Farewell, Admiral

By the time the plane landed, it was already late at night.My brother, West Snow, had been waiting at the airport for a while. The moment I stepped into the arrivals hall, I spotted him in the crowd.“Autumn, over here.”I smiled and walked toward him, but his expression suddenly froze, his gaze scanning the space behind me. In the past, no matter how busy Felix was, he would always make time to come home with me. Even if it were just for appearances—for the reputation of a senior military officer—he would play the part.The crowd behind me slowly dispersed. West lingered for a moment longer, searching, then finally withdrew his gaze in disappointment. He turned back to me and forced a smile. Without either of us asking or explaining, we both understood what it meant.We walked one after the other into the parking lot. He opened the rear door for me, and I smiled faintly before getting in. Startled awake by the sound of the door closing, the cat sleeping in the seat beside me squ

I had been separated from Felix for a long time, so I never expected to run into him here.“Why are you here?” I asked instinctively.Based on my memory, Felix was allergic to coffee. Even the smell made him uncomfortable. The first time I brewed coffee at home, he lost his temper and swept all my coffee equipment onto the floor. From that day on, I never made coffee in the house again.“I know you like this place, so I came to take a look…” he said.In truth, I had no interest in knowing why Felix was here. I had only asked out of reflex.“Oh. I see…”I turned to leave, but Felix grabbed my arm from behind, asking, “Autumn, can we talk?”I was just about to tell him to let go when a woman’s voice sounded behind him.“Autumn, what a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see you here.”Grace appeared behind Felix, holding her child. In that instant, everything clicked. Only Grace could make Felix come to a place he disliked that much.Maple walked straight up to Felix’s side and sai

Felix and I both came from prominent families, though our paths were never the same.He and Grace were childhood sweethearts, raised together inside the same military compound. Their parents both held positions in the military forces. My father, on the other hand, was a government official. They knew each other, but there was never much closeness between the families.Later on, I fell in love with Felix at first sight. At that time, Grace happened to be dating the son of a high-ranking official. In order to be with that man, she broke up with Felix, and that was when I stepped closer to him.To pursue Felix, I ignored my parents’ objections and rented a small place near his military base, just so that every weekend when he was allowed out, I could cook a meal for him. We lived in that little apartment that belonged only to us—holding each other, embracing, and enjoying a happiness that felt exclusive and intimate.Later, news broke that Grace was pregnant. Almost at the same time,

Although Kit didn’t submit my surgical report through official channels, he handed it directly to Felix’s father. When his father saw how his own grandson had been tormented to death because of Felix, he punished him by forcing him to come to my home and apologize.I looked at Felix kneeling on the floor, and for a brief moment, it felt unreal.“Autumn, we’re sorry,” his father said. “Tell me how you want to punish him. Whatever you decide, I’ll make sure he’s taught a proper lesson.”Felix remained on his knees, silent from beginning to end.Did I hate him? I think I once did because I had truly loved him, and that was why it hurt so much when I was wounded. However, I was now healed. The places that once festered had recovered, and I no longer wanted to go back to how it was.“Mr. Brown,” I said calmly, “I have nothing left to say to Felix. Back then, I married him of my own free will, so the suffering I endured was my own doing. I just don’t want to keep making the same mistake