1 Chapter 1: Betrayal

Janelle's P.O.V

"Oh my fucking god!"

"Oh my god! What the fuck!" Daniel hastily pulled the covers over their naked bodies, trying to hide them from my view. "I thought you were coming back next week?"

"So that's why you're in bed with another woman? Seriously, Daniel?" 

I thought I could handle everything. I thought I had seen it all…

After watching the atrocities of war in far off lands. After watching children being murdered ruthlessly and my colleague being blown to bits when he stepped on a landmine.

But this…coming home from eighteen months of military service to find my boyfriend of five years in bed with someone else? No…I hadn't expected that even in my wildest dreams.

However, I should've seen the signs as I entered the house, after all, I'd been ringing the bell for over ten minutes and no one had bothered to answer.

I was overwhelmed to be back home, and just couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he came down the stairs to open the door for me. All I wanted was to be in his arms. 

However, when it became clear that he wasn't coming out after a few more minutes, I impatiently pushed the door back and it bulged. The door was unlocked which meant that he was inside. And I had wondered why he hadn't opened the door.

I took calculated steps up the stairs, looking around the living room. A few things had changed, but everywhere still looked in perfect condition. Except my favorite portrait of us on top of the fireplace, which was replaced with a recent picture of him that he sent me months back. 

The fact that he had taken it that down without telling me had hurt. It had been the last picture we took before I left. However, I had shaken that thought aside, wanting to discuss it later.

Nothing else mattered to me at this moment, more than Daniel. The warm and excited smile, the refreshing and charming familiar smell he exuded, the calm stare, the cuddles, the kisses, the hugs, and of course, the surprise on his face. I wanted all of that, and it didn't matter if our portrait was missing, nor did it matter if there were a few pieces of clothing on the stairs.

After all, he could've been in a hurry to change…right?

But it all changed when I reached our bedroom down the hall…and a lacy bra was on the floor…right outside the door…and I could hear noises coming from inside.

I was already anxious and expecting the worst to happen. But I couldn't imagine Daniel being that kind of person. All men could cheat, but not Daniel. He was the most faithful man alive and nothing about that would change.

As the door creaked open slowly, time paused. My jaw dropped…as I stood frozen to what was happening. 

Daniel was on the bed with his head between a woman's legs, they were both naked and the woman was clutching at the pillow at her back…her eyes closed and her mouth wide open in a moan.

I gasped, shutting my eyes for a moment. I swallowed hard and then I opened my eyes, my body shaking with uncontrolled rage. Just maybe, it was all in my mind. Maybe, I fell asleep on the plane and had a crazy dream. This was not possible, not Daniel. 

But I was obviously a fool, because the conversation we were having now just proved it.

Daniel was dumbfounded, unable to believe that I was standing in front of him.

"How could you? You cheated on me while I was away on duty!" I asked the man that I thought I knew so very well.

"Baby…I don't feel safe here." Whined the olive skinned woman on the bed, her blonde hair disheveled as she clutched the sheets to her chest and looked up at Daniel with puppy dog eyes.

"Don't worry honey, I got this." Daniel stood up from the bed, still buck naked as he walked over to the closer and pulled on a robe, before turning to face me with a serious expression. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you serious right now?" I asked in astonishment. "Honey? You're calling this whore 'honey' while cheating on your girlfriend?"

"Babe…" the bitch on the bed whined once again and my head snapped to her in disbelief.

I looked up at her bitterly, my face red from anger, before I turned to look at Daniel for an explanation. But he wasn't looking in my direction.

"This is my ex, Janelle." He told her reassuringly. "I told you about her before we started dating, right?"

The woman on the bed nodded, realization donning in her eyes while I was left flabbergasted.

Ex? I was his ex? After five years of commitment and sacrifice, I was his ex!

"Daniel, you broke up with me but you didn't even care to tell me." I couldn't believe this was actually happening right now!

"Oh, come on!" Daniel scoffed. "Don't act all high and mighty! I know what all you soldiers do! You fuck each other to blow off steam!"

"W-wha-Are you even listening to yourself right now?" I yelled, balling my hands to my sides so that I didn't slap this senseless man across the cheeks. Was he for real?

Was this the man I had known and loved all along? How could I have been such a fool?

"And what about you and that…Cole guy? Huh?" Daniel argued, not giving up. "He's always around when I call you! I bet he's been giving you a good time all this time! Fucking in the battlefield? That's your kind of thrill, isn't it?"

"I can't believe you're saying this!" My voice grew hoarse as I defended myself. "Colonel Cole Walter saved my life! I wouldn't be here without him!"

"And how did you reward him? Did you give him head?"

I couldn't stop myself anymore.

Slap!

The slap reverberated throughout the house, telling me that he got exactly what he deserved. Daniel's head snapped to the side and his eyes widened in disbelieve as he realized what I had done, while the bimbo screamed bloody murder.

"Are you justifying your cheating by trying to prove that I cheated first? Is that it? So you and this bimbo can get away with it?" I snapped.

But instead of guilt, Daniel turned to me with a look of hate.

"Don't you dare say that!" He spat at me. "Don't you dare insult my girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend? Then what am I, Daniel?" I screamed, unable to take this any longer. "What am I?"

"No one!" He looked into my eyes without flinching. "You're a no one and you don't belong here! Get the fuck out!"

"Fuck," I managed to say. "Fuck you, Daniel. This is what I get for loving you with everything that I have and staying faithful to you for so many months?" 

