My husband, Commander Jonathan Shelby, was leaving for the military. During his farewell dinner, our neighbor, Mrs. Murphy spoke with glee, as if she was gloating at somebody else’s misfortune. “You’re truly a magnanimous woman. Commander Shelby gave his military spouse quota to Anna instead of you, and you’re still sending him off!”

I found her statement ridiculous.

“Impossible. My husband hates pulling strings. In the past, he also had a quota on hand. Instead of giving it to me, he gave it to an educated young man so that he could return to his city.”

Mrs. Murphy only grew more animated.

“I saw the approval report with my own eyes. Under the column of Commander Shelby’s family member, the name ‘Anna Stewart’ was written on it.

“Commander Shelby has been supporting two households for a long time. Weren’t you aware of it?”

I felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck me. I turned to look at my parents and Jonathan. Guilt was written all over their faces.

My parents took my hand.

“Anna is a widow. Being a widow alone has already spoiled her reputation. If she remains in the village, they’d judge her for the rest of her life.

“Nancy, you’re Jonathan’s legal wife. You need to help her out.”

At that moment, my heart ached as if someone had sliced it piece by piece.

Fine. I would be as magnanimous as they wanted me to be.

I would personally give Jonathan to his widowed sister-in-law.

People at the table exchanged glances. Then, they started to speak up for Jonathan.

Everyone in the family was fully aware that Jonathan had given Anna his military spouse quota.

Yet, his wife, who had every right to know about this, had been kept in the dark.

I held back my tears as I walked up to Jonathan.

“How much longer did you plan to keep this from me?

“Were you going to wait until you left with Anna to tell me that I don’t have the right to your military spouse quota?”

Jonathan quietly averted his gaze.

That evasiveness said everything.

“You’re strong. No one can push you around.

“Anna is different. She needs my protection.

“Nancy, you should be more sensible. She’s joining me in the military for two years only.”

For two years only…

I could not hold back my tears from streaming down my cheeks.

We had been married for three years.

Over the past three years, he had been busy with his military training. The time we actually shared a bed did not even add up to a full year.

Under the guise of taking pity on Anna, he had let her take my clerical position in the unit.

He had allowed her to be with him daily.

She had stolen those three years I should have spent with my husband.

That was still not enough. She wanted to take away another two years from us.

What right did she have to do so?

Anna’s eyes reddened slightly as she let out a sigh.

“Nancy, I’ve tried to persuade Jonathan multiple times.

“He believes it’d be very exhausting for you to join him in the military. You’re used to being pampered, and you won’t be able to take the hardship.”

Anna reached out to take my hand. She put on the act of a caring elder sister.

My heart felt as if countless needles had pricked it.

I thought, ‘I was used to being pampered, huh?’

“Over the past two years, Jonathan hasn’t sent home a single cent of his allowance. I work as a teacher during the day and run a stall at night. I worked until I had a miscarriage. Is that what she calls ‘used to being pampered?

“I was worried that my health would fall short and end up holding Jonathan back if I joined him in the military. As such, I spent a full year doing physical training and even crawling through the mud. Is that considered ‘used to being pampered’ as well?”

Over the past two years, to join Jonathan in the military, I had been careful about everything. I knew I could not afford to leave even the slightest blemish on my record.

But Jonathan had not said a word to me.

Without hesitation, he had stripped me of my rights and given his military spouse quota to Anna.

The flimsy excuse of ‘doing what’s best for me’ was ripped apart in front of everyone.

Anna burst into tears.

“Jonathan, just leave your military spouse quota for Nancy.

“At worst, I’ll stay in the village and allow the rest to gossip about me. I can put up with all this…”

Jonathan quickly comforted her. His expression darkened as he glared at me.

My father spoke up first.

“Nancy, is this how we raised you?

“Anna is an orphan. Even her husband passed away three years ago. How could you be so cruel?”

Likewise, my mother looked at me with open reproach.

“Being a widow already invites gossip. Are you doing this on purpose?”

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.”

I placed my trust in him and learned to “understand” his difficult predicament.

As a result, my family members mocked me behind my back. They said I had worked so hard to provide for this adulterous pair so that they could live a happy life together.

I used to fight back and shout at them, “My husband is just taking pity on Anna, so he’s just helping her out. I trust them!”

In return, Jonathan kept two households while keeping me in the dark.

I ended up becoming a laughingstock.

I raised my hand and slapped Jonathan across the face.

“How could you still have the nerve to say something like that?

“Jonathan, until the divorce is finalized, I don’t want to see you ever again!”

I pulled my luggage bag and headed toward the school dormitory.

There would be one more quota eligible for permanent position in the city.

The principal told me that if I could achieve the “Outstanding Teacher” award this year, I could fill the quota.

I woke up early in the morning and worked till late at night by participating in school activities, just for the position.

I took on any work that other teachers did not want to do.

After two months without a break, I worked myself into collapse.

When I woke up, I found myself lying on a bed in the clinic.

My parents sat beside me.

“Nancy, you’re a commander’s wife, yet you’re looking in your gift horse’s mouth. Why push yourself this hard?

“Look at you. You’re all skin and bones. It breaks my heart.”

Why were they here?

I pinched myself hard before I was sure it was not a dream.

My eyes reddened, and I sobbed. “Dad, Mom, I’m not throwing a tantrum. I want to divorce Jonathan for real.

“I’m fighting for the chance to return to the city. When I get it, I’ll take you with me.”

When one was sick, they became more fragile than usual.

At that moment, my heart grew tender enough to forgive my parents for helping Jonathan hide the truth from me.

I could let go of anything else as long as we were united.

But my mother looked troubled. She let out a sigh.

“Nancy, we came to discuss something with you today.

“You’ve lodged a report against Jonathan to his superior. As a result, he was penalized.

“Despite all this, Jonathan doesn’t blame you. He’s also aware that you’re trying to earn the quota to return to the city, and he happens to have one in his hands.”

My father quickly nodded.

“As long as you agree to take part in the ceremony to acknowledge Anna as part of our family, Jonathan will allow you to fill the quota.”

That tiny spark of hope in my heart was completely gone.

They were here for Anna’s sake again.

My parents wanted to acknowledge an outsider as their daughter.

They were worried about Anna’s reputation, hence they took the initiative to come to me.

I blinked and allowed tears to slide down my cheeks freely.

I exhaled weakly.

“Fine. I agree.”

My parents went all out for the ceremony in acknowledging Anna as their daughter.

Everyone in our family attended the ceremony.

Anna and Jonathan walked hand-in-hand, as if they were a perfect couple.

I, on the other hand, held a tray of food and stood by the side.

I watched as my parents gave their blessings to Anna.

My parents laughed and chatted happily with her as they gave her a luxurious gift.

How hilarious was that?

I had not seen them smiling so genuinely at me for a very long time.

Anna walked over to me and hugged me affectionately.

“Nancy, I’m your elder sister from now on.

“You need to treat me like a real one, you know?”

There was a subtle provocation in her gentle expression.

My body stiffened. I gripped the plate tightly. No sound came from my throat.

Just then, someone teased us.

“Anna, which one are you? Nancy’s sister-in-law or her elder sister?

“Or should I say you’re Jonathan’s first wife while she’s the second?”

Jonathan’s expression instantly darkened.

“Quiet!

“Nancy, Anna is your elder sister. I know you’re not used to it yet, but you should, at least, show her some respect.”