Chapter 1 - The Abusive Officer
The afternoon sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Room 402 at Saint Jude Military Medical Center, reflecting harshly off the sterile vinyl floors. The high-pitched, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor provided a steady, ominous pulse in the quiet room. Rebecca sat propped up against crisp white sheets, her face and bare arms covered in deep purple contusions and healing lacerations. Her messy blonde hair framed a pale, exhausted face, and both of her legs were immobilized in thick, heavy white fiberglass casts extending to her thighs.
Every breath she took hurt her fractured ribs, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the terror standing beside her bed.
Caleb stood tall, immaculately dressed in his white naval officer service uniform, complete with shoulder epaulets and rows of colorful military ribbons. His face was twisted into a cold, contemptuous mask. Without warning, his large hand shot out and clamped down hard around Rebecca’s bruised wrist, yanking her arm upward.
"Get out of that bed. I’m not paying another dollar for this," Caleb hissed, his voice dropping into a harsh, impatient threat.
Rebecca gasped, a sharp jolt of agony shooting through her arm and down into her shattered hips. Behind her, the heart monitor screen spiked violently, its green lines flashing as the pulse alarm began to sound a high-pitched alert.
"Caleb, I can’t... my legs are broken," Rebecca gasped out through her teeth, fresh tears welling in her eyes as she tried to pull her wrist back.
Caleb leaned in closer, his aggressive, dark eyes narrowing until his face was inches from hers. His thumb dug deeper into her soft, swollen skin, intentionally pressing against a deep purple bruise. "Don’t start with this drama. Get up!"
For three years, Rebecca had endured his control, his subtle threats, and his terrifying temper hidden behind his pristine military reputation. But looking at his angry, unyielding face while her body lay broken from the "accident" he had caused on the bridge, something inside her snapped.
May you like
She took a slow, deliberate breath, staring directly into his furious eyes.
"No," Rebecca whispered firmly.
