"You shouldn’t have found out."

The words echo in your ears, cold and final, as you stand frozen at the doorway of König's office. Your heart feels like it's been ripped from your chest, the pain so sharp you can barely breathe.

Tonight was supposed to be different. It was your anniversary. You had spent weeks planning the evening, picking out the perfect restaurant, the perfect outfit, everything down to the last detail, hoping it might reignite the spark between you. But König never showed. Just like the family dinner he missed last month, or your birthday that slipped by with nothing more than a mumbled apology.

You waited at the restaurant for hours, the flickering candlelight mocking you as you sat alone, watching the other couples laugh and talk, feeling the sting of his absence once again. Finally, you paid for the drinks you’d nursed and left, deciding to confront him at the base. You told yourself maybe he was caught up in something important, maybe an urgent mission. Maybe he had a good reason.

But standing in front of his office now, you know there was no mission.

There’s no emergency.

Just König—your König—locked in an intimate embrace with the very Sergeant he told you not to worry about. Her arms are around his neck, their faces close, too close, and his large hands are resting on her waist. Thumbs drawing little circles just like they had done on your skin so long ago.

The shock pins you to the spot, your mind racing to catch up with what your eyes are seeing. Every excuse you’ve made for him, every doubt you’ve pushed aside, all come crashing down in this single moment. He doesn’t even notice you. They’re laughing softly, the sound sharp and painful to your ears.

You had been hopeful for so long. For nothing, it seems.