Synopsis
Both my ex-husband and my current husband graduated from the top military academy in the country. That’s why I never attended any of my current husband’s class reunions—I was always afraid the two of them might run into each other and turn the night into a spectacle.
But today, my husband, Frederic Drayton, insisted that I come pick him up.
Still groggy and irritated after being woken by his call, I made my way to the officers’ club and pushed open the door to a private room.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said evenly. “I’m here to pick up my husband.”
The laughter and chatter inside stopped instantly.
A room full of decorated officers, their uniforms immaculate and insignia gleaming under the lights, turned to stare at me. The air shifted—sharp, heavy, judgmental.
And then I saw him.
Seated at the head of the table was a man in a perfectly pressed uniform, his posture rigid, his expression cool and commanding. He was slowly turning his service cap in his hands, his gaze lifting to meet mine.
“Claudine Welch?” someone drawled mockingly. “This isn’t a place for someone like you. What are you doing here?”
The room erupted in laughter.
In that moment, I realized this reunion was never going to be just an awkward encounter.
It was a battlefield.
