CHOOSE: YOUR DOG OR ME! I’m Sick of the Smell of That Mutt! — Demanded Her Husband. She Chose Her Husband, Abandoned Her Loyal Dog in the Forest… But That Evening He Told Her He Was Leaving for Another Woman Natasha adored her husband, Igor, to the point of madness. They’d been together for five years—no children yet, but they had Rex, an old German Shepherd Natasha had rescued as a puppy, before she ever met Igor. Rex was family. Intelligent, loyal—he understood everything without words. But time took its toll: the dog’s joints began to ache, his coat shed in clumps, and he started to smell bad. Igor put up with it for a long time. But when Rex couldn’t hold it until his walk and peed in the hallway—right on the new laminate flooring—Igor snapped. “That’s it! Enough!” Igor shouted, pushing the old dog’s nose into the puddle. “I live in a kennel! The stink, the hair in my food, and now this! Natasha, decide: me or that wreck of a dog!” “Igor, what am I supposed to do? He’s twelve years old…” Natasha sobbed, hugging the guilty dog. “Put him in a shelter! Take him to the woods! Have him put down! I don’t care!” barked her husband. “If he’s not gone by this evening, then I’m leaving. I want a clean home, not to clean up after your flea-bitten ‘son’!” Natasha was weak. She panicked at the thought of being alone. She was afraid to lose Igor, who provided for the family, who she had holiday plans and a mortgage with… She chose her husband. She drove Rex out of town. The dog struggled to climb into the car, whimpering in pain from his joints, but he licked her hand—thinking they were headed for a walk. Natasha cried the whole drive. She let him out in the woods, twenty kilometres from the city. She tied his lead to a tree so he couldn’t chase after the car. “Forgive me, Rex… forgive me…” she whispered, unable to meet his loyal, age-clouded eyes. Rex didn’t fight. He just sat and looked at her. He understood. Natasha left a bowl of food, got back in the car, and sped off. In the rear view mirror, she saw Rex, forgetting his aching legs, lurch for her—straining the lead and barking, raw and desperate. That bark echoed in her ears the whole journey home. Natasha came home broken. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Igor was at home. He was packing. “You… what are you doing?” she stammered. “I did what you asked—Rex is gone. I took him away…” Igor looked at her with a cold smirk. “Well done. Quick work. But, you know…I’m leaving anyway.” “What do you mean? Where?” “To Lena. You know her, from Accounts. We’ve been seeing each other for six months. She’s pregnant.” Natasha sank onto a chair. The world spun. “But… you gave me an ultimatum… The dog or you…Why?!” “I was testing you,” Igor sneered. “To see if you had any backbone. I thought maybe you’d show some character. And you…you betrayed your friend for a pair of trousers. Frankly, it scares me to live with someone like you. If you could dump a dog who loved you for ten years in the woods, I dread to think what you’d do to me if I ever got sick.” He zipped his suitcase. “Goodbye, Natasha. And, by the way…Rex was the real man of this house. And you’re just a traitor.” When the door slammed behind her husband, Natasha howled. She realised what she’d done. For a man who never loved her, she’d destroyed the soul of one who’d worshipped her. She grabbed her car keys and raced back to the forest. It was night. The rain poured. She drove to the tree. The lead was chewed through. The food bowl overturned. Rex was gone. “Rex! Rex! My boy!” she screamed, stumbling through the wet woods, her face scratched by branches. She searched for three days—hanging posters, posting on animal rescue pages. She didn’t sleep or eat. On the fourth day, her phone rang. “Did you lose a German Shepherd? We found one on the motorway. Hit by a lorry.” Natasha went to identify the body. It was him. Rex must have bitten through his lead and set off to find her. He was running home. On aching legs, through pain, through fear. Running back to the one who betrayed him. He died by the roadside, never to arrive. Natasha buried Rex. Two years have passed. She lives alone. She never remarried—she can’t trust people, not even herself. Igor is happy with his new wife and child. He forgot Natasha like a bad dream. For him, it was just a “test”—an excuse to leave without blame. As for Natasha…she now volunteers at a shelter for elderly dogs. She cleans their cages, tidies up after them, tends their wounds. She tries to atone for her guilt. Every night, she dreams the same dream: she stands by the tree, and Rex looks at her. She calls him, but he doesn’t come. He just gazes, not angry, just infinitely heartbroken. In his eyes, lies her judgment. MORAL: Betrayal is never forgiven. Never sacrifice your loyal friends for those who set ultimatums. Someone who loves you would never force you to choose. If they do, the betrayal’s already happened—you’re only delaying the inevitable by making a terrible mistake.