It felt like my entire world was crashing down all around me. I didn't think this was possible…I still couldn't believe that this was happening…

"Just maybe…if you didn't leave me here to rot, I wouldn't have moved on. But you chose to leave me, you chose your job over me." Daniel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to control his anger. "Janelle, this is my girlfriend and I'm not cheating on her. In fact, you have just intruded into our house."

"No, Daniel." I shook my head, firm in my belief. "You said I should leave? I will. But that'd be after you make a full refund of all the money you own me. I want every dime I put into this apartment back and I want it back right now."

"Sure, sure." Daniel shrugged. "I thought you'd never ask," He added knowingly. 

He straightened himself and paddled to the table at the far end of the room. He picked up a sheet of paper that I later realized was a cheque and headed back to where I stood. "This is every dime you put into my apartment. We are good now, right? Let me have my keys back."

Daniel was walking me out of his life so easily, after so many years of financial and emotional commitment? I was left flabbergasted yet again. It dawned on me that he had been planning this breakup the whole time, while I had been away at war, saving the people of this country and others, hoping to make it back to him alive. 

His face had no remorse; he seemed very relieved to finally get rid of me. I was all but…a chunk of trash for a better loss for words.

"Miss Army lady, did you hear what my man said?" The annoying woman spoke for once again. "He asked you to leave our house. As you know already, he doesn't owe you shit. Stop invading our privacy." 

Her voice grated on my nerves and I dug into my pockets and took out the house keys, throwing it on the bed, making her scream once again, for absolutely no reason.

"Janelle, enough!" Daniel approached me as he spoke, and then he held my wrist while attempting to pull me out of the bedroom.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" I yanked my hand away from his grip. "What do you think you're doing?" 

Even though I wasn't wanted anymore, I couldn't imagine being thrown out like some kind of trash. I was a lot of things and a Major in the army was one of those. How dare he think to touch me like that?

But then, I recalled that this was the only place I knew in this town and I had nowhere to stay. "You're kicking me out without a prior warning? Where do you expect me to stay now? Right after I came back from my deployment?"

"That is not my business." Daniel shrugged, unbothered.

He made another attempt to hold my hand and pull me down the stairs, but that earned him a resounding slap. Because, obviously…the first one hadn't been enough for him.

He was still awed by the slap, he had his palm sitting on his cheek as he nursed the spot, as the woman came rushing to his aid with the sheets now wrapped around her chest.

"I'm sorry for touching you, please leave." He changed from hard to soft now. 

His new girlfriend glanced uneasily at the both of us but didn't interfere. She knew better than to dare me to cause more harm.

But as I was leaving, my eyes sighted something familiar at the far corner of the hallway. It was an expensive and unique antique vase from China that had cost me a fortune. 

Walking over to it quietly, I picked it up from the corner where it sat alone on the table, taking a deep breath. I examined it for a few seconds, deciding that I didn't want Daniel to have it either.

So without a second thought, I let go of it. And watched it shatter into a million places as it hit the ground, a satisfied flutter in my heart.

Daniel was startled at the sudden action. "Have you gone nuts?" He asked in astonishment. "How can you destroy private property? I will call the bloody cops on you!"

"Do you have the right to say that to me, Daniel?" I replied, raising my eyes at him. "That vase and several other pieces of furniture in this house still belong to me."

Daniel took a few steps back, and I could see his girlfriend tremble at the sight of the scene. Although if it was out of fear or anger…I didn't know.

"This woman is crazy!!" She shrieked, her whole body trembling in rage, much to my satisfaction. "She walks into our house and she tells us what to do and what not to do. Quite audacious, isn't she?" 

She looked at Daniel for support but he knew me better than she did. He didn't dare move a limb.

As I got closer, they both looked at each other in dismay. If they thought they had the upper hand at first…they had another thing coming.

"I have my stuff all over this house, Daniel." I told him firmly. "If you think that giving back the mortgage for the apartment is enough then think again."

"Calm down," Daniel told me finally. "I gave you enough of the money for you to pay back the mortgage with interest. I'll pack up everything you once owned here, including your clothes and have them sent to you as soon as you find a new apartment. Is that enough for you?"

I watched them almost numbly, but instead of satisfaction, I felt defeated. 

As I made up my mind to leave, I realized that I didn't feel so sad after all…just, disappointed. It wasn't the way a woman who just lost her five years of relationship would feel. Just maybe, I didn't love Daniel like I thought I had. It was either that or the constant distance from him that made me slowly lose feelings for him.

"This should be the last time you invade our privacy!" The little witch said as they slammed the door at my back, but I felt nothing. I was completely numb…or maybe it was my brain's way of processing the shock.

I got to the lobby of the apartment, my backpack slung over my shoulder, thinking on where I should stay for the night, or for the duration of time I was going to have my down time before my next deployment, when a commotion down the hallway caught my attention.

There were a lot of shouts and screams coming from the opposite direction and thinking that someone was in need of help, I stepped into that hallway to inspect the situation.

As the shouts and screams grew louder I placed my hand on my waist, feeling my belt for my pocket gun. Not that it was lawful to use it, but I needed it handy in case there was some funny business going on. 

However, just as I rounded the corner, a man in only his underwear fell at my feet and held onto my boots tightly so I couldn't get away from him. 

Looking up, I met startling green eyes and a man with a mesmerizing smile as he stared into my face.

"Please help me," he whispered, loud enough for my ears alone.