In our fifteenth year of marriage, my husband, a Major General, cheated on me. I had planned to endure it, but the young girl couldn’t wait and came straight to our door. “Mrs. Hayes, we are truly in love. Please, let us be together.” Looking at Mia’s teary eyes, my heart turned to ash. It turned out the vows of our youth had long since expired. That night, I slept beside Arthur as usual. “Mia came to see me.” “Mm.” No explanation, not even a trace of emotion. “Arthur, you cheated!” I couldn’t help but raise my voice. “Chloe, we are completely innocent. Nothing happened between us. Could you stop making blind guesses like a bitter housewife?!” Innocent? If you were so innocent, would Mia have come to the door demanding a title? Things were at a standstill for a while. Until I came home early from a business trip. The moment I opened the door, I saw Mia wearing my pajamas, nestled in Arthur’s arms. Seeing me enter, Arthur tightened his arm around the girl, his eyes full of warning. I looked at him calmly. “Arthur, let’s get a divorce.” … Arthur refused, claiming he “hadn’t violated any fundamental disciplinary rules.” He mobilized every force he could to persuade me. My parents-in-law, whom I had taken care of for nearly twenty years, said to me: “Arthur knows his limits; things definitely haven’t gone that far. Just bear with it. Once this blows over, we’ll have him transfer the title of that new apartment downtown to your name.” An old army buddy of ours advised me: “What could that young girl from the entertainment troupe possibly be after? Isn’t it just Arthur’s current status? Given his rank, his benefits will only get better. Letting go now, aren’t you being foolish?” My best friend, whose own husband, a regular non-commissioned officer often away from home, also had a lover at the base, sighed: “Let it go, Chloe. As long as he wears that uniform and is away all year, these things are inevitable. At least Arthur is a commander. He commands respect outside, and he provides a solid life at home. If you divorce, do you think you can find someone better?” You see, it was as if that military uniform and the stars on his shoulders had become some sort of immunity, capable of canceling out all the betrayal and ugliness in a marriage. I remained silent, beginning to organize the bank statements and property deeds from all these years. My dad rushed over when he heard the news. As soon as he walked in, without a word, he slapped me across the face. He was trembling with anger: “What successful man isn’t busy? So what if he has a few female comrades who admire him around? He’s provided you with a life of luxury for over a decade; he’s done right by you! You insist on making a scene, making everyone a laughingstock? Look at your age. If you divorce, who would want you?” He looked ruddy and healthy. It seemed his new wife was taking good care of him, and his new son was smart too, so naturally, he had no time to consider the feelings of his daughter from a previous marriage. The last person to come and pressure me was my son, who was currently in a military academy prep program. He came back for the weekend. I instinctively reached out to take his backpack. He dodged to the side, staring straight at me: “Mom, why do you insist on divorcing Dad?” My heart, which had remained steadfast before all outsiders, violently contracted. “Your dad… he has another woman. Mom can’t live with him anymore.” “You mean Mia? Dad said she’s just a regular comrade. She admires him, so they’re a bit close, that’s all.” My son looked at me impatiently, his expression identical to Arthur’s. “Mom, you’ve lived a life of leisure for half your life. If you leave Dad, can you really make it? If you end up struggling, I won’t be able to look after you every day.” To be honest, before he came back, I still held onto a sliver of hope. I thought, this child I raised single-handedly would at least give me a hug. He would angrily confront his dad, he would stand on my side, and he would share my disdain for the betrayal. I never expected that the moment he returned, he would yell at me like that, then slam the door to his room. Bang! That loud noise left my ears ringing, and my legs felt weak. Chloe, how did you… end up living like this? That night, while I was showering, Arthur walked into the bathroom for the first time in ages. I couldn’t even remember how long it had been since we were last intimate. When he walked in, the look in his eyes was still devoid of warmth. But his movements didn’t stop. With a business-like familiarity, his hands roamed over my body. “Stop making a fuss, okay?” “I’ll have her transferred tomorrow. We won’t see each other again.” My body gradually heated up under his touch, but my heart felt like it was freezing over. I closed my eyes, letting my tears mix with the hot water. “Arthur.” “Mm?” “Have you slept together?” “…” The silence was the answer. A surge of anger shot straight to my head. “You… you really disgust me.” Arthur’s movements stopped. Then, in a fit of anger, he shoved me away. Chapter 2 My ankle hit the cold tiles, sending a piercing pain up my leg. Before I could react, he grabbed my chin roughly and dragged me to the mirror. “I disgust you? Look at yourself!” “Look at this haircut, what does it even look like? And this,” he crudely grabbed my chest, “it lost its shape ages ago! And look at your face, you’ve got age spots!” “Chloe, do you look anything like you used to?” His eyes were as cold as ice, his fingers gripping me hard enough to cause pain. “If we