Chapter 1
Everyone thinks I’m the luckiest girl. Me, a complete airhead, somehow ended up engaged to Colonel Marcus Kane.
What they don’t know is? When I was eight years old, I took the poison meant for Marcus.
That damn near killed me and left my brain stuck at the mental age of an eight-year-old forever.
Marcus knows he owes me everything, so he promised to marry me. To take care of me for life.
And honestly? He kept that promise.
While other officers’ wives were all polished and perfect, Marcus NEVER acted ashamed of me.
Hell, even in that life-or-death moment, he literally shoved me toward the chopper FIRST.
Until… Molly showed up.
Suddenly Marcus was coming home from command meetings later and later. Even our adopted son Tyler started saying shit like:
‘God, I wish Auntie Molly could be my mom instead! I don’t want some retard for my mom!”
Before I could even process the hurt, I was shipped off to some decrepit farmhouse in bumfuck nowhere. I died alone.
But then I opened my eyes again.
was back to that exact moment when Marcus was about to make good on his promise.
Except this time?
Fuck his guilt.
And fuck marrying him too.
don’t know why, but I should totally be dead right now.
Dead in that gross, drafty old house.
But when I open my eyes, there’s Marcus in his fancy uniform, looking all handsome and soldier-y.
He asks me super nicely: “Ellie, sweetie, how about you let Marcus take care of you forever and ever?”
look down at my hands because I know that means living together like grown-ups do.
Because last time, I said yes, and then pretty soon I got to wear a really pretty white dress.
Honestly, getting to marry Marcus made me so happy I could barely sit still.
t’s what I wished for every single birthday since I turned eight.
3ut my head feels all spinny and weird.
Like I had this same dream before.
In the dream, Marcus said the exact same thing.
Then he married me, but after we got married, Marcus got really sad about it.
The very last time, I was crying and grabbing his hands, begging him not to leave me alone, but he pushed me away and looked really mean.
His voice sounded super tired and grumpy: “Ellie, just leave me alone, okay?”
“You got hurt saving me when we were little kids. I know I owe you big time, but I’ve been taking care of you for years and years now. Isn’t that enough?”
Chapter 1
Just please be nice and let’s get divorced so I can be with Molly instead.”
Right, Molly is the prettiest lady I’ve ever seen in my whole life.
I remember Marcus was always hanging out with her, like they were best friends.
All the other army wives would whisper about how Molly was super duper smart.
She went to school in faraway places and learned lots of fancy stuff.
The kind of smart I could never ever be.
They also said Marcus and Molly looked perfect together, not like Marcus being stuck with me when I can’t even read big words good.
I make a pouty face.
It makes me feel sad inside.
The thing is… I wasn’t always slow like this.
I used to grow up with Marcus, and we went to school together, and sometimes teachers said I was really smart.
But when I was eight, I drank some bad soup that was meant for him.
When I woke up, there were lots of people around my bed, and this old grandpa doctor was shaking his head all sad: “Sorry, no cure for it. Her brain got hurt real bad. She’ll stay like a little kid forever.”
I didn’t understand what staying like a little kid meant, but I remember Marcus hugging me super tight while he cried and cried.
He cried so many tears.
Finally, little Marcus promised me: “Ellie, this is all my fault.”
“When you grow up, we’re gonna get married, and I’ll take care of you forever and always.”
I didn’t know what getting married meant either, but Marcus explained that marriage means two people get to stay together forever and ever.
My eyes got all sparkly right away.
I smiled so big my face hurt.
That sounded really really good.
I liked Marcus the most out of everyone.
I wanted us to be together always.
But I don’t know why, but after that day happened…
All the kids on base stopped wanting to play with me.
They would walk way around me.
And lots of times they would stand far away in groups and giggle at me.
I ran to ask Marcus why, and he was super nice when he told me:
“It’s okay, our Ellie is just sick right now. When you get better, all your friends will come back.”
“Besides, you have Marcus, right? Marcus will play with you.”
“I’ll always stay with Ellie.”
Later, he really did what he promised.
He was super super nice to me about everything.
When I was nineteen, Marcus kept his promise and married me.
Chapter 1
But then pretty soon after, he met Molly.
And he felt really sorry about marrying me.
