“I’ll file for divorce tomorrow morning,” he continued, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

“And I will make sure the petition is public.”

“I will detail every single time you left this family to go overseas.”

“I will paint you as an unstable, abusive woman who brings the military into her home to bully a teenager.”

“By the time the press is done with you, the Pentagon won’t have a choice but to strip you of your command.”

Major Harris made a sharp sound in the back of his throat, but I kept my eyes locked on my husband.

The grandfather clock in the living room ticked, a steady, rhythmic sound that seemed to measure the collapse of our marriage.

“Are you finished?” I asked.

Daniel’s jaw tightened.

He looked confused by my lack of reaction.

“I’m giving you a choice, Rachel,” he said.

“Call off your dogs.”

“Tell them Ava made a mistake, that it was a family misunderstanding, and we are handling it internally.”

“If you do that, we can talk about how to fix this.”

“If you don’t, I will destroy everything you have worked for.”