¿Cómo De Bien Conoces A Tu Marido?
“¿Puedo hablar con usted un momento, por favor?”, le preguntó el veterinario mientras la mujer acompañaba a su cachorro a la salida. “Por supuesto”, respondió ella, con las cejas entrecerradas.
¿No le había asegurado que todo iba bien?
Sus ojos se desviaban hacia el exterior, donde su marido esperaba pacientemente. Lo que el veterinario le revelaría pondría su mundo patas arriba.
Su Bebé
Se suponía que era una revisión rutinaria para Cammy, el cachorro labrador de dos años de Vanessa.
Siempre acudían el primer lunes de cada mes para que la revisaran.
Las visitas se habían convertido en rutina, e incluso a Cammy, que odiaba ir al veterinario en sus primeros días, le encantaban. Pero ésta sería diferente, y demostraría a Vanessa que su vida había sido una mentira.
Ir A La Ciudad
Vanessa Hayes esperaba eliminar una tarea más de su lista cuando ella, Cammy y su marido, Don, se dirigieron al veterinario.
Llevaban dos meses casados y estaban encantados, así que se moría de ganas de volver a casa y acurrucarse en el sofá con una buena película de fondo.
Pero dejar que las tareas y los recados se acumulen nunca es una buena idea. Así que con su familia amarrada a sus asientos, Vanessa tomó la ruta más rápida para llegar a la ciudad.
Coupeville, Washington
Los árboles pasaban borrosos, con sus hojas oscuras distorsionadas por el movimiento.
Los pintorescos edificios antiguos de Coupeville, Washington, aparecieron a la vista, una visión que siempre tocaba la fibra sensible de Vanessa.
Recordaba la primera vez que había venido. Tenía diez años y su padre, marino, le había prometido que ésta sería su última mudanza. Pero también le había dicho una cosa que debería haberse tomado en serio.
Su Advertencia
“Coupeville es el lugar perfecto para alguien que quiere esconderse o empezar de nuevo”, le había dicho. “Árboles altísimos, edificios impresionantes y atemporales, y la Penn Cove.
Si estuviera huyendo de algo o de alguien, aquí es donde vendría”.
El padre de Vanessa siempre había sido un romántico empedernido, así que ella pensó que se trataba sólo de eso. Pero recordaría sus palabras en aquella visita al veterinario.
Mudanzas
Vanessa nunca había creído que todo sucediera por una razón.
Creció como una hija de marine, lo que significaba que había visitado y vivido en muchos pueblos y ciudades de Estados Unidos.
A los diez años, ya se había mudado más de seis veces. Aunque siempre se mostró de acuerdo con los constantes traslados, lo odiaba. Nunca se paró a pensar que todos esos traslados la estaban llevando a algo.
Encontrar Su Hogar
Mudarse a Coupeville fue inesperado. Pero su padre le prometió que éste sería su hogar y, fiel a sus palabras, no volvieron a mudarse.
Todos los días, paseaba a Vanessa por las hermosas calles de la ciudad, dejando que se empapara de toda la belleza que ofrecía un lugar tan impresionante.
Cuando se hizo mayor, supo que aquí criaría a su familia. Si tan sólo supiera el oscuro futuro que le esperaba.
Un Lugar Perfecto
Cada día que pasaba en Coupeville le decía a Vanessa que estaba donde debía estar.
Su vida adulta siempre había sido buena. Pero todo mejoró cuando lo conoció a él.
Don era el carismático camarero de una cafetería recién establecida a pocas manzanas de la floristería de Vanessa. Ella no pensaba que acabaría casándose con él cuando visitó la cafetería por primera vez. Pero resulta que todo pasa por algo.
Conociendo A Don
Era encantador hablar con Don. Era alto y ancho de hombros, con un tatuaje gótico en el brazo derecho y un brazo izquierdo biónico marcado con pegatinas de temática militar.
Aunque parecía peligroso desde lejos, como alguien que ha visto cosas que harían temblar a la mayoría de la gente, tenía una voz de barítono tranquilizadora que hizo que la aprensión de Vanessa disminuyera.
Pero eso era sólo el principio.
