Read Returning to the Military after the Divorce

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter 1 The Broken Promise

When Quinn Bridger delivered the project proposal to Trent Grafton's office, she happened to see Trent fastening a ruby necklace around Sidonie Stonehurst's neck.

When Quinn Bridger delivered the project proposal to Trent Grafton's office, she happened to see Trent fastening a ruby necklace around Sidonie Stonehurst's neck. She stared at the ruby necklace, entranced. It was the same necklace she had begged Trent to bid for after seeing it in the auction catalogue. In their three years of marriage, she had never once asked him for anything. The first thing she asked him to do was to purchase the necklace, simply because it was a cherished heirloom from her mother. “A mere necklace has you so captivated. I always said you were a vain one,” Trent's friend, Yorick Lamont, said with a look of disdain. Ignoring Yorick's mockery, Quinn swiftly stepped forward, reaching out toward Sidonie's neck. In the next moment, her wrist was seized by Trent. “I've already given the necklace to Sidonie.” “But you promised to give me that necklace!” Quinn said, her usually beautiful face marred by a rare display of anger. Trent frowned, a clear displeasure in his eyes. “Stop messing around. This is my gift to celebrate Sidonie's promotion to co-pilot.” Messing around? A chill ran through Quinn's heart. “What if I insist on having that necklace?” From the side, Yorick mocked, “Trent, I've always said that Quinn is not worthy of you. She's vain and incompetent. You should divorce a woman like her sooner rather than later. Only a woman like Sidonie truly matches you.” The marriage between Trent and Quinn was a secret known only to a select few. However, it was common knowledge that Sidonie was Trent's first crush. “Don't be ridiculous. I have no interest in being a homewrecker,” Sidonie declared disdainfully, then promptly removed her necklace and nonchalantly tossed it at Quinn's feet. A necklace worth millions was casually discarded on the ground as if it were mere trash. Quinn's eyes welled up with tears as it was the necklace her mother treasured immensely. Slowly, she crouched down, gradually drawing the necklace into the palm of her hand. The cold edges of the necklace bit into the palm of her hand. Condescendingly, Sidonie spat, “What a woman should truly care about is knowledge and perspective. Instead of squabbling with me over a necklace, you'd be better off enriching yourself!” “What kind of knowledge or perspective does she have? She went to some trash university, and if it weren't for Trent's kindness, letting her hang around in the company, she'd probably be sweeping the streets!” Yorick scoffed. All those insults, and Trent hadn't spoken a single word in Quinn's defense. As such, Quinn rose to her feet, ignoring Yorick completely. She fixed her gaze on Sidonie. “You keep saying you don't want to be the homewrecker, yet why did you readily accept a necklace worth millions from someone else's husband?” Sidonie scoffed, “I merely regarded it as a casual gift from a friend. I didn't pay any attention to its value!” “Really? So friends casually gift million-dollar necklaces now, do they? I assume Yorick is also your friend. Has he ever gifted you anything worth millions?” Quinn mocked. Sidonie was left speechless. Even Yorick, who was standing next to her, wore a somewhat stiff expression. “Enough,” Trent said irritably. “It's just a necklace. Don't blow it out of proportion!” Quinn tightly clutched the necklace in her hand. To Trent, it was just a necklace, but her mother once used it in a war-torn foreign land in exchange for medicine and food, thereby saving fifty orphans. For her, the necklace was not just a mere piece of jewelry, but also a symbol of her mother's steadfast conviction! Taking a deep breath, Quinn recalled the phone call she had received before entering the office. It informed her that her parents' ashes were already on the plane, set to arrive in Jexburgh tomorrow. She lifted her gaze toward Trent, saying, “All right, let's not discuss the necklace anymore. Tomorrow, my parents' ashes are being transported back from abroad. I would like you to accompany me to collect them.” What worried her parents the most, when they were still alive, was her marital affairs. They always hoped she would settle down and start a family. She wished for him to accompany her to retrieve her parents' ashes, granting her and her parents a measure of dignity. Trent was momentarily taken aback. He remembered that during their wedding, Quinn had once mentioned that her parents had tragically died overseas due to an unforeseen accident. A glint flickered in Sidonie's eyes, while Yorick scornfully retorted, “Quinn, you really have no shame, don't you? To think you'd even resort to such an excuse to get Trent to accompany you!” Quinn ignored Yorick and only focused on Trent. A flicker of hesitation flashed across his handsome face. However, he still said, “All right, I'll accompany you tomorrow.” Without uttering another word, Quinn turned around and left the CEO's office. As she stepped out of the room, she heard Yorick questioning, “Are you really going to accompany this woman tomorrow?” “No matter what, Quinn is my wife,” Trent said in a serious tone. “It's my duty to accompany her to retrieve her parents' ashes.” “That woman was absolutely spouting nonsense. Who in their right mind would travel so far from abroad just to bring back the ashes of an orphan's parents?” Each mention of the word “orphan” pierced Quinn's heart. She lowered her gaze, studying the necklace in her hands. “Mom, Dad,” she murmured, “I'll come for you tomorrow!” The following day, when the agreed-upon time came, Trent was nowhere to be found. A flicker of unease subtly crossed Quinn's heart. She dialed Trent's number, only to be met with his impatient voice on the other end. “Sidonie's mother twisted her ankle. I'm accompanying her to the hospital.” “Trent, hurry over here and help my mom,” Sidonie's voice echoed from the phone. “All right,” Trent responded, his voice ever so gentle. Before Quinn could say anything else, Trent had already hung up the phone. Quinn felt a chilling sensation enveloping her heart, as if her throat was being strangled. She wanted to cry out, to express her grievances, but in the end, she found herself unable to utter a single word. How ludicrous. My husband could accompany his first crush's mother to the hospital for a sprained ankle, yet is unwilling to accompany me, his wife, to collect my parents' ashes! Taking a deep breath, she firmly stood up, left the mansion, and drove to the entrance of the military camp. The military camp was solemn and dignified. At the entrance, guards dressed in military uniforms stood, rifles in their hands. Quinn stepped out of the car, her back straight and her steps firm. Even though she had been discharged from the military three years ago, her stance still resembled that of a soldier. She made her way to the military camp step by step. Once she reached the front, she stood firm, raised her right hand, and executed a flawless military salute. Even if she had to do it alone, she was determined to bring her parents' ashes back home! Then, Quinn shouted, “Retired soldier Quinn Bridger from the original Falcon Special Forces, here to retrieve the ashes of former Peacekeeping Force members Montague Bridger and military doctor Arlene Gurney!” Her voice pierced through the military camp's skies as the gates slowly swung open.

