During a maritime rescue, my in-laws were trapped aboard a sinking vessel.

I personally led my husband, Adrian Cole, captain of the rescue team, straight to their location.

They were seconds away from launching the operation when Vanessa Tate looped an arm around his neck and said with a smile, “I heard there are two very important people on that ship. If I’m the one who brings them out, I could earn a second-class medal.”

She leaned closer, half teasing, half coaxing. “Help me out this one time. Do that, and I’ll call you Daddy for the rest of my life.”

Adrian raised a brow and let out a laugh. “You’d better mean it. Because I’m taking you up on that.”

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he ordered the rescue boat to turn around.

I froze, then shouted after him, “Adrian, Mom and Dad are still trapped in there. Are you seriously leaving them to die?”

He shoved me aside, his expression turning cold with impatience.

“Claire, think about what matters most. Your parents can swim and hold on a little longer until another team gets there. But if Vanessa misses this chance, she may never get another shot at that medal.”

My blood ran cold.

Yes, my parents could swim.

But the people trapped inside that vessel were not my parents.

They were his.

And they were the two “important people” Vanessa had been talking about all along.

I grabbed Adrian’s arm, trying to stop him, my voice shaking.

“Adrian, are you seriously going to let them die just for Vanessa?”

He didn’t even pause.

“Your parents have lived long enough. If they die, then that’s just fate.

“And Vanessa? She almost never asks me for anything. This time, I’m making sure she gets what she wants.”

A chill ran straight through me.

He thought the people trapped inside were my parents. That was the only reason he could say something like that so easily.

Vanessa shot him a smirk. “Wow. Can’t even keep your own wife in line? Are you a real man?”

Adrian glanced at her, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“You really want to question that? Or should I prove it to you right now?”

She laughed and punched his shoulder, playing along.

Inside the flooding cabin, his parents were screaming themselves hoarse, begging for help.

And their son stood here, flirting.

The absurdity of it made my chest tighten.

I didn’t even have the strength to react anymore. I just kept begging.

“Adrian, it’s your parents in there. If you walk away now, you’re going to regret this for the rest of your life.”

He didn’t believe me. Not for a second.

Instead, he shoved me straight off the rescue boat.

“Claire, don’t try to trick me into saving them first.

“My parents are overseas on vacation. There’s no way they’re on that ship.

“If you care so much, go save your own parents. Vanessa and I are going after those two important people.”

I hit the water hard.

When I surfaced, I could only watch as he left without a backward glance, taking the entire rescue team with him.

My eyes burned.

Those “important people” he kept talking about were his parents.

They had just completed a classified mission, quietly returning home after receiving a first-class commendation… only to end up trapped in this disaster.

The moment I got the alert at the monitoring center, I didn’t wait for backup. I brought Adrian here myself.

And when the target was right in front of him, he turned away.

Fine.

I would wait.

Wait for the day he learned the truth.

The day he realized exactly what he had done.

I took a breath and dove.

The water was freezing. I swam toward the wreck and forced myself through a narrow gap in the hull.

Inside, the water had already risen to their necks.

Without proper equipment, there was no way to break through and get them out.

Backup wouldn’t arrive for at least fifteen minutes.

They had watched their own son leave them behind.

Whatever hope they’d had in him was gone.

Their voices came out broken and distorted under the water. I couldn’t make out the words.

The water kept rising.

Soon, it would swallow them whole.

My chest felt like it was collapsing.

“Dad… Mom…”

In their final moments, they pulled out their first-class medals.

With trembling hands, they pushed them through the gap toward me.

I grabbed them instinctively.

Cold metal pressed into my palm, and in the next second, they were gone.

Swallowed by the water.

My teeth clenched so hard it hurt.

“Adrian…

“You’re going to regret this.”

The rescue team pulled me back to shore.

It took hours before their bodies were finally recovered.

I called Adrian over twenty times.

Not once did he answer.

Instead, I saw Vanessa’s new post on her social feed.

In the photo, she sat on his shoulders, arms wrapped around his head, both of them laughing like nothing in the world mattered.

Caption:

“Didn’t win me that medal, so now my ‘son’ is letting me ride him as punishment.”

The comments exploded.

Their friends were having the time of their lives.

Vanessa had always been “one of the guys” to him.

Except that line had been crossed more times than I could count.

When she had cramps, he’d massage her chest without hesitation to ease her discomfort.

When we were long-distance, she had no problem “helping him out.”

Every time I felt uncomfortable, he told me I was the one with a dirty mind.

And eventually, I started believing it.

But now my hands were shaking with rage.

I typed a comment.

“If Adrian enjoys being your dog that much, then I wish you two a lifetime of happiness.”

Less than a minute later, my phone rang.

Adrian.

His voice was sharp, already annoyed.

“Claire, what the hell was that comment? Delete it. Now.

“I treat her like a brother. If you can’t understand that, then keep your mouth shut.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

When I spoke again, my voice was ice.

“Adrian, do you even realize your parents are dead?

“They died because you chose not to save them.

“I’m dealing with their bodies right now. If you have even a shred of conscience left, come see them one last time.”

He let out a laugh.

“Can you stop with the ‘your parents’ nonsense? Mine are perfectly fine.

“There were other rescue teams there. They would’ve been saved.

“Or is this just another excuse to drag me away from Vanessa? Claire, I’m really sick of this.”

He hung up.

Just like that.

I stood there, numb.

His parents had given everything to their country.

They didn’t deserve to die like that.

If he had stayed, they would have lived.

Instead, he walked away to help Vanessa chase a second-class medal, and traded two lives for it.

