Ms. Chaudhari Explains the Situation

Ms. Chaudhari looked down at her young blonde pet, a stern glare on her face and her hands firmly on her hips, "This is not a place for pets and you know that or you wouldn't have snuck down here." She knelt down and pulled Lexi closer by her collar until the pet's face was inches from her own, "What you've seen in here is is important work that must remain secret. If it gets out, it could ruin lives, including your own. You don't want that, do you, Lexi?" Her voice was grim, yet there was also a tinge of worry that Lexi picked up on. The blonde pet gave a bark of acknowledgement and Ms. Chaudhari smiled, "That's good."

The beautiful brown-skinned woman pulled up a chair and sat down, "I suppose since you've already learned too much, there isn't any harm in me giving you the finer details. I work for a company called Prosperous Solutions, a corporation dedicated to providing ways for the more affluent among us to endure the coming climate crisis without sacrificing the luxuries they've come to appreciate." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, "This is where The Pet Project comes into play, one of my many brilliant ideas. I had our company buy out a large real estate firm and used it to buy up many of the neighborhoods in the city. Then, under the guise of that firm, we built the largest gated community the world has ever seen. The walls will protect us from the **** and brutish people that the crisis will no doubt create, and the pets like yourself will provide us with companionship, labor, and even necessities like milk."

Lexi couldn't believe what she was hearing, They're using **** people as cattle to build a post-apocalyptic utopia for the rich?! Am I never getting out of here?! This is so demented! The blonde pet wanted to get up and run away as far and as fast as she could, but if there's truth in what Ms. Chaudhari was saying, then maybe being behind the safety of the walls was for the best, even if it meant playing the role of a pet. Lexi had no idea what to do and her heart was racing in a panic.

Ms. Chaudhari could sense the blonde's rising trepidation and tried to ease her mind, "I understand this is a lot to take in and you are right to feel apprehension, but I know that you've enjoyed your time here and the family certainly enjoys having you. Sasha is quite taken with you and it would break her heart if you were to leave so soon. Please give yourself a few days to think it over and if you still want to leave by then, I will let you out of your contract and you will be free to go back to your old life of struggling to survive day in and day out." She hoped a reminder of why Lexi signed the contract in the first place would sway her in a favorable direction. Lexi stayed silent for a moment, pondering the possibilities, before giving a bark of affirmation. Indira smiled and gave Lexi a scratch behind the ear, "That's a good girl. Now, let's head up and see if supper's ready."

Ms. Chaudhari led Lexi back upstairs where they enjoyed dinner with the rest of the family.