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I eased the door open and stepped in. The air still held that familiar floral fragrance. The wall on the right was a gallery of framed milestones: Ethan’s graduation, his wedding, his children. No photos of me in uniform. Not even the commissioning portrait I mailed them years ago. “Dinner’s just about ready,” my mom…
“Five years,” I replied. He blinked, not sure whether I was joking. I wasn’t. We had roast chicken and mashed potatoes. Ethan led the table conversation, talking about team mergers and strategic growth. My dad looked like he might tear up with admiration. “And how about you?” Mom turned to me, her expression pleasant but…
I stayed silent. Upstairs, my uniform waited neatly in my suitcase, its silver eagle insignia catching the light like truth waiting to be revealed. Tomorrow, they’d understand just how much strategy I controlled. For now, I let them talk. It would be the last night they ever talked over me. After dinner, I spent the…
Downstairs, I heard laughter. Ethan’s booming confidence. The atmosphere of a family rallying around its designated star. The irony stung. He’d just been promoted to lead the integration team for the very military tech project that I now supervised. He had no idea. None of them did. At 0900 sharp the next morning, I would…
By 8:45 AM, I was parked in the reserved DoD slot outside Westbridge. I stepped out in full dress, adjusting my collar. People turned to look as I passed through security. “Good morning, Colonel,” the security guard said, scanning my credentials with practiced precision. The respect in his voice was unfamiliar—at least compared to what…
Before I could respond, a woman with sharp white hair turned the corner. Lorraine Hart, Westbridge’s CEO, halted mid-step. Then she smiled broadly. “Colonel Rhys. I didn’t know you’d be joining us in person. What a pleasure.” I shook her hand. “I was nearby and thought it would be helpful to attend directly.” “Absolutely,” Lorraine…
Then it was Ethan’s turn. He stood slowly, clutching his notes. “As lead for systems integration, I’ve developed a revised deployment schedule for Phase Two,” he said, stumbling slightly. “I believe it aligns with current expectations.” I waited a beat. “Mr. Rhys,” I said, my voice even, “could you explain how your model accommodates the…
After it ended, a few stayed behind, casting new looks—ones filled with understanding. My rank was no longer an abstract title. It was real. My father lingered near the hallway. “Cassandra,” he said softly when we were alone, “we need to talk.” I nodded. “Your office?” My mother was already seated when we walked in,…
My mother jumped in. “We didn’t realize how important it was. ‘Colonel’ sounded serious, but we didn’t really… get it.” “Why didn’t you tell us what it meant?” “Because I stopped needing to justify myself,” I said. “Every call turned into a business update about Ethan. You only asked about me to suggest I come…