Hablar Con Él
Era un encanto. Cuando la sorprendió mirando las pegatinas de su brazo biónico, se rió y le dijo que se las había pegado su sobrina de tres años y que insistía en que no se las quitara nunca.
Su sonrisa no vaciló en ningún momento y cumplió sus tareas de camarero con delicadeza, dejando a Vanessa boquiabierta.
Al final de su primer encuentro, Vanessa supo que iba a volver allí todos los días.
Su Cafetería Favorita
Vanessa empezó a frecuentar la cafetería para tomar su café matutino.
Había sido el café favorito de su padre; normalmente tenía la casa impregnada de su aroma cada mañana.
Después de pasar un año antes de que Don abriera su establecimiento, Vanessa siempre preparaba la misma marca por las mañanas para sentir que su padre seguía cerca. Así que cuando Don le preguntó cuál era su café favorito, ella sólo dio una respuesta.
Una Conexión
“Cuppa Joe”, dijo Vanessa con una sonrisa. Vio con interés cómo Don le preparaba una taza grande y le regalaba una magdalena por ser su nueva clienta favorita.
No pasó mucho tiempo antes de que le pidiera una cita y, dado lo enamorada que estaba de él, le costó decir que no. Si tan solo supiera dónde se estaba metiendo.
Cammy
Dos años antes de que Vanessa y Don empezaran a salir, Vanessa había rescatado un labradoodle del refugio de mascotas local.
Lo llamó Cammy por el personaje de videojuego favorito de ella y su padre.
Cammy solía portarse bien y adoraba a todos los invitados que visitaban la casa de Vanessa. Incluso se sentaba a sus pies o se subía a su regazo, moviendo la cola cada vez que alguien la llamaba por su nombre. Pero este no fue el caso cuando conoció a Don.
Algo No Iba Bien
La cariñosa cachorra gruñó por lo bajo cuando vio a Don, y Vanessa tuvo que hacerlo callar. Pero Cammy no había hecho más que empezar.
Ladró a Don, amenazando con cargar. “A alguien no le gustan las visitas”, dijo Don nervioso, y bromeó diciendo que Cammy quería quitarle el otro brazo.
Vanessa se rió, adorando lo graciosa que era su amigo. Debería haber sabido que su perro intentaba decirle algo.
Salir
Vanessa y Don salieron durante unos meses antes de decidir llevar su relación al siguiente nivel.
Pero durante todo este tiempo, Don rara vez visitaba la casa de Vanessa a menos que fuera necesario.
Cada vez que Cammy y él se encontraban, el cachorro le ladraba, gruñendo y enseñando los colmillos. Como siempre, Vanessa le pedía que se calmara, a veces incluso sacándola de la habitación.
Reflexionando
No entendía por qué un perro tan dulce perdía la calma cuando Don estaba cerca.
Cammy no solía mostrarse hostil, ni siquiera con los extraños en la carretera, lo que lo hacía todo más extraño.
Vanessa, que la llevaba al veterinario cada dos meses, decidió aumentar la frecuencia de sus visitas. Necesitaba saber qué le pasaba a Cammy.
En El Veterinario
Cada visita que Vanessa y Cammy hacían al veterinario resultaba infructuosa. El veterinario no podía explicar por qué Cammy se mostraba tan hostil hacia Don.
Pero eso era porque nunca había conocido al hombre en persona.
Le dijo a Vanessa que los perros suelen ser territoriales, por lo que Cammy podría estar vigilando a su dueña. Su valoración pronto cambiaría.
Guardar Secretos
Pasaron los meses y Don le propuso matrimonio a Vanessa. Vanessa ya sabía todo lo que necesitaba saber sobre él. Era hijo único como ella, criado en el barrio neoyorquino de Brooklyn.
Incluso había servido en el ejército como su padre y hasta conocía la empresa que había dirigido su padre.
Para él, el padre de Vanessa era un héroe inmortal. Pero había partes de su historia que omitía convenientemente.
Un Paso En Falso
Vanessa aceptó casarse con Don. Se mudó con él y se llevó a Cammy.
Sabía que su perro desaprobaba con quién había decidido construir su vida.
Pero rezó para que Cammy al menos le diera una oportunidad a Don. Vanessa realmente quería que se unieran. Si tan sólo supiera cómo terminaría esto.
