “I asked Rowan to bring Peanut over to keep her company. She did not abuse my cat. Peanut scratched her, and I take full responsibility for my animal’s behavior.” With every single syllable I choked out, I could feel my dignity being ground into dust under their shoes. I could hear the hushed whispers of the customers around me. “Oh wow, I guess everyone really did misunderstand the streamer.” “If the owner is literally kneeling to apologize, that cat must have severe behavioral issues.” I tuned it all out. I looked up, locking eyes with Rowan. “Can they save him now?” Rowan looked away, avoiding my gaze, and gave the ER doctor a curt nod. Peanut was finally rushed through the double doors into the trauma bay. The moment the doors swung shut, I stayed kneeling on the floor, my palms slick with cold sweat. Bella stepped closer, bending down to pretend to help me up. She leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear. Her voice was a venomous, triumphant whisper meant only for me. “You treat this cat like he’s your actual child, Ivy.” She laughed softly. “Your dead mother’s precious little gift. And now, the only way he gets to live is if you beg on your knees like a dog for me.” She patted my shoulder. “You look so pathetic. I just wanted to see if watching your cat suffer would hurt worse than what I felt when Rowan dumped me.” My entire body went rigid. My nails dug into my palms so hard they drew blood. I wanted to rip her face off. But the red lights above the trauma bay were still on. Peanut was still on that operating table. I couldn’t fight back. I had to swallow every single ounce of hatred, choking it down into the deepest pit of my stomach. I watched in silence as Bella and Rowan walked out of the clinic arm in arm, looking like the absolute picture of a loving couple. I waited outside those doors for three agonizing hours. Finally, the doctor stepped out. His face was incredibly grim. “Miss Ivy, Peanut suffered extreme psychological trauma. He was entirely deprived of food and water for seven days.” The doctor paused, his voice dropping. “But the worst part is the blunt force trauma. He was severely beaten. One of his legs and several of his ribs are completely shattered.” “His vitals are crashing. We have him stabilized on life support in the ICU, but he cannot leave the incubator or the monitoring equipment.” My throat locked up. I couldn’t form a single word. I just sat on the plastic chair outside the ICU, staring through the glass at Peanut’s tiny, broken body as his chest barely rose and fell. As long as he was breathing. That was all I needed to keep going. Late that night, Rowan and Bella returned to the clinic. “Wow, I guess the saying is true. Cats really do have nine lives. It’s so hard to kill them!” Bella practically skipped toward me, her voice dripping with fake cheer. She was holding a brand new, expensive ragdoll kitten in her arms. And strapped around that new kitten’s neck… was a faded, hand-woven collar. The moment I saw it, a deafening ring exploded in my ears. That was Peanut’s collar. My mother had woven that collar by hand the day before she died. I shot up from the chair and walked straight toward her. “Give me the collar back. That belonged to my mother.” Bella looked at me, a cruel smirk playing on her lips. Right in front of my face, she unclipped the collar from her new kitten and tossed it casually into the biohazard trash can. “It’s just a dirty piece of string, Ivy. Why are you getting so hysterical?” She rolled her eyes. “If your mom is watching from heaven, I’m sure she’d want you to be a little more generous, don’t you think?” I lunged forward, dropping to my knees to dig through the bloody gauze and medical waste in the trash bin to find it. Bella suddenly shrieked at the top of her lungs, throwing herself backward against the wall. “Ah! Ivy, stop, please don’t hit me!” Rowan instantly sprinted over, shoving me hard away from the trash can and standing protectively in front of Bella. “Ivy, what is wrong with you?” I knelt on the floor, clutching the soiled, filthy collar in my trembling hands. “She threw away the last thing my mother gave me.” Rowan’s face darkened with anger. “That doesn’t give you the right to act like a complete psychopath in public.” Bella started sobbing again, burying her face in Rowan’s chest. “Rowan, I swear I wasn’t trying to provoke her. I was just trying to give the collar back.” She sniffled. “But she’s just like that feral cat. The second she gets emotional, she attacks people.” I whipped my head up. “You liar!” Bella pulled out her phone. She pressed play. It was the video of me kneeling in the lobby, taking the blame. Her tears flowed faster. “Ivy, you literally admitted everything on camera this morning. And now you’re attacking me again.” She looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Is it because I didn’t forgive you fast enough? Is that why you hate me?” Rowan glared at me, his eyes filled with absolute contempt. “Ivy, that is enough!” He pointed a finger at me. “Your cat is going to require thousands of dollars in medical care. Stop causing drama and making things worse for yourself.” I looked through the glass at Peanut, his tiny chest