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CHAPTER TWO

Chapter 2 Bringing The Ashes Home

Whoosh! Two rows of soldiers marched out in perfect unison, taking their positions at the entrance of the camp. Raising their right hands, they saluted toward Quinn. Then, Quinn saw Dominic Zahn, an old commander dressed in his military uniform, personally carrying an urn as he approached her. Atop the cremation urn was the national flag.When she looked at it, her eyes stung. The flag embodied her parents' steadfast conviction! Back then, when her parents accepted their mission from the government to join the Peacekeeping Forces abroad, they were already prepared for the possibility of making the ultimate sacrifice. “The remains of your parents were found intertwined, so they were cremated together overseas. Their ashes are all contained here,” Dominic conveyed with a hint of regret. “It's better this way.” Quinn gazed at the urn under the national flag. “Mom and Dad loved each other deeply. They would have wanted to be together even in death.” Dominic nodded, suddenly standing up straight. He handed the urn to Quinn. “The spirit of fallen heroes will never fade!” The soldiers standing behind Dominic echoed in unison, “The spirits of fallen heroes will never fade!” Their deafening shout pierced through the clouds! Tears welled up in Quinn's eyes. She held her back straight and, once again, she gave a solemn salute to Dominic and the soldiers. “I, Quinn Bridger, hereby welcome my parents home!” She took the urn from Dominic. Though it was heavy, it inexplicably provided her with a sense of peace. Three years ago, her parents died in a foreign land. At last, she could bring them home! After handling the matter of the ashes, Dominic finally noticed that she came alone. “Where's your husband? He didn't come with you?” Dominic was aware of Quinn's marriage. With a faintly lowered gaze, Quinn softly said, “Mhm. He's busy, so he didn't come.” Dominic had watched Quinn grow up. She was once a child full of energy and ambition, but three years after marriage, her face was etched with fatigue. “If you ever run into any trouble, just let me know. I should be able to help,” Dominic said, patting Quinn's shoulder. “Thank you, Mr. Zahn!” said Quinn. “Also, if things don't go as planned out there, you can always come back. The doors of the barracks will forever be open to you!” Dominic added. Quinn nodded. After bidding farewell to Dominic, she returned to the car, cradling her parents' urn. With utmost care, she placed the urn on the passenger seat and started the car. “Dad, Mom, I'm taking you guys home!” When she returned to the mansion, Quinn could hear the voice of her mother-in-law emanating from the living room. “Now that Sidonie is back, and she's even a female pilot, you should hurry up and divorce Quinn and marry Sidonie instead.” “We're just friends, Sidonie and I,” came the deep voice of Trent. “What friend? Everyone knows you like Sidonie. She has a good education, a great job, and she's Nimbus Air's first female pilot. Quinn has nothing. She's unworthy of you!” exclaimed Jacinda Grafton, Trent's younger sister. A chill ran through Quinn's heart. She had been married for three years, supporting Trent's business ventures. She had worked late into the night, pushing herself to the limit for the sake of the company. There were even instances where she had gone to work with an IV drip attached to her. Yet, all her efforts were now met with a dismissive “Unworthy.” Just then, Jacinda suddenly spotted Quinn. “Quinn, you really have no shame, eavesdropping like that!” Quinn stepped forward. “I wasn't hiding, so how could I have eavesdropped?” “It's good that you heard me. If you know what's good for you, you should've divorced my brother sooner. Don't hold him back from being