Noches Largas
Las primeras semanas en casa de Don fueron un infierno para Cammy, que despertaba a Vanessa y a Don por la noche con sus ladridos.
Vanessa se ocupaba de ella y dejaba a Don en la cama. Pero pronto, Don decidió que no permitiría que le cortaran el sueño por culpa de el perro.
Prometió a Vanessa que podría con todo lo que Cammy le echara encima y salió de su habitación.
A Quiet Night
Vanessa sat in bed, listening to her dog bark and growl at Don.
But all of a sudden, Cammy calmed down. She whined for a second as if in pain before the dead silence of the night returned.
Vanessa’s brows furrowed. What on earth had her fiancé done to cause such a reaction in her beloved dog? Was Cammy okay?
Going After Him
After a few moments of silence, Vanessa was starting to get concerned.
She hurried out of bed to investigate, only to meet Don at the door.
His attention was still on the dark corridor behind him, so he didn’t notice Vanessa approaching. But that gave her a chance to pick up on a few little details she might’ve missed otherwise.
Finer Things
Don’s hands were wet, indicating he’d just washed them.
He was also tying the drawstrings on his pajamas. The sight confused Vanessa even more, so she decided to get to the bottom of things.
Vanessa tapped a finger on his chest, and he almost fell back. His shock was clear as day, and that only had more questions rising in Vanessa’s mind. What had he been up to?
What Was Wrong With Her?
“Don’t do that again,” he cried out mid-laughter. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Don looked calm, but Vanessa’s hand was still on his chest, and she could feel his heart racing.
“What was wrong with her?” asked Vanessa, trying to sneak a peek past Don’s shoulder. She didn’t think Don could get Cammy to calm down. But it seemed to have worked, as the dog had stopped barking.
A Reasonable Explanation
“I think she might’ve been scared,” said Don before turning Vanessa around and leading her back to bed. “You spoiled her too much when you were single.”
“Perhaps, but she never acted like this before,” Vanessa said, trying to peek down the hall once more. “But she’s okay now, isn’t she? Let’s go back to bed.”
It Continues Happening
Vanessa wasn’t convinced, but since Cammy stopped barking, there was no reason for her to fret. At least, that was what she thought.
But she would be proven wrong.
The next few nights were a repeat of what had happened that night. Vanessa and Don would be dead asleep before Cammy woke them up with her barking.
Déjà Vu
Like clockwork, Don insisted he takes care of the issue, leaving Vanessa in bed.
He’d spend a little over five minutes downstairs as Cammy barked, snarled, and growled at him.
And the more it happened, the more concerned Vanessa would get. She was frightened that first night, but lately, her thoughts had been wandering in a different direction. It wouldn’t be long before Vanessa needed answers to what was happening.
Being Objective
Vanessa tried to put one and one together. Cammy never liked Don before. Although she tolerated him now, she was still hostile whenever he stepped into the room.
Was there a reason for that?
The vet did say something about dogs being territorial, but it seemed like there was more to it than that. What if Cammy really was trying to tell her something?
Getting Stranger
At night, when Don went to tend to her, Cammy would bark louder than she did before he went downstairs.
And after that, she’d fall asleep till morning, barely making any sound through the night.
What was going on? That was the one question that was reverberating through Vanessa’s mind every single time Don got up.
A Few Months Of The Same
The habit continued for months.
Vanessa and Don had finally gotten married. And she had decided that it was time for her to learn the truth.
She was going to follow Don and see how he was making Cammy sleep at night. Little did she know that she would be in for the surprise of her life.
Being Stealthy
Vanessa waited until Don stepped out of the room and eased after him, hoping to finally understand what was happening.
She left some space between them and stuck to the dark corners of the house, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on her presence.
But she had no idea what to expect. And she was completely unaware of the fact that the truth would be laid bare.
A Quiet Step At A Time
Vanessa was tense with concern as she followed Don through the darkened corridor.
And things would only get worse when they started going down the staircase, one quiet step at a time.
The air around her was thick with tension. And Vanessa could only hope that nothing malicious was happening behind her back. But the truth was far more sinister than she ever imagined.
