Chapter 3

Nathan's smile froze, and he looked absolutely stunned.

He glanced at the crowd gathered around the bulletin board, then at the divorce report posted up there.

He stopped in his tracks, and his expression turned stormy.

His gaze, furious and piercing like a knife, quickly zeroed in on me.

Joe snapped, "I'll request the higher-ups to reconsider your promotion to commander.

"If a soldier can't take care of his own family, how can he be trusted to protect the country?"

With that, he stormed off.

The crowd started murmuring, whispering to each other.

"That Foster girl always looked so quiet and proper."

"Even a worm will turn."

Embarrassment and anger flickered across Charlotte's pretty face.

The bouquet in her arms drew everyone's gaze, making her the center of attention.

It was like holding a hot potato. She was stuck, not sure if she should let go or keep holding it.

Her eyes quickly turned red. She looked at me, voice trembling, barely holding back tears. "Hannah, why are you doing this?"

The irony wasn't lost on me. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Charlotte clenched her fists, her face turning bright red. "Hannah, what's that supposed to mean?"

I had nothing to hide, so I laid it out. "I thought it through, and you're the one who snatched that report.

"Why'd you post it up there? Trying to make sure the whole world knows Nathan and I are getting divorced, so you can swoop in and take your place by his side without anyone saying a word?"

Charlotte looked at me, then at Nathan, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Captain Foster, this is your family business, and it's really not my place to interfere.

"But for Hannah to accuse me out of nowhere like this, that's really out of line."

Nathan looked deeply ashamed, but he was furious as he barked at me, "Apologize to Charlotte. If you've got something to say, save it for when we're home."

But at this time, I wasn't about to let this slide.

Maybe because I'd already decided to leave, suddenly I couldn't take it anymore, not a little.

I squared my shoulders and locked eyes with him, right in front of everyone. "Why should I be the one apologizing?

"She snatched my papers, posted them up, and tried to pin it all on me.

"Why should I apologize? What for?"

Nathan had never seen me stand up to him like this. He was fuming, but he couldn't do a thing about it.

He stood there, stiff as a board, silent for ages before finally snapping, "You... You're out of your mind. Stop making a scene and being so unreasonable."

Charlotte tossed the flowers aside and bolted, eyes brimming with tears.

Nathan instinctively wanted to chase after her, but with everyone watching, he forced himself to stay put.

With his rank in the military housing, nobody dared to stick around and watch the drama unfold, so the crowd quickly dispersed.

I had no desire to say another word to him.

I knew that if I brought up divorce at that moment, he wouldn't bother to talk it out with me.

As I turned to leave, I suddenly heard him behind me, letting out a cold, frustrated laugh. "You're so quick to point fingers at Charlotte, but why not Oliver Howard? Didn't he help you pick up your stuff too?"

I didn't really catch his drift, so I turned to look at him.

He stared at me, eyes full of biting sarcasm. "Isn't he waiting for you to get divorced, so you two can hook up?"

All these years, he was the one getting close to Charlotte right under my nose.

He gave every dollar of his stipend to Charlotte.

And then, he actually has the nerve to accuse me of having something going on with Oliver without a shred of evidence.

He'd never say anything like that before.

For a second, I couldn't tell if I was the crazy one or if he was.

Before I knew it, I'd slapped him right across the face. The slap landed with a sharp, crisp sound.

We both froze, stunned.

After a long moment, his eyes reddened, and he let out a mocking laugh. "No need to get so worked up and lose your temper."

I was so furious that my whole body was trembling.

He turned on his heel and strode off.

He walked out of the military housing, probably off to find Charlotte and clear things up with her.

I went home.

*****

Late that night, I was lying in bed when I suddenly heard a noisy commotion outside.

I pulled back the curtains, and under the glow of the streetlight, I saw David dragging Nathan back into the yard.

It was a freezing winter night in Harborville, and a light dusting of snow had settled over the courtyard.

Nathan was out there again, forced to stand in the yard, shirtless.

From where I was, with the streetlight so dim, I couldn't really make out his face.

But I could almost see his face, tight with stubborn pride, as if he'd rather die than give in.

Honestly, it was pointless.

He didn't love me.

Even if he stood there for the rest of his life, he'd never love me.

David knew all along.

He made Nathan stand out there for my sake, so I'd see it.

My brother trusted the Foster family with me, but Nathan never really cared.

David felt bad for me, but his hands were tied.

This was the only way he could think of to make me feel a little better.

I watched for a while, but honestly, it felt strangely empty.

I pulled the curtains shut and lay back down in bed.

My bed was cold, and my feet never seemed to get warm.

Half-asleep, I found myself thinking back to when my brother was still alive.

He'd always fill up a hot water bottle and tuck it under my covers to keep my feet warm.

Back when I first moved in with the Fosters, Nathan would fill up a hot water bottle for me too.

Nathan wasn't always like this with me.