with Sidonie.” Jacinda's tone was as dismissive as ever. “Enough, Jacinda!” Trent warned sternly. Jacinda was not one to back down. “I'm not wrong. Quinn has nothing. She just took advantage of the fact that Sidonie was away from you, which is why you ended up marrying her!” Trent frowned. “Jacinda, are you done talking?” Jacinda pursed her lips, not daring to say anything more. Penelope Hayes stepped forward, comforting her daughter. Trent furrowed his brows, walking up to Quinn. His gaze fell on the urn adorned with the national flag that she held in her hands. “This is...” “It's my parents' ashes,” Quinn said. “I've brought them home.” A flicker of regret flashed in Trent's eyes. “I'm sorry. I was supposed to accompany you today, but Sidonie's mother sprained her ankle, so—” Before Trent could finish his sentence, he was abruptly interrupted by a sharp voice. “What, ashes?” Penelope glared intensely at Quinn. “How could you bring such an unlucky thing back home?” Unlucky? Quinn looked at Penelope in disbelief. “These are my parents' ashes. They aren't unlucky!” They were valiant heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country, deserving of the utmost respect! “No matter whose ashes they are, they bring bad luck!” Penelope said irritably, “Get out immediately. Don't allow this thing to enter this building!” Quinn held the urn tightly in her hands. “I'm not leaving. This is my home, a place I bought with Trent after we got married!” “What do you mean you bought it with Trent? He paid for it,” Jacinda said. Then, she called out to Trent, “Trent, Mom just had eye surgery. The doctor said she shouldn't get agitated. Quickly, send Quinn away!” A flicker of hesitation flashed through Trent's eyes, but in the end, he said, “You should leave for now and find a place to keep the ashes.” Quinn could only feel her heart steadily sinking. How could he say such a thing? “Do you also think my parents' ashes bring bad luck? Can't we temporarily keep them at home?” She stared intently at him, demanding an answer. Trent didn't utter a word, but his silence spoke volumes. “What if I don't want to?” she said. “Trent, in the three years we've been married, I've never wronged you or your family! When you started your business, I was there by your side, sharing the hardships of entrepreneurship with you. When your mother was diagnosed with cataracts, many doctors said her eyesight couldn't be saved. It was I who accompanied your mother, visiting every hospital in Jexburgh, leveraging all the connections I could, to secure an appointment with the best ophthalmologist in the city. That's how we managed to save her eyesight! I've always treated you all as family, but have you ever shown respect to mine?” Her words caused the expressions of the Grafton family members to turn sour. Jacinda said indignantly, “What do you mean you helped my mom? It was only because Trent is rich that the best ophthalmologist in Jexburgh was willing to meet her! Also, what's that about you helping Trent with his business? It's just that Trent was supporting you, that's all. His company went public because of his own abilities, not because of you. Don't make it sound like it was all your doing!” Quinn simply looked at Trent. “We've been married for three years. Is it really not okay for me to keep my parents' ashes at home for a few days?” Trent frowned. “Quinn, stop messing around.” “What if I refuse?” Quinn stepped forward. In a fit of rage, Penelope stormed up to Quinn, raising her hand swiftly to slap the latter. “As long as I'm here, don't you dare think about putting any ashes here!” Stumbling slightly, Quinn endured the slap to her face. As Quinn was still struggling to steady herself, Penelope seized the opportunity. She forcefully pushed the urn in Quinn’s hands, and it almost slipped out...