Dear Commander Husband, We're Even Now

“Stop… It’s too deep… I can’t take it!” A handsome man had me pinned beneath him, unable to move. His voice was tender, but his movements were anything but. “Baby, I’m only halfway there.” After catching my Commander husband cheating, I started seeing a Hollywood actor. Young blood, indeed. Eight-pack abs, 8.5 inches, and moves in bed I’d never even dreamed of. The next day, a video of the actor and me having sex went viral across the entire military base. My husband, Ryder, came to find me, his eyes bloodshot. “Where did he touch you?” I smiled carelessly. “My lips, my chest, my inner thighs… every place you used to love, he touched.” A storm brewed in his eyes, veins bulging in his neck. “Get her out of my sight!” I frowned, annoyed. “You cheated with your subordinate; I fell for my lover. We’re even. What right do you have to tell me what to do?”

Three months ago, I returned home early from a mission, hoping to surprise Ryder Vance. Instead, I found him pinning Sara Lee against the window, moving wildly, whispering her name, “Sara.” From that moment on, that name became my nightmare. Because my name, Sarah, sounded so similar to hers. It hit me then: whenever Ryder and I had sex before, he’d always been calling out another woman’s name. My stomach churned. I pushed him away, stumbling into the bathroom, throwing up violently. Ryder quickly followed, his voice concerned. “Sarah? What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?” I looked up, my eyes burning. “Ryder, just now… were you calling out Sara’s name, or mine?” His face instantly paled. The next moment, he kicked over a nearby chair. “Sarah! I told you, you’re the one I love, the one I chose!” He snatched up his clothes, pulling them on, and the door slammed shut with a thunderous bang. I pushed open the window and watched him stride across the yard, jumping into his military SUV. The engine idled for a long time until a distinctive ringtone cut through the silence. It was Sara Lee calling. I froze. The day he “returned” to our family, he’d supposedly deleted all her contact information right in front of me. When… when did he save it back? My cold fingertips tapped open the dashcam footage on my phone. Inside the car, Ryder stared at the blinking “Sara Lee” on the screen, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel, veins bulging. The ringing continued until the last second before he abruptly hit ‘answer.’ “Speak.” Only muffled sobs came from the other end, like a wounded animal. After a long moment, Sara’s choked voice whispered, “Ryder, I miss you so much.” Ryder’s breathing suddenly hitched. The engine roared to life, and the SUV sliced through the night like a sharp blade. The night wind howled, but it couldn’t blow away the frost in my heart. I saw my reflection in the glass, tears streaming down my face. The car soon stopped outside an officer’s apartment building. Rustling sounds came through the dashcam, followed by Sara’s whimpering moans, “It hurts…” “Bear with it, even if it hurts,” his voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable. The woman’s broken sobs continued, “Ryder, I love you…” Then came urgent gasps and the sound of frantic kissing. Again and again, so desperate, so wild. I stood by that window all night, listening to the passionate sounds of my husband with another woman. Only when the morning light broke did I manage to move my frozen body, retrieving the divorce papers from the bottom of our safe. He had signed them that day he returned to me, under my coercion. If he ever cheated again, all his assets and properties would automatically transfer to me. But even the strictest terms couldn’t bind a straying heart. I signed my name, stroke by stroke, and headed straight to the military legal office with the papers. The lawyer carefully reviewed them, then looked up at me. “Ms. Stone, once this is filed, your marriage will be officially dissolved.” Walking back home on shaky legs, Ryder was already waiting. Seeing me, he let out a sigh of relief, his voice tinged with both fear and reproach. “Where have you been? Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” I gave a sarcastic smirk. “What, afraid I’d try to jump off a cliff again?”