ITS EITHER ME OR YOUR DOG! IVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS MUTTS STENCH! MY HUSBAND SAID. SHE CHOSE HIM, DROVE THE DOG TO THE WOODS THAT EVENING HE ANNOUNCED HE WAS LEAVING FOR ANOTHER WOMAN

Emily loved her husband, David, more than anything. They had been together for five years. They didnt have children yet, but there was Max a loyal old German Shepherd Emily had rescued as a pup, years before shed even met David.

Max was family. Wise and devoted, he understood everything without a word. But time had left its mark. His joints ached, his fur shed in clumps, and he started to carry a certain musty dog scent.

David put up with Max for a long time. But the breaking point came one morning when, unable to wait for a walk, Max left a puddle right in the hallway on their newly laid wood flooring.

Thats it! Ive had enough! David bellowed, pushing the old dogs nose towards the mess. I may as well live in a kennel! The smell, the fur in my dinner, and now this! Emily, you need to choose its me or that decrepit mutt!

David, please, what am I meant to do? Hes twelve Emily sobbed, hugging the confused dog.

To a shelter! Take him out to the woods! Have him put down, I dont care! David snapped. But if hes still here by this evening, Ill be gone. I want a clean home, Im sick of picking up after your flea-bitten son!

Emily was never very strong-willed. The thought of being alone terrified her. She relied on David, who provided for them, who she believed she shared dreams of holidays and a mortgage with.

So she chose David.

She drove Max out beyond the city.

The old dog struggled into the car, whining softly from his stiff joints, but he licked her hand, believing they were going for a walk.

Emily cried the whole way.

She stopped in a quiet patch of woodland, some twelve miles out of town. She tied Max’s lead to a tree so he wouldnt chase the car.

Im so sorry, Max Im so sorry she whispered, unable to meet his trusting, cloudy gaze.

Max didnt fight. He simply sat there, staring at her. He understood.

Emily left a bowl of food, climbed into the car, and sped off. In the rearview mirror, she saw Max, forgetting his sore legs for a moment, straining at the lead and barking after her. A desperate, ragged bark that haunted her all the way home.

Emily returned, shattered. Her eyes were raw and swollen.

David was at home, packing his things.

What are you doing? she stammered, I did everything you asked. Max is gone. I drove him

David looked at her with a cold smirk.

Well done. Quick work. But you know what… Im leaving anyway.

What? Where to?

To Helens. You know, from accounts. Weve been seeing each other for six months. Shes pregnant.

Emily collapsed onto a chair, her world spinning.

But you gave me an ultimatum the dog or you Why?

I had to see for myself, David replied, full of malice. I wondered if youd stand up for yourself for once. But no. You betrayed your friend for a pair of trousers. Frankly, it scares me. If you could cart off a dog that loved you for ten years to the woods, youd dump me in a skip the second I got ill.

He zipped up his suitcase.

Goodbye, Emily. And by the way Max was the only real man in this house. Youre just a traitor.

As the door slammed shut, Emily broke down.

For the first time, she truly realised what she had done. Shed sacrificed her souls companion for a man who never loved her, betraying the one whod loved her unconditionally.

She grabbed her car keys and sped back to the woods.

It was almost midnight. A heavy rain lashed down.

She reached the tree.

The lead had been chewed through. The bowl was overturned. Max was gone.

Max! Max! Come on, boy! she screamed, running through mud and branches, tearing her skin on the thorns.

She searched for three days. She put up posters, contacted every animal rescue group she could find. She didnt sleep, she didnt eat.

On the fourth day, the phone rang.

Youre looking for a German Shepherd? One matching that description was found on the dual carriageway. Hit by a lorry.

Emily went to identify him.

It was Max.

He must have chewed through the lead and tried to find his way home. He ran, with his painful legs, through fear and agony, towards the only family hed known. He was hit on the roadside, never making it home.

Emily buried Max herself.

Two years have passed.

She lives alone now. Shes never remarried, unable to trust other people or even herself.

David is happy with his new wife and child. He forgot Emily like a bad dream, calling it simply a test a convenient excuse to leave and push all the guilt onto her.

And Emily she volunteers in a sanctuary for elderly dogs. She cleans kennels, tends wounds, collects their mess. She does what she can to atone.

Each night, she dreams the same dream: she stands by the tree, and Max gazes at her. She calls to him, but he does not come. He only looks on, not with anger, but with an endless, mournful sadness.

In those eyes, she sees her verdict.

The lesson: Betrayal is never forgiven. Never sacrifice loyal friends for those who demand ultimatums. Someone who loves you will never force such a choice. If they do, they have already abandoned you you’re only postponing the inevitable, and making a terrible mistake.