A Reaction
Vanessa was about halfway down the stairs when Don yelped in agony. He cursed out as Cammy started barking and growling.
The grating sound of a drawer being yanked open echoed through the room.
Vanessa picked up her pace. She couldn’t get to the kitchen fast enough. But what she found when she got there would baffle her even more.
A Mess
She found Don standing next to the kitchen counter as blood dripped from his palm.
He was breathing heavily, indicating that he was beyond frustrated. And he was rising the cut beneath a steam of warm water.
Vanessa was stunned. Cammy had never bitten Don or anyone else before, so why would she do it now?
Needing Answers
“What’s wrong,” Vanessa cried as she ran up to her husband.
Don pointed at Cammy, and the look in his eyes was enough to send a shiver down Vanessa’s spine.
Cammy was still sitting in her bed and growling. Her sharp fangs were exposed as she viciously snapped them at Don. Vanessa tried to calm her down, but all hell broke loose.
What On Earth?
Vanessa looked between Don and Cammy as she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened.
But the dog did something that would confuse her even more.
Cammy shot up and whirled past Don before finding Vanessa’s foot. But instead of biting her or growling at Don, the pup started whining as if she were scared. Vanessa looked at the display with her mouth wide open.
Needing Answers
“What’s going on here?” Vanessa asked Don. She bent down to comfort Cammy before picking her up.
The poor dog was shaking like a leaf, but each time Don entered her line of vision, she growled.
“I have no idea,” Don said in response. “She just bit me, yet you’re treating her like she’s the victim.” There was an anger in his eyes to the likes Vanessa had never seen before. And she wondered what that meant.
It Doesn’t Make Any Sense
That night, Vanessa couldn’t sleep. The incident was repeating itself in her mind, and it was raising so many questions.
She needed the truth, and she hoped there was someone who could give it to her.
Vanessa, Don, and Cammy drove to the vet early the next day. Something in Vanessa told her Don didn’t tell her the whole truth about what had happened the previous night, and she hoped the vet would clarify things.
Completely Unexpected
The vet took Cammy into the checkup room. After a few minutes, he assured Vanessa everything was okay and sent her on her way.
But he quickly ran after her.
After taking a second look at the test results, he called Vanessa back in. “This doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Cammy’s pregnant. But that isn’t the baffling part.”
Baffled
Vanessa had just gotten to her car when the vet came rushing out.
Cammy was growling up a storm, and Don didn’t seem too pleased with the interruption.
But it was what the doctor said when they got back to his office that confused Vanessa the most. “How can she be pregnant?!” Vanessa snapped. “You’re the one who fixed her!”
Confession
“That’s true, but it also leads me to my next point. This isn’t a normal pregnancy,” the vet said.
He took a seat at his desk and ran his fingers through his hair. For a moment, it looked like he was trying to find the right words to explain himself.
“Cammy can’t get pregnant by any normal means. But her organs are still intact, so pups can be grown inside her.”
So Many Questions
“I don’t understand,” Vanessa said. She knew how anatomy worked, but the only people who ever got in contact with Cammy were her and Don.
So how on earth did she end up getting pregnant?
“Do you know who your husband really is?” the vet asked, catching Vanessa completely off guard. “If you did, you would understand.”
Please Explain
“Could you please just tell me what happened to my dog?” Vanessa pleaded.
But the vet just shook his head.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I did. So I have another suggestion. Why don’t you put up some hidden cameras and uncover the truth for yourself?” the vet said. “I can guarantee you that you’ll want a divorce attorney after that.”
Keeping Secrets
Vanessa was upset and confused when she left the vet’s office.
Don asked her what had happened, and she wanted to tell him the truth. But the vet’s words prevented her from doing so.
So she simply told him that Cammy was pregnant, and the vet was concerned about it since her body wasn’t strong enough to carry the pups.
Doctor’s Orders
Later that night, when Don went out with his friends, Vanessa installed some hidden cameras. The vet had got her thinking, and she wanted to know what he meant. If putting up cameras was the only way for her to uncover the truth, then that was exactly what she was going to do.
When Vanessa reviewed the footage the next day, she was crushed. The vet was right. Her husband wasn’t the man she thought she knew.
To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.