The Cole family had always been known for its legacy of service.

And yet, it had produced someone like him.

I called Richard Cole.

The moment he heard, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.

After that, everything fell on me.

Handling the bodies. Arranging the funeral.

All of it.

Before cremation, a direct family member had to sign the authorization.

So I went to find Adrian.

I found him in a bar.

Dim lights. Loud music.

Vanessa was pressed close against him.

They were sharing a single French fry, feeding it to each other from opposite ends.

At the last bite, she leaned in, and bit his lip.

Cheers erupted around them.

“Adrian, what’s it like kissing Vanessa? Feeling anything yet?”

He laughed, rubbing his lip.

“Feels like getting bitten by a dog. Nothing special.

“She could strip naked in front of me and I still wouldn’t feel a thing.”

Vanessa glared at him, pretending to be annoyed.

“You’re trash. If you feel nothing, then stop reacting. Who was it calling me in the middle of the night asking for help?”

“Try that again and see what happens.”

They shoved each other, and ended up in another embrace.

Someone finally noticed me.

“…Hey. Claire’s here.”

Adrian turned.

The smile on his face disappeared instantly.

“Claire? What are you doing here?”

I looked at him.

My voice was steady.

Heavy.

“Adrian, your parents are ready for cremation.

“They need your signature.”

Someone in the group immediately scoffed.

“Every time she shows up, she kills the mood. We were having so much fun and now it has to end. What a letdown!”

“She’s always had it out for Vanessa. Now she’s even making up excuses to drag Adrian away.”

“Seriously, marrying someone like her just ruins your social life.”

Vanessa slipped off Adrian’s shoulders and patted him lightly, pouting.

“You should probably go check on her. Otherwise she’ll throw another scene.”

Adrian’s expression cooled.

He looked at me like I was the problem.

“What, Claire? You don’t know how to sign your own name?

“You hate seeing me with Vanessa that much you’re making up stories about your parents being dead?

“Even if they were, I wouldn’t go. I have nothing to do with them.

“Go home. Stop embarrassing yourself.”

Something inside me finally went quiet.

All hope has been gone.

I clenched my teeth. “Adrian, this is your last chance. If you don’t go now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

He let out a short laugh, took a sip of his drink, then tapped a bottle of red wine on the table.

“Fine. You want me to go that badly?

“Drink this. All of it. Then beg me.

“If I’m in a good mood, maybe I’ll come.”

I stared at him, my eyes burning.

He knew I was allergic to alcohol.

If it weren’t for his parents, if they hadn’t always treated me like their own daughter, if they hadn’t lived and died as national heroes,

I would have walked away right then.

But their bodies were still waiting.

Waiting for a signature.

I picked up the bottle.

“Adrian… you’d better keep your word.”

The wine burned all the way down, like swallowing fire.

The reaction hit almost instantly.

My skin started itching. My chest tightened. I coughed so hard it felt like my lungs were tearing apart.

By the time I finished, my face was flushed bright red, a rash spreading across my skin.

I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

Gasping for breath, I forced the words out.

“I drank it. Are you coming now?”

Adrian froze.

He hadn’t expected me to actually do it.

“Claire… you’re allergic. I was just joking. Fine, I’ll go with you...”

Before he could finish, Vanessa’s expression darkened.

“So she really doesn’t trust me, huh?

“She’d go this far just to drag you away?

“She doesn’t understand what we have. Her mind is filthy, so everything looks dirty to her.

“If there was actually something between us, do you think she’d still be standing here?”

She crossed her arms, her tone turning cold.

“Tonight was supposed to make up for you failing to get me that medal.

“You promised you’d stay with me.

“If you walk out now, we’re done.

“Go live your perfect married life with her.”

Someone else chimed in immediately.

“Exactly. Adrian, how many times has this happened? If you give in again, we might as well call you whipped.”

“We’ve known Vanessa for years. Claire’s the only one who can’t stand her. If anyone’s the outsider here, it’s her.”

The hesitation in Adrian’s eyes disappeared.

His face hardened.

“Claire, I owe Vanessa tonight.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.

“Stop making a scene.”

I closed my eyes.

Forced the tears back.

“Fine. I’ve said everything I needed to say.

“When you regret this, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I paused, then looked at him one last time.

“And one more thing.

“I want a divorce.

“I’ll have the papers sent over.

“Sign them, and I’ll disappear from your life for good.”

He frowned, irritation flashing across his face.

“Now you’re threatening me with divorce?

“Don’t come crying back later.”

I didn’t answer.

I just straightened my back, and walked away.

When I returned to the funeral home, Richard had already woken up.

He was on his way.

Even in old age, the authority he carried was overwhelming.

His hair was white, his eyes red as he looked at his son and daughter-in-law one last time.

His hands trembled as he signed the cremation authorization.

From beginning to end, Adrian never showed up.

Richard asked me more than once, “Claire… where is Adrian?”

I pressed my lips together.

“I… he had something to take care of.”

“What could be more important than his own parents?”

He sighed heavily.

“Claire, tell me the truth. Nothing can hurt me more than this already has.”

I had no choice.

I told him everything.

From the rescue,

to the bar,

to everything Adrian had said.

When I finished, Richard slammed his cane against the floor.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

“That ungrateful bastard.

“That animal.

“How did the Cole family, after generations of honor, end up with someone like him?”

He pulled out his phone.

“I’ll call him myself.

“Let’s see if he still dares not to come.”

The call connected.

Loud music blasted through the speaker.

Richard’s face darkened.

“Adrian Cole, you disgrace. Your parents are dead and you’re still out drinking?

“Get here. Now.”