barely moving. I wanted to scream in Rowan’s face. I wanted to tear Bella limb from limb. But I couldn’t. Peanut was still in Rowan’s hospital. He was reliant on their oxygen and their IV drips to survive the night. I closed my eyes. My voice was a hollow, broken rasp. “I’m sorry.” Rowan let out a heavy sigh of relief. “If you had just acted like a rational adult from the start, we wouldn’t be dealing with this mess.” I didn’t answer him. I just wanted to go back to the window. I just wanted to watch my cat. As long as he survived. I could endure any humiliation in the world. I didn’t sleep a single second that night. I sat on the cold floor of the hallway, clutching my mother’s soiled collar to my chest. I don’t know what time it was when the shrill, deafening scream of a medical alarm shattered the silence. I shot up from the floor and sprinted toward the ICU. When I pushed the heavy doors open, my blood froze in my veins. Bella was standing inside the sterile room. The door to Peanut’s incubator was wide open. The oxygen and the heating elements had been manually turned off. Peanut was curled into a stiff ball in the corner of the plastic box, his body completely still. Bella was leaning over the incubator, staring down at my dying cat, her voice a soft, venomous whisper. “Your owner loves you so much.” She smiled. “If you actually die, do you think she’ll go completely crazy? Honestly, I hope she does. Rowan absolutely hates crazy women.” I stood paralyzed in the doorway. Bella glanced over her shoulder. When she saw me standing there, actual panic flashed across her face for a fraction of a second. But a moment later, she unleashed a piercing, terrified scream. “Ivy, what are you doing!” She backed away from the incubator, holding her hands up defensively. “I just wanted to check on him, why did you have to scare me like that?” I shoved her out of the way, practically climbing onto the table to reach into the incubator. “Peanut. Peanut, look at me. Please.” His eyelids fluttered open, just a fraction of an inch. He opened his mouth, trying to give me one last meow. But he couldn’t. His tail just gave one final, almost imperceptible twitch against the sterile padding. My entire body began to violently shake. The night shift doctors and nurses flooded into the room, pushing me aside to start CPR. Rowan sprinted through the doors a second later. Bella immediately threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Rowan, I just wanted to see if the cat was doing better, but Ivy just charged in here like a maniac!” She buried her face in his neck. “She shoved me so hard, I got scared and accidentally bumped into the machine’s power cord.” I whipped around, staring at her with murder in my eyes. “Bella, how long are you going to keep lying?” Bella wailed louder. “I know you hate me, Ivy!” She pointed at me. “But you already posted the video admitting you were wrong. You can’t just blame me every time something goes wrong with this sick cat!” Rowan looked at me, his eyes filled with profound disappointment. “Ivy, why do you have to be like this every single time?” He pulled Bella closer to him. “You have already bullied her to the point of a mental breakdown.” I stared at the man I had given three years of my life to. He was a complete joke. “She tortured him. And she just snuck into the ICU and turned off his life support.” My voice was dead calm. “And you still take her side?” Rowan frowned, clearly losing his patience. “Stop making insane allegations without proof.” He sighed. “Even if Bella bumped the machine, it was an accident because she was terrified of you. Are you going to force her to kill herself before you’re finally satisfied?” Inside the trauma bay, the frantic shouting of the medical team suddenly stopped. My heart skipped a beat. The lead ER vet walked out, slowly pulling down his surgical mask. “Miss Ivy. I am so sorry. Peanut… his heart stopped.” I stood perfectly still. It felt like he was speaking a foreign language. I had already knelt. I had apologized. I took the blame for everything she did to him. I swallowed every single ounce of my pride just to keep him breathing. Why didn’t he make it? I took a slow, heavy step into the room. Peanut was lying so quietly on the metal table. He didn’t have to be afraid anymore. He didn’t have to feel pain anymore. I reached out with a trembling hand and gently stroked his frail, bony spine. My voice was so quiet it was barely a whisper. “Peanut… mommy was too late.” By the door, Bella was still putting on her performance. “Ivy, please don’t be like this. I swear it was an accident.” She sniffled. “He was already so old. You can’t put all the blame on me, it’s just his time to go.” I slowly lifted my head and looked at the two of them. A smile crept onto my face. I laughed. I laughed as the tears poured out of my eyes, falling onto the cold metal table. “Alright. Rowan. Bella.” My voice was a razor blade. “From this exact moment, I have no weaknesses left to exploit.” “I am going to make the two of you experience every single ounce of despair my cat felt in his final days.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “531861”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel