“Charlotte couldn’t turn me down, so her sudden visit didn’t bother you, right?”

I quietly looked at the two of them.

“I didn’t ask you in. What did you want?”

Faced with my short response, Alexander looked a bit uneasy as he glanced at Charlotte beside him.

“Alexander wanted to check on you. He brought a gift, no bad thoughts.”

Charlotte set the gift box at the doorway.

Alexander quickly explained, “This razor worked well for me and I thought you might need one too. Back then, we shared things like this a lot.”

I lowered my eyes to look at it; it seemed to be the same kind the guard used.

“That picture…”

Alexander’s eyes grew wet, his voice rough. “Archie, after all these years, you still haven’t moved on.”

I crushed the photo into a ball and tossed it into the trash can. “You’re overthinking it.”

He lifted his hand as if he wanted to set it on my shoulder, then stopped halfway.

“I get that you’re holding something in your heart. If you were still together, today would be your wedding anniversary.”

“What happened back then wasn’t my choice. If you really let it go, let us take you out for a meal. If you had any difficult moments in life, just say it; we’re old comrades.”

I was about to refuse him right away. Suddenly, the altar candle sparked.

I gave a small smile and changed my answer. “Alright.”

Alexander became much more chatty and his little gestures kept coming.

While talking about their trip to Spain last month, he picked up lip balm and touched it to her lips while waiting at a red light.

“Every winter, I had to remind you, why did you never learn?”

Charlotte grabbed his hand, somewhat upset. “Stop that.”

“Oh, honey, I forgot Archie was here. Archie, you wouldn’t mind, right? Charlotte and I were always like this…”

I interrupted Alexander.

“Of course not.”

“I’ve watched you two rolling around in bed back then; this is nothing.”

The car turned quiet. It finally stayed still.

As I looked out at the road, I thought that if my mother had still been alive, she would have been shocked by all the changes.

Back then, my father insisted on divorcing my mom for Grace, nearly driving her out of her mind.

And my hidden marriage to Charlotte completely crushed her.

At the start, I only hated my father and Grace.

Their betrayal was what turned my mother from a clear and neat woman soldier into a doubtful and resentful woman.

Time slowly wore down her strength.

Later, I hated myself.

After arranging my mother’s funeral, I went alone to the border unit during what should have been my honeymoon, staying there for a month.

At that time, I didn’t hate Charlotte.

She was like a pearl lost in dust, a female soldier who had suffered yet stayed strong.

Before leaving, I asked Alexander to look out for her.

In our newlywed place, he cared for her well, cooking four dishes and a soup that were neat and delicious.

I truly felt grateful to him.

That year, the three of us grew even closer.

Charlotte treated me kinder and kinder.

With the money from my first merit reward, she spent everything to get me the tactical watch I liked.

On my birthday, she lit fireworks across the whole city to celebrate.

Each time we came back from field training, she would cancel all her schedules to stay with me.

I never doubted anything. She cared about me deeply.

Until one day, by chance, I went to her office by myself.

From behind the half-open break room door, I heard close noises.

I pushed the door wide.

Two naked bodies hit my eyes like sharp knives.

I cried out without control.

Her reaction was fast. “Who let you in!”

“Get out!”

I grabbed whatever I could reach and threw it at her like someone who had lost their mind.

Charlotte’s forehead was bleeding, yet she still tried hard to cover the man beside her.

I broke everything I could reach in the room. But I still did not dare step toward them.

They were the two people I had cared for most in my life.

Fear tightened in my chest and my teeth shook. “Alexander, look at me.”

He, with red eyes, tried to kneel toward me from under the blanket.

“Archie, I was wrong.”

“Charlotte and I should not have done this, but we truly love each other.”

“Please, please, grant us your blessing.”

His small, pressured look was almost the same as back then, when he was surrounded by thugs on the training ground.

Back then, to help him, I, as an outstanding trainee, had taken my first punishment.

Charlotte and I had given him our wedding bouquet in person, wishing him happiness.

Now he was in my wife’s bed, asking me to give them my blessing.

Tears dropped down my face and my voice shook. “When did it start?”

His lips trembled, unable to say a word.

She answered instead. “Does it matter? Haven’t you made enough trouble? This was a military camp, not your home.”

“Isn’t it important?! Charlotte! Isn’t it important?!”

I shouted until my throat hurt, my eyes burning red.

She quickly pulled on her coat, her eyes calm. “Fine! I’ll tell you!”

“Last March, when you pushed to go to the border post, that was when we started.”

“I didn’t hide it on purpose, but you had just lost your mother and I didn’t want to hurt you again, so I kept quiet and let this marriage stay as it was.”

“Alexander had already given too much; I couldn’t watch him break again. I planned to divorce you after your mother’s death anniversary.”

“Since you know now, we might as well say everything.”

“Let’s get a divorce. Say what you want. I only wanted Alexander.”

At that moment, I finally understood.

Back then, when I chose Charlotte’s side and pushed my mother away, how painful had it been for her?

Before I divorced Charlotte, I made a huge mess.

I took photos of them looking messy, printed them into flyers and dropped them into every company’s mailbox.

