Chapter 2

Lines of tears streamed down my face. I felt as if someone had sliced my heart open with a sharp weapon.

“You’re standing by while watching me become a laughing stock in front of our family members. Do you even remember me as your child?!”

It was no wonder my parents had specifically asked me to prepare roasted turkey.

They knew well that I disliked greasy food.

It finally made sense to me.

They already knew the food I personally prepared would not be for myself and Jonathan, but it would be a send-off for Anna and Jonathan.

A flicker of guilt crossed my parents’ eyes. They parted their lips in hesitation.

Jonathan cut them off sharply. “Enough! I’m the one who decides who will join me in the military. I can give my military spouse quota to whoever I want.

“Nancy, your jealous tantrum is not a good look! Anna would never act like this!

“You need to reflect on your own behavior!”

He looked at me as if I were an unreasonable madwoman.

Inside the house, overlapping voices of persuasion and mockery from the crowd reached my ears.

I wiped away my tears as I stared at him.

“I’ve given it enough thought. The problem isn’t with me. It’s with you.

“So, let’s get divorced.”

Over three years of marriage, barely anything in the house was truly mine.

Every bit of my earnings had gone into buying things Jonathan needed in the military.

As for myself, I needed to stretch every cent to its limit.

When I packed everything up, it all fit into one small bag.

Mrs. Murphy knocked on the door and entered the room. Her gaze was filled with guilt and remorse.

“Nancy, where are you going with your things? Are you really planning to divorce Commander Shelby?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t do that! What happened yesterday was my fault. Don’t take it out on Commander Shelby because of me.”

Mrs. Murphy added, “Commander Shelby is young and talented. He has good looks too. Over the past three years of your marriage, he hasn’t let you suffer even a little. Why go this far?

“If you leave now, you’ll just be handing him over to Anna. It’s so not worth it.”

A metallic taste spread in my mouth as I forced out a reply, “Mrs. Murphy, you saw how hard I worked last year for his military spouse quota.

“Jonathan has a quota in his hands. I only asked about it once, and he immediately rebuked me by saying my thinking was twisted, and that I was trying to use him.”

Mrs. Murphy stammered.

“Well, you’re husband and wife. People will gossip about you.”

I mocked myself, “I’m his wife, yet he dismisses all the multiple folds of effort I’ve put in. Anna, on the other hand, who is a nobody to him, doesn’t have to do anything, and he still takes care of everything for her.

“Isn’t that right?”

I forced down the hurt welling inside me as I pulled my luggage bag and headed out.

“Mrs. Murphy, I know he sent you here. Say no more.”

Mrs. Murphy was a domineering woman. Ever since she moved into the neighbourhood, we have never once gotten along well.

Aside from Jonathan, no one else could convince her to apologize to me.

When I opened the door, Jonathan stood right at the entrance. He stared at me with bloodshot eyes.

I acted like I had not seen him and skirted past him.

He grabbed my wrist. He said in a low but impatient tone, “Have you had enough of making a fuss?

“You filed a report accusing me of having an affair with Anna. You even requested approval for a divorce, and I’m letting all that go.

“Nancy, I’m a human too. Try to understand the difficult situation I’m facing.”

Whenever I questioned his relationship with Anna, he always brushed me off with the same line.

“I’m a commander. I’m your husband. But I’m also a human.

“Nancy, I don’t mind if other people don’t believe in me, but you shouldn’t raise doubts about my relationship with Anna. You need to understand the difficult situation I’m in.”