just live like this, I guarantee you a lifetime of stability. If we divorce, don’t you dare regret it.” Long after Arthur slammed the door and left, I was still shivering naked in the bathroom. I couldn’t believe this man, who had weathered twenty years of storms with me, could say such cruel things. Or perhaps, he had changed long ago, and I was just blinded by the title of “military wife”? I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms. The sharp pain cleared my muddled brain bit by bit. Arthur, do you think I have no choice but to rely on you? Are you certain I wouldn’t dare do anything to you? Just you wait. I am definitely getting this divorce. When I went downstairs early the next morning, Arthur was uncharacteristically in the kitchen. My son, Leo, was already sitting at the dining table. Seeing me, he immediately lowered his head, making it clear he didn’t want to talk. Arthur, however, played the peacemaker, saying gently to our son: “Didn’t we agree last night to be understanding of your mother?” Only then did Leo reluctantly call out: “Mom.” “Son, training is hard. Come eat, I fried your favorite eggs.” Arthur looked at me, a clear smugness hidden in his eyes. I didn’t speak, just sat down silently. Not long after, the doorbell rang. The young orderly brought Mia in. “Good morning, Mrs. Hayes! Comrade Mia is here to deliver the performance approval documents to the commander.” In front of everyone, their fingers briefly brushed against each other. Leo showed no reaction, even greeting her: “Mia, have you had breakfast? Want to join us?” Mia acted coy, but then sat right down in the seat I usually took. As if deliberately trying to anger me, Leo pushed the glass of milk I had just poured for myself over to Mia. And got her a clean plate. Mia also went all out to please Leo: “Leo is so handsome and well-behaved! I thought you’d be like…” she glanced at me, “…that you wouldn’t like me.” “My mom might be in a bad mood recently, a bit suspicious. Don’t mind her, Mia.” Over breakfast, the two actually chatted quite amicably. I stopped listening after Leo said I was “suspicious.” I put down my chopsticks, picked up my coat, and walked straight out the door. I was going to find someone, an old classmate I hadn’t contacted in over a decade. My first love, now a top-tier lawyer even recognized by the military courts—Liam. Chapter 3 In a cafe outside the military base, I told Liam about wanting a divorce. He took a sip of his coffee, lifting his eyes to look at me: “Willing to give up your perks as the ‘Commander’s Wife’?” After all these years, his temper was still as stubborn and harsh as ever. If it hadn’t been for his personality back then, I wouldn’t have… Too lazy to banter with him, I pulled a card out of my bag and slid it over. “I’ve asked around. Your consulting fees are quite high now. Here is the retainer; I’ll pay the balance when it’s done. This is a strictly professional relationship, no personal feelings involved.” Liam picked up the card, inspected it, flicked it with his finger, and slipped it into his breast pocket. “Deal, employer comrade.” On the way back, he offered to drop me off. Compared to my so-called “happy family,” he seemed much more solitary these years. I heard his wife passed away from illness years ago, leaving no children. So he threw all his energy into his cases, becoming known in the system as the “Cold-Faced Judge.” Liam drove a modified, rugged off-road vehicle with high clearance and a deep, powerful engine roar. I couldn’t help but frown: “In your forties and still driving this kind of car?” He raised an eyebrow: “Wasn’t this your favorite back then? You said I looked best driving a Jeep, forgotten?” I choked for a moment. In my early twenties, I was indeed fascinated by things exuding power. But after so many years… “Getting older, can’t handle it anymore,” I brushed it off. Liam didn’t reply, but the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch upward. After getting out, I transferred him two hundred dollars on WeChat. Liam sent a question mark. I replied: [Gas money.] Liam: [Received, employer comrade.] Though sharp-tongued, Liam was undeniably professional. He gave me a detailed checklist, teaching me how to gather evidence without alerting the enemy. Following his guidance, I managed to trace the transactions of Arthur’s main accounts and, through some old connections, found a reliable private investigator who snapped photos of his “secret love nest.” It turned out to be an old apartment registered under my name. We lived there during our dating years and early marriage. Later, as he rose through the ranks quickly, we moved into the current commander’s quarters, and that apartment had been empty, occasionally used for storage. I hadn’t been there in years. Arthur actually set Mia up there? I dug out the dust-covered key and opened the apartment door. The layout hadn’t changed, but there were many new signs of life. It was obvious that Mia truly wanted to be the lady of this house. From the kitchen wafted the aroma of stewing soup, a small clay pot sitting on the stove. If that soup wasn’t the exact recipe I had tried countless times to perfect in order to soothe his sensitive stomach. Then I might have “praised” them: What a deeply affectionate couple. But I had only ever given that recipe to my mother-in-law. What this meant was self-evident. The continuous backstabbing made me go cold all over, even making me wonder if I was such a failure that everyone close to me chose to easily hurt me? While