Banners showing their affair were hung all over the headquarters building.

I reported Alexander to the Political Department for wrongdoing.

The forum at the National Military Command University, where he studied, was packed with criticism.

At his graduation ceremony, I had paid someone to show our old photos on a big screen.

The memories I valued ended up turning into weapons, but Charlotte had protected him.

He finished his studies smoothly at the top National Military Command University.

He was even about to open a solo art exhibition.

To clear a path for Alexander, Charlotte finally came to face me.

“Alexander’s dream was about to happen; don’t trouble him.”

I was already out of control with anger.

“How was it trouble? I was ready to let everyone at the show enjoy your amazing pieces.”

A document was tossed at my face.

“If you wanted to keep your mother’s resting place safe, sign the divorce papers and stay away from me and Alexander from now on.”

When my mother was buried, I was crushed. Charlotte handled the whole funeral, including picking and buying the burial plot.

Now she was even moving things in that space in the martyrs’ cemetery.

I got angry and splashed the coffee on her face.

That night, I cried myself to sleep beside my mother’s grave.

The next day, I still went to the Political Department to finish the official paperwork.

The outcome was not what I expected; Charlotte only handed me an old family apartment that was already worn down.

“You reported me for breaking rules and now most of my assets have been frozen. This is all I could give you.”

“If Alexander had not spoken up for you, you would not have gotten a single coin.”

I had never been able to win against Charlotte, not even when I was young.

She was calm and careful, never acting on impulse and she knew how to use plans and status to get what she wanted.

Since I was the kind of person who rushed in without thinking, I often attacked in a way that hurt them a lot but hurt me even more.

I stayed quiet, as she wanted.

Before selling the home and being sent to the border post, I still went to Alexander’s art show.

It came from a sudden thought.

His good-looking face was shown on a huge screen in the main city square; the show was named “Key to the Heart Within.”

Those were words we used to write in letters when we were young.

They were the clean hopes of youth. They were the real blessings from my comrades.

With the last bit of my hurting longing, I put on full gear and the moment I walked into the place, I felt like a cornered mouse watching someone else celebrate until I saw “Key to the Heart Within.”

The picture showed two bodies holding each other.

I had kissed the mole on the woman’s chest many times.

The man kissed her, the bed behind them covered with light green sheets and outside the window were blooming magnolias.

Those were the kinds I had picked myself at the service counter.

The pink flowers moved in the wind, peaceful and pretty. That was my home.

So that place was also where he and Charlotte had their first intimate moment.

So her heart went to him and the key to her heart went to Charlotte.

Suddenly, I felt a strong sickness in my stomach. I vomited all over the floor.

This startled the two people greeting guests.

A low voice leaned close to my ear, “Comrade, were you okay?”

The heart badge on his chest shone; it matched the key shape on the woman’s sleeve pins.

I pulled the badge off and dragged it across the canvas.

The sound of the canvas tearing shocked everyone and people gasped.

In the mess, security pushed me down to the floor.

With my cheek against the cold floor, the woman comforted the upset man while they both looked at me like I was a sewer rat.

“Call the police,” she said.

I started laughing and the sound kept getting louder.

The crowd stepped back in fear.

Because the amount involved went over ten thousand dollars, I was sentenced to three years in prison, with added payment for material and emotional loss.

I attempted suicide several times in prison, but each time, someone found me in time.

A year later, I was released early for good behavior, with no money.

But I had figured out many things. When the car reached the place, Alexander went to the restroom.

Beside me, Charlotte stood and spoke in a low voice. “I’m sorry.”

“We were wrong back then. I’ll tell Alexander to act more cautiously from now on.”

I raised my eyebrow. She had never bowed her head to me before, but now she apologized without hesitation.

I looked at her, confused.

“No need. You two were a couple. I only remembered things when I saw you both. I didn’t mean anything else.”

Pain showed in Charlotte’s eyes and her face turned a bit pale.

I didn’t understand and I didn’t want to think about it.

Thankfully, Alexander returned; he seemed to have forgotten everything that happened in the car.

“The three of us used to put our money together for a barbecue, let’s enjoy it today.”

Charlotte refused. “Back then, Archie stayed with us. He had a weak stomach and couldn’t eat spicy food. How could you forget?”

“It is fine, my stomach is okay now.”

Years of healing had already brought my body and mind back to their best condition.

My phone suddenly rang.

On the screen, the word “Wife” stood out clearly.

I answered the call.

Her light tone held a small bit of hurt.

“Honey, taking this kid out for filming was far more tiring than leading soldiers. You would definitely say I got thinner when you came back.”

From the background came a little boy’s loud protest. “No! Daddy, Mommy had troupe guys asking for her number today and they talked so happily…”

“You troublemaker! Are you trying to trick your mother? Those were reporters!”

Hearing the sounds on the other end, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

When I looked up, a woman’s interview was showing on the mall’s big screen; she looked cool in her military uniform.

Beside her, the little one had bright eyes, cute like a New Year picture doll.

After talking for a few more minutes, I ended the call and took a photo of the screen.

Once it was sent, I saw the two people beside me standing frozen.

“Archie, you were married?” Alexander spoke first, sounding unsure.