Lady Warrior's Warth on Divorce Day novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Soldiers marched out in tight formation, lining up on both sides of the entrance. They snapped to attention, saluting Zoya with crisp precision.

Then she saw him-Commander Arthur Stone, in his crisp dress uniform, cradling a black ebony urn.

A flag was draped over it, the stars and stripes bold against the dark wood.

The sight hit Zoya like a gut punch.

That flag-it was her parents’ heart and soul.

Years ago, they’d answered the call, joined the Horizon Watch Regiment, and shipped out overseas, knowing they might not come back.

“When we found your folks, their remains were… together,” Arthur said, his voice heavy with regret. “They were cremated as one abroad. It’s all in here.”

Zoya gazed at the urn under the flag. “That’s okay,” she said quietly. “Mom and Dad were head over heels for each other. They’d want to stay together.”

Arthur nodded, then stood taller, holding out the urn. “To our fallen heroes, forever in our hearts!”

The soldiers behind him bellowed in unison, “To our fallen heroes, forever in our hearts!”

The shout roared through the sky, shaking the clouds.

Zoya’s eyes stung, but she kept her back straight, returning a solemn salute to Arthur and the troops.

“I’m here,” she said, voice steady, “to bring Mom and Dad home.”

She took the urn from Arthur. It felt heavy, grounding, but somehow gave her peace.

After three years lost in a foreign land, her parents were finally coming home.

Once the handover was done, Arthur’s tone softened. “Where’s your husband? Not with you today?”

Zoya looked down, her voice flat. “Yeah, he’s swamped. Couldn’t make it.”

Arthur, who’d watched Zoya grow up, saw the exhaustion in her eyes. The fiery kid he knew looked worn out after three years of marriage.

“You get in a jam, you come to me, alright?” he said, giving her shoulder a firm pat. “This old guy’s still got some juice.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stone,” Zoya said with a small smile.

“And if things get tough out there, the base is always open to you,” he added.

Zoya gave a slight nod, said her goodbyes, and carried the urn to her car.

She set it gently on the passenger seat, started the engine, and whispered, “Mom, Dad, let’s go home.”

***

1/3

Back at the villa, Zoya hadn’t even stepped inside when her mother-in-law Anica’s voice rang out from the living room.

“Now that Jasmine’s back-and a big-shot pilot-you need to kick Zoya to the curb and marry her already,” Anica said.

“Jasmine’s just a friend, Ma,” Nicolas said, his voice low and tired.

“Friends, my ass,” Violette, Nicolas’s little sister, snorted. “Everyone knows you’re crazy about Jasmine. She’s got the fancy degree, the killer job-first female captain at Cloud Airlines! Zoya’s got nothing. She’s not even in your ballpark.”

Zoya’s heart turned to ice. Three years of marriage, grinding alongside Nicolas to build his company, pulling all-nighters, even working through hospital IVs-

And this is my reward?’ she thought bitterly. ‘Not in his ballpark?’

Just then, Violette spotted her. “Zoya, you got some nerve, sneaking around and eavesdropping!”

Her heart sank like a rock. ‘How could he say that?’

2/3

You think my parents’ ashes are cursed too? Can’t even stay here for a bit?” she asked, staring him down, demanding an

answer.

Nicolas stayed quiet, but his silence said it all.

“And if I say no?” Zoya pressed. “Nicolas, three years of marriage, and I’ve never let you down. Never let your family down.

“When you were building your company, I was right there, busting my hump with you. When your mom’s cataracts had every doc saying her eyes were toast, I was the one running all over town, pulling every string I could to get her the best eye doctor around. I saved her sight!

“I treated you all like family. But have you ever given a damn about mine?”

Her words hit like a punch, and the Mayer family’s faces twisted.

Violette fired back, fuming. “You helped Mom? Please. It was my brother’s cash that got her the top doc. And don’t act like you built his company. He’s the one who took it public. You were just along for the ride!”

Zoya ignored her, locking eyes with Nicolas. “Three years of marriage, and I can’t even keep my parents’ ashes here for a few days?”

Nicolas frowned. “Zoya, don’t make a scene