I felt as if my world was spinning. So, James already had accompanying family members on base, and he'd even held a wedding here?

What was that possible?

Just as I was feeling at a loss, the young guard's words ignited my hope once more.

"Why don't you ask around? There are many people who share the same name, so the person you're talking about might not be the same one I know. It just so happens that Ms. Samson is here. She knows everything there is to know around our base, so you can ask her!"

As soon as he said that, he warmly called out to the woman he mentioned.

He was right. There were many people named James these days.

So, I put on my friendliest smile and asked the smiling woman, who introduced herself as Regina Samson, about him.

The woman had been smiling and praising Jasper for being such an obedient child. However, her smile slowly faded away when she heard my question.

It was instead replaced by a disgusted expression.

"Did you say your husband's name is James Zeller, and he's from Taxtus? And did you say he's also a captain and has been married to you for seven years? Furthermore, you say this is his son?" asked Regina, her voice growing louder and louder.

Jasper covered his ears in fright.

Her face was terribly sullen, and even the young man from just now had gone silent.

As I was still wondering why she'd suddenly become so agitated, she slapped my face harshly.

Regina was as strong as a bull, and she'd slapped me with all her strength.

I was slapped so hard that I became dizzy.

When Jasper saw me being bullied, he threw himself in front of me with his arms spread wide, crying.

However, Regina shoved him aside rudely. "Do you think I won't dare hit you because you're young, brat? Get lost, or I'll beat you up too!"

When I saw Jasper fall to the ground, the rough surface scraping his delicate face bloody, I almost cried from distress.

Just as I was about to go over and hug him, Regina grabbed me by the clothes and tossed me to the ground.

The ground was covered in rough, sharp stones that tore my clothes and sliced into my skin.

Blood flowed down my arm the moment I lifted my hand.

Jasper was so frightened by the sight of me bleeding that he burst into tears.

When Regina saw my blood, she became even bolder, as if she were a bull who'd seen red. She started beating me up while hurling insults at me.

I'd traveled a long way to get here with Jasper, eating only a few biscuits along the way to sate our hunger as we rushed here.

Therefore, my strength was no match for Regina's at all.

All I could do was shout for help. The young man standing guard was sweating profusely, but he didn't dare to abandon his post without permission.

My screams attracted a crowd of people—family members of military personnel staying on base.

They rushed over to restrain the violent Regina, and it was only then that I had the chance to crawl to Jasper's side.

He threw himself into my arms and cried until he was out of breath. The sight of his swollen ankles made my heart ache.

He'd been pampered since he was born and had never been so badly hurt before.

I was furious. I simply couldn't understand why I had to endure a beating just for asking about someone.

"I have no quarrel with you, so what right do you have to beat me and my son up like this?"

I didn't know my words would end up angering Regina, who'd just been pacified by the other accompanying family members, even further.

She spat, "It's precisely because of who you are that I beat you up! You should be thanking me for not sending a homewrecker like you off to the firing squad! And you even dared to bring a bastard child to our doorstep! Yes, it's you that I want to beat up, you slut!"

The expressions of the other family members, who'd been looking at me sympathetically, morphed into disdain.

I'd been beaten up for no reason, and my son had been called a bastard child.

"If you dare bully my son, you won't hear the end of it from me! I'll have you know my husband is a captain here!" I yelled at Regina.

Unexpectedly, Regina wasn't the least bit afraid of my threat. On the contrary, she broke free of the people restraining her and kicked me hard.

"Your husband? Well, guess what? I'm his mother-in-law!"

As soon as Regina's words left her mouth, I was stunned.

She became even more arrogant at that. "Come and see, everyone! She claims her husband is James Zeller! Everyone on base knows that James married my daughter long ago! They even reported their marriage to the higher-ups!

"Moreover, which soldier wouldn't have their family members live with them on base after marriage? Her child is so grown-up already, yet has anyone on base ever seen the two of them?"

Everyone around us nodded in agreement. They also made critical remarks about my new custom-made clothes and high heels.

"That's right. Back when Captain Zeller got married, he immediately reported it to the higher-ups and specially held a wedding ceremony on base."

"That's right. Captain Zeller treats his wife so well. I can see him picking her up after work every day."

"You can tell just by the way she dresses that she definitely isn't the proper sort."

I finally understood the gist of the situation through their comments—James had married another woman on base.

But clearly, I was James' wife!

I frantically took out the only photo I had of me and James together and brandished it in front of Regina. "I'm James' actual wife! We took a photo together!"

Regina stiffened for an instant, but then she burst out laughing the moment she saw the photo. "So, you're trying to pass off as a captain's wife with a photo that doesn't even show your faces? I'd say you're just trying to find an easy target to rip off!"

I turned the photo over in confusion and was promptly thunderstruck.

James' face in the only photo I had of us together had long since become blurred because of how much I'd touched it over the past seven years.

Before I could defend myself, Regina grabbed me by the hair and smashed my head into the ground. "I'm going to beat you to death, you damn homewrecker! How dare you bring a bastard child to our doorstep? See if I don't beat the stuffing out of you!"

My head rang from the blow, and I could only thank my lucky stars that I could still remain clear-headed.

Other women who'd been watching the drama unfold gathered around as well.

They mercilessly opened up my suitcase and passed around the skimpy underwear I'd specially purchased from Carnatia with looks of contempt.

Regina became even more smug when she saw the undergarments in my suitcase. "See? I told you all that she was a wench! Which respectable woman would wear things like this? Only women of the night in the red-light district would buy these!"

She then tossed the undergarments in my embarrassed face.

James and I were apart more often than not, so I'd deliberately bought undergarments like these with the intention of spending a nice married life with him after seven years.

I didn't expect to end up being insulted indiscriminately and labeled as a wench.

"I'd certainly like to see if you're wearing the underwear like this now!" Regina declared, after which she immediately began tearing at my clothes.

I thrashed around desperately, pulling ceaselessly at her hair.

Regina cried out in pain and promptly called for the onlookers to help her. "If you really stand by and allow this wench to get into the base, don't blame me for not warning you when she eventually seduces your husbands!"

The other women exchanged glances before scrambling over to restrain my hands and feet.

Regina stood up and was just about to kick me in the stomach when Jasper rushed over to protect me.

My eyes widened as I watched Jasper get kicked so hard he coughed up blood. This shocked the people around us, who instantly loosened their grips on me.

Regina didn't back off when she saw Jasper vomiting blood. Instead, she even spat, "That little bastard deserves it!"

She then started slapping me repeatedly.

She'd long ripped up my outer layer of clothing, the torn stitching coming apart to reveal a lot of skin.

However, I'd already stopped caring about the exposure. Tears streamed endlessly down my face as I struggled to crawl to Jasper's side.

Before I could reach him, Regina forced me to my knees and pushed my forehead to the ground. "For trying to ruin my daughter's family, I want you to apologize to her on your knees!"

My eyes were blinded by blood, so I could only see Jasper lying lifelessly on the ground.

Just as I was filled with despair, I heard a voice filled with vigor yell, "Stop!"

The newcomer bellowed, "It's so unbecoming to fight like this in front of the base! How utterly disgraceful! Well? Are you still not going to let go?"

It was only then that Regina reluctantly let go of my hair.

The instant she let go, I collapsed weakly to the ground.

Still, I continued calling intermittently for help. "Please… S-Save my child…"

The newcomer—a military officer—took two steps forward. The surrounding people conscientiously made way for him.

When he saw my son lying on the ground, barely breathing, he instantly sucked in a sharp breath. "Quick! Send the child to the hospital!"

One of the officers behind him immediately followed his instructions and carried Jasper into a car.

…

Meanwhile, another officer took the initiative to take off his own clothes to cover up my exposed skin.

It was only when I saw the car's engine start up that I felt slightly more at ease.

"What brings you to the base, young lady?" asked the first officer.

Regina started yelling before I could reply, "I barely touched her before she deliberately fell to the ground and refused to get up! That kid, too! Like, I barely grazed him by accident! Was there a need for him to put on such an exaggerated act?

"As expected of the son of a bitch! He's learned how to act since young!"

She quickly shut up at the sight of the officer's frown.

Instead, she concealed her malice toward me, raised her head, and smiled flatteringly at the officer. "You have no idea how despicable this woman is, Colonel Lewell! She brought along a bastard child from who knows where, claiming to be James' wife.

"Everyone on base knows that James' wife is my daughter, Isabella Jordinson! In fact, you were the one who hosted the group wedding for them back then!"

Everyone else chimed in to support her claims.

They all claimed that I'd definitely ended up pregnant from sleeping with a random man and was now looking for an easy target to wring child support from.

They even pointed out the clothes scattered around my open suitcase judgmentally.

Colonel Lewell's expression turned grave, and the gaze he turned on me was no longer as kind as before. "Yes, I remember. I was even the one who signed off on James' marriage report. Are you certain you don't have the wrong person, young lady?

"James has been married to his wife for years, and Isabella has been living in the family housing area for six years already. If you've deliberately come seeking trouble and wish to ruin a military man's marriage, I have the power to send you off to the firing squad."

His every word struck me deeply.

Six years. It'd actually been six years since James had gotten married to another woman.

In other words, he'd married someone else on base not long after marrying me.

Whenever I asked him why he always made excuses not to return on holidays and special occasions, he would tell me that he couldn't keep me company due to being sent on missions. If not that, he would claim that he'd given up his opportunity to go home to someone else.

It turned out he'd actually long made himself another family elsewhere.

As my eyes burned with anger, Colonel Lewell stared hesitantly into my swollen face and asked again, "Are you certain your husband is stationed at this particular base, young lady? Could you have the wrong person? Do you have any other photos or identification? If you do, I'll help you take a look."

James had always used his special occupation as an excuse for being unwilling to take photos with me. That photo from before was my only photo with him. What other proof could I have?

I was burning with anxiety at the memory of Jasper lying on the ground, pale-faced and with blood flowing from the corners of his mouth.

In a moment of desperation, figuring that I had nothing else to lose, I gave Colonel Lewell a name.

Upon hearing it, his eyes widened and his expression turned serious. "You're Niall's daughter?"