Chapter 2
The next morning, I pulled myself together and headed back to base.
“Doc, I’m heading back to D.C. soon.”
“I’ll be counting on you to handle the rest of the medical cases here.”
Dr. Charles paused mid–sip, his eyes lifting to meet mine.
“Leaving? Where are you going?”
Dr. Charles was the field medic on base.
When I first got here, the region was in chaos–raids from insurgents, mass casualties.
We barely had enough medics to keep up.
I couldn’t just stand by and watch soldiers bleed out.
I wanted to support Zachary however I could.
So I asked Dr. Charles to train me.
That was five years ago.
I didn’t answer right away.
Instead, I pulled out the divorce papers.
Dr. Charles was my mentor–I didn’t want to lie to him.
He looked down at our signatures, then let out a long sigh.
“You and Zachary always seemed solid. How’d it come to this?”
Yeah. How did we end up here?
Maybe it started with Sophie.
When I came home after three days straight stitching up wounded soldiers, only for Zachary to complain about the smell of blood on me.
Every time he compared me to her.
When he skipped my father’s funeral to stay by her side–and had the nerve to say my father was beneath him.
My eyes stung, but I blinked the tears away before Dr. Charles could notice.
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Chapter 2
I forced a smile.
“Some things can’t be fixed, Doc.”
“We’re just trying to end this peacefully.”
He didn’t press. Just pulled a small pouch from the drawer and handed it to me
“Mix this with warm water.”
“It’ll help with the swelling.”
“Thanks.”
After leaving base, I wandered into town without much of a plan.
I didn’t have much time left. Just wanted to take it all in one last time.
It wasn’t like the buzz of D.C.–this border town was raw and rough around the edges.
But there was a certain honesty to it.
I passed a makeshift market and spotted a silver hairpin that caught my eye.
Before I married Zachary, I was pampered–a Manhattan debutante, born and bred.
Didn’t even need to ask–everything I wanted just arrived.
After marriage, I became the wife of a decorated colonel–envied by everyone.
But Zachary used to say:
“Nina, you’re a colonel’s wife now.”
“Set an example. This isn’t the time to be frivolous.”
“How else can I expect to maintain discipline?”
So for five years in this godforsaken outpost, I never even bought myself something as simple as a hairpin.
The woman running the booth recognized me and grinned.
“Your husband was just here the other day.”
“Bought a whole bunch of pins–said he was getting them for someone special.”
“You getting tired of them already?”
I froze.
I hadn’t been home those few days.
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Chapter 2
Zachary never mentioned a gift.
And the French perfume I smelled last night?
Yeah. Must’ve been for Sophie.
I gave up everything for him.
Left behind a life of luxury to survive out here in the dirt
And what I got in return was this.
Biting down the bitterness rising in my throat, I picked out the pin I liked most and stuck it in my hair.
This time, I bought it for myself.
On day five at the outpost, I returned to base to clear out my things.
The fighting had died down lately.
Fewer injuries, fewer patients.
But when I got to my desk, it was piled high with someone else’s junk.
Even blood–soaked bandages.
Like my space had become a damn dumpster.
One of the medics nearby noticed my confusion.
“Oh–yeah. That’s all Ms. Hayes’s stuff.”
“Zachary brought it in himself while you were out.”
“Said no point letting it go to waste.”
Ms. Hayes. Sophie Hayes.
Zachary had pulled her out of a battlefield skirmish a month ago.
She insisted on staying behind to help the medics–said she owed him her life.
I scoffed and shoved her crap off the desk.
Started packing up my own things.
Almost done when I heard a voice behind me.
Sophie stood in the doorway, Zachary right behind her.
“Zachary, look!” she gasped.
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Chapter 2
“Someone threw my stuff on the floor!”
Zachary’s voice was sharp.
“Nina, come on. It’s just a few things.”
“Why are you being so petty?”
How many times had he taken her side like this?
I’d lost count.
I didn’t respond. Just held onto my box and walked right past them.
As I passed Sophie, I felt her foot suddenly hook around mine-
I tripped.
Zachary reached out like he wanted to catch me, but he was too late.
I hit the ground. Everything in my arms scattered, and I scraped my wrist.
A ring–my family’s crest–rolled across the floor.
Zachary’s eyes widened.
He stepped forward and picked up something else that had fallen.
“My God… this was your dad’s bracelet.”
“Why do you have it-?”
