Chapter 4
(David's POV)
Just one more week, and I'll be back home with my daughter.
After this mission, I'll finally retire. No more danger, no more distance—just me and Lisa. All of my time will be hers.
Just this one last mission.
"Colonel! Hurry up, we have to go!"
I was putting on my uniform when I heard my comrade call out.
"I'm ready—let's move!"
This wasn't a big mission for me. I've been through worse. I told myself to stay calm.
Let's rock this one too.
---
"Give me cover! I'm going in!" I shouted.
"Sir, it's not safe right now. Don't go in, Col—"
But I didn't wait for him to finish.
It's do or die.
This was my final mission. I needed to make it memorable. I wanted to leave behind a legacy—a story worth telling my grandchildren.
I charged into the building, adrenaline pushing me forward.
"You can do this, Davi—"
Gunshots.
I was just about to fire when a bullet, out of nowhere, struck me—
Right in the head.
"COLONEL!!"
I hit the ground.
I couldn't breathe.
You can't die here, David. Not like this. Lisa needs you. You promised to come home. Breathe, damn it—wake up!
But the voice inside me was fading.
The pain dissolved into silence.
Light turned to darkness.
Jacob… please… take care of Lisa.
The last rays of light slipped away as my eyes closed.
---
(Two Days Later)
(Lisa's POV)
Despite everything, Jacob was still being incredibly kind to me. I couldn't say I liked him yet, but I did want to show appreciation for how well he'd treated me these past few days.
So I invited him for lunch.
While I cooked in the kitchen, he helped set the table.
My phone started ringing.
"Jacob," I called out, "can you please answer that? I'm a little busy here."
"Sure," he replied with his usual calmness.
In these past few days, I realized something:
Jacob wasn't the cold, pushy man I thought he was.
In fact, he was... sweet. Caring. Gentle.
Maybe… if this continues, I could even fall in lo—
Loud crash.
I snapped out of my thoughts and rushed into the living room.
Jacob was just standing there—frozen—staring blankly at the floor where broken plates lay scattered.
"Jacob! Those plates were my mom's! How could you be so careless? Do you even understand how much they meant to me?"
I dropped to the floor, collecting the shattered pieces.
"Lisa…" he started, his voice barely above a whisper. "Your dad... he… he is…"
I stood up, looking at him, my heart pounding.
"What about my father? What happened to him?!"
He didn't respond. He just stared ahead like he'd lost everything.
"Jacob! Say something! What happened to Dad?!"
I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him out of his daze.
"He… he's gone, Lisa."
Gone.
The word hit harder than any bullet ever could.
No, no—this had to be a mistake.
We weren't close enough for him to joke like this, but still… I hoped he was lying.
I kept staring at him, hoping he'd say it was a misunderstanding.
"I'm sorry, Lisa. Truly. He died a hero. You know how much he valued honor. He always said he wanted to go out like a soldier, and… he did."
His voice kept going, but I couldn't process the words anymore. Everything around me turned to static.
I tried to tell myself it was just a bad dream. That I'd wake up soon, and he'd be back.
Jacob suddenly pulled me into a hug.
"Don't hold it in, Lisa. Just cry. Let it out."
But his touch jolted me.
I pulled away.
"No."
I stepped back, walked into my room, and locked the door.
And in that moment, I knew—
My world had shattered.
I didn't know then that this would only be the beginning.
That the girl who once slept on imported mattresses would one day wander the streets, searching for shelter…
Starving.
Alone.
.