my emotions were churning, the sound of a key turning in the lock suddenly came from the door. Mia’s cheerful voice entered first: “I’m so exhausted—” Immediately following was the sound of her throwing herself into someone’s arms. “Arthur! It’s wonderful! I’m pregnant! We finally have a daughter!” Arthur’s voice carried a doting tone I hadn’t heard in ages: “Careful, don’t be so clumsy.” He looked up and saw me standing in the middle of the living room. Chapter 4 For the first time, I saw an expression called “panic” on Arthur’s face. He probably never dreamed he would run into me here. At this moment, however, I was exceptionally calm. I took out my phone and tapped record. Reacting, he immediately stepped forward to grab it. I took a step back, my voice steady but carrying undeniable force: “Arthur, think carefully. I’ve installed hidden cameras in this apartment. If the footage gets out, what happens to your reputation, and the military’s prestige?” Arthur’s breathing grew heavy. He had been in a high position for a long time, accustomed to controlling everything. My “loss of control” irritated him, and even more so, made him feel his authority was being challenged. “Chloe, stop messing around! Go home right now!” “I want a divorce.” “I told you, impossible!” “Then there’s nothing to talk about. We go do the paperwork tomorrow, otherwise, I can’t guarantee where these materials will end up.” “What are you making a scene for!” The veins on his temples throbbed. “Have you thought about the impact? About my parents? About Leo’s future!” When he mentioned our son, I finally completely broke down. I grabbed the ceramic vase off the coffee table and smashed it fiercely onto the floor! “Shut up! Don’t bring them up! You don’t have the right—!” I rushed forward and slapped him with all my might. “You bastard! Did you think about them when you cheated? Did you think about them when you had a child with someone else? Now that I’ve cornered you here, you’re telling me to think about them?! Arthur, your fucking selfishness needs to have a limit!” With that, I turned and left, slamming the door heavily behind me. I went straight to Liam’s law firm. “You look awful. Did you lay your cards on the table?” “Yeah. That woman… is pregnant.” “What are your plans now?” I forced a smile, but couldn’t quite manage it: “What other plans could there be? Having reached this point, the way back has long been cut off.” Liam was silent for a moment, then pushed the tissue box on the desk towards me. This subtle gesture strangely eased my frayed nerves. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” He shrugged: “It’s fine. The employer is always right.” … Liam analyzed that the current situation was very favorable to me. The videos and photos in my possession, combined with the fact that Arthur had formed a de facto marital relationship with another woman outside of our marriage and conceived a child (even if unborn), would be a massive bargaining chip in a military divorce lawsuit and property division. Listening to him, my mind felt numb. There was none of the anticipated satisfaction, only deep exhaustion and emptiness. When I left the firm, he offered to drive me, but I declined. I needed to walk alone. Chapter 5 I walked for a long time along the secluded, tree-lined road on the outskirts of the military base. From our youth until now, we had far too many memories. My in-laws were traditional, hoping for a house full of children and grandchildren. They had hinted and explicitly urged us to have a second child countless times, but Arthur always deflected it. He said my health suffered when I gave birth to Leo, and he couldn’t bear for me to suffer again. I was carefully protected behind him like this, content to be his “home front,” forgetting that the person holding me up would also get tired arms, and a changing heart. Actually, Mia wasn’t the first blurry figure to appear beside him, but she was the first he tacitly allowed, even indulged, to parade right in front of me. He was testing me, testing the limits of my tolerance for this marriage. Perhaps, deep down, he had even harbored the ridiculous fantasy of “having his cake and eating it too.” When I got home, my in-laws were both there. Mia was surrounded by them, a shy yet sweet smile on her face. Arthur sat to the side. He looked up and saw me. The red mark on his face hadn’t completely faded. When he saw no wavering in my expression, the last sliver of luck in his eyes also vanished. We had been together for fifteen years; some things didn’t need to be spoken. His face darkened as he said to Mia: “You head back first.” The laughter filling the room abruptly ceased. Mia was stunned: “W-why? Your parents are still here…” “I said go, so go.” Arthur’s tone was an unquestionable command. In this house, his will was the highest directive. My in-laws exchanged glances but didn’t dare speak. My mother-in-law shot me a disgruntled glare. Arthur called a driver, and Mia left, looking back repeatedly, looking terribly wronged. Leo got anxious and yelled at me: “Mom! What are you doing now! Mia came to see me! She’s my friend!” For the first time, I didn’t try to smooth things over. I looked at him with a cold smile: “Being friends with your dad’s ‘girlfriend’?” “I told you it’s a misunderstanding! They just have normal interactions!” “Mia is pregnant with your dad’s child.” Leo looked as if someone had hit the pause button. He snapped his head to look at Arthur: “Dad… really?”
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