Chapter 2 She had no idea how long she walked before she finally lifted her head and realized she had drifted to the County Clerk's Office. The big block letters over the doorway blurred in the rain, but she could still make out COUNTY CLERK. Angela drew a long breath, wiped rain and tears from her face, and stepped inside. "Ma'am," she said, her voice steadier than her body, "I'd like to file a no-fault divorce petition." The clerk took her in-soaked through, pale, yet steady-eyed-and hesitated, as if about to talk her out of it. "Divorce isn't a small thing. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" "I'm sure," Angela cut in. Her voice wasn't loud, but it left no room to argue. "Please help me file." He looked at her red-rimmed eyes and the tight line of her mouth, sighed, and pulled out a stack of forms. "Your petition needs to go through processing. Fill these out, and we'll be in touch within a few business days with the result." "Thank you," she said quietly. Her hands trembled as she took the papers, but her pen did not. She filled every line with careful, deliberate strokes. Back in base family housing, she began packing in silence. From this day forward, she would leave Gideon Holt for good. No one dies from being left behind. Halfway through folding clothes, the door flew open with a crash. Gideon burst in, rain steaming off his shoulders, face set in a panic she had never seen on him. He clamped a hand around her wrist so hard she thought the bones might crack. "Angela. Elaine's in trouble," he snapped, breath coming fast. "The MPs caught her for black-market dealing. I already told them you did it. When they get here, you're going to take the fall." The shirt in Angela's hands slid soundlessly to the floor. She lifted her head in disbelief and stared at the man she had loved for ten years. It felt like a blade had been driven into her chest and twisted until she couldn't draw air. Before, he'd slipped his military allowance to Elaine and she swallowed the hurt. He had lugged their new sewing machine over to Elaine's place and she kept quiet. He had even spent their anniversary night drinking with Elaine, newly widowed, and she made her peace with that too. She had endured it all. But now, to spare Elaine, he wanted Angela to shoulder a crime-to accept punishment that wasn't hers. "I'm not going," she heard herself say, her voice scraped raw and edged with a coldness she barely recognized. Gideon clearly hadn't expected refusal. He froze. Since the day they married, she had obeyed without question, quiet and compliant as a rabbit. Chapter 2 8.70% His brows knit. His tone slid back to the hard authority he wore like a uniform. "Angela, listen. Didn't you always want me to take you to the park like a real date? Do this for her, and when you're out, I'll take you. I promise." He paused, softened his voice, and said something even crueler. "Don't worry. At worst, they'll rough you up to teach you a lesson. Elaine's fragile-she can't take it. You're not like her. You-" You can take a beating? You're built to suffer? A laugh clawed at Angela's throat-wild, almost hysterical. How ridiculous. She was his wife, and a simple walk in the park had to be bartered for by taking the heat for his first love. She readied another refusal, but footsteps pounded down the hall and a hard knock rattled the frame. "Captain Holt! Military Police! We're here to take the suspect into custody!" Gideon's face reset in an instant. When he spoke again, he was all rank and iron. "Come in." Three broad-shouldered MPs swept into the room, their eyes raking the place before settling on Angela. "Ma'am," the sergeant said, "you've been reported for black-market dealing-reselling commissary coupons and goods. Did you do it?" Angela squared her shoulders and met their eyes. "No." "Don't lie," the sergeant barked. "Captain Holt personally identified you. He's a decorated officer with a chest full of commendations-would he lie? You, as an Army wife, should know better than to break the law and bring shame on the unit. Your judgment is disgraceful." Every word cut. Every sentence shored up Gideon's authority while nailing her to a post of humiliation. "Gideon Holt," Angela pleaded, turning to him, "tell the truth." He only gave her a cool glance, then told the MPs, "Do it by the book. Don't make exceptions on my account. Whatever the procedure calls for, that's what you do." "Yes, Captain," they answered in unison. Two of them seized Angela by the arms without ceremony. "Gideon Holt! You bastard-tell them it wasn't me! Let go!" She fought and cried out, still hoping some last shred of mercy might surface in him. He stood and watched, expressionless and silent. Florence Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She's also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.