Page 66 of Open Secrets
“I have this buddy…” I say trailing of because I’m unsure of how to phrase it.
His brow furrows. “You looking for a way to tell me your problem without telling me your problem?”
I purse my lips. “Yeah.”
His silence tells me to go on.
I exhale. “I slept with this woman. A few years ago. Quite a few times. She got clingy so I broke up with her. Now she’s claiming she’s pregnant with my kid and threatening to go to command. How do I stop her?”
He just stares at me. No words. Just that sharp, judgmental stare. Then—
Bam.
As I lay flat on the ground, cheek burning from his punch, all I can think is—not fun being on the receiving end.
Instead of helping me up, my dad looms over me. His voice is cold, thunderous. “You cheated on your wife. On the mother of your children.”
He pulls his leg back like he’s about to kick me.
“I didn’t!” I shout, scrambling up onto my elbows. “Okay—we have an open marriage.Had.”
He sneers. “What kind of new-age bullshit is that?”
“It’s like—we were allowed to see other people. Sleep with them.” My words stumble out, desperate, stupid. “It’s done now. We ended that.”
My dad squints at me, eyes sharp as glass. “You let your wife sleep with other men?”
Before I can answer, his boot connects with my ribs.
“Jesus, Dad!” I curl in on myself, the breath knocked out. Another kick whistles past as I roll away and scramble up to my feet. “Will you just—” I throw my hands up. “Forget it.”
I turn to walk away.
“Wait,” he pants.
I stop, half-expecting him to throw a rock at my back.
But instead, he’s bent over, hands braced on his knees, chest heaving. He looks up at me, his face pale under the porch light. “I don’t get your bullshit,” he rasps. “But you can’t stop her. I’mguessing this woman found out you’re retiring and wanted to blackmail you.”
“Yeah,” I admit, voice flat. “But I don’t care. I’m quitting anyway.”
My father shakes his head, lips pressing tight. “It’s not about people knowing. It’s about your benefits.”
I blink. “What?”
“If command believes you disrespected the uniform,” he says slowly, “they can pull your benefits. Strip your pension. General discharge you.”
My blood runs cold. “What the fuck?” I snap. “How the hell is my sex life related to the uniform?”
His eyebrow lifts, almost pitying.
And then it hits me.
“Fuck.” I drag a hand down my face. “The Army won’t care we had an open marriage.”
“Exactly.”
“Shit. Motherfucker.” My voice cracks, half rage, half fear.
