My Commander Husband Regretted It After I Chose Science

My husband, Nolan James, had been transferred to the Capital for a promotion, and his unit allowed him to list two family members on the military relocation roster. Everyone was congratulating me, but I knew the names he'd written down were his sister-in-law's and his nephew's.

Only because, in my last life, I made a scene about it all the way up to his unit. Every last person said he was an ingrate, and in the end, buckling under the pressure, he changed the names back.

But once Nolan was settled, he went back for Maggie Matthews, only to be told she'd been hounded into throwing herself into the river by the village bully. He brought his skin-and-bones nephew back to the Capital, and then he divorced me.

He sent Edward James abroad, but the plane went down, and there were no survivors. He wasn't even grieved. He went so far as to announce to everyone that Curt James was his real son.

"Eddie was your own flesh and blood. How could you be so heartless?"

The slap cracked across my face, thick with hatred.

"If it weren't for the two of you, Maggie wouldn't have died. You killed her. You owe her a debt to repay."

In that moment the hatred swallowed me whole. Why should I be the one to pay for her death? I grabbed Nolan and drove us both, car and all, straight over the cliff.

When I opened my eyes again, Nolan and I had both returned to the very day he filled out the military relocation roster.

……

"Nolan, whatever's going on between you two, is there nothing you can settle behind closed doors? Do you have to bring it into the compound? Keep this up and I'll have you confined to quarters."

The officer's words jolted us both. I stared at the familiar wooden desk, the enamel mug, and that dated old landline sitting on top of it.

We looked at each other, and one look was all it took to confirm it. Nolan and I had both been reborn, reborn to the very day he filled out the military relocation roster.

I was still clutching that roster, my fingertips gone pale from gripping it so hard, my eyes locked on the two names written there: Maggie Matthews and Curt James.

"Sir, I'm sorry. Leave the relocation arrangements as they are. No changes needed."

"But—"

I cut him off.

"I'm sorry, sir. It was my mistake. Do it Nolan's way. No changes."

I slapped that sheet of paper down on the desk and walked out without looking back.

"Gwendolen Henson, this life, I'm going to look after them, that mother and her boy. So no matter what you do, this outcome won't change. Otherwise I'll file for divorce up the chain."

My heart lurched. It took me a long moment to steady myself, and in the end all I had was two cold words.

"Suit yourself!"

I didn't go back to the compound. I turned and went to the officer's office to borrow the phone.

"Academician Matthews, I agree to join the research team. We depart in six days. I have one condition, regarding Nolan's duty assignment."

The officer glanced at me and let out a sigh.

"That Nolan doesn't know a good thing when he sees it."

I only smiled, thanked him, and headed back to the compound. Same familiar duty officer, and that wave of dated, bygone atmosphere hit me the moment I stepped into the place.

I hadn't expected Nolan to be so impatient he couldn't even wait the last six days.

"Gwen, Nolan says he doesn't feel right about us staying somewhere outside. I'll be putting you out these next few days."

"This is the military compound I applied for. You don't need to report to her. Settle in and don't worry."

I clenched my fists. His concern for Maggie had long since gone past anything between a brother- and sister-in-law. In my last life, to avenge her, he hadn't hesitated to throw me back to the village.

At the thought, my chest went hot. I knew it was the hatred left over from that other life.

"This is my room!"

"Aaah, Uncle said this is my room!"

The second I rushed in, I saw Curt, that big fat kid, swinging at Edward. I strode forward and shoved him off. Too heavy to keep his footing, he toppled straight backward, his back slamming down and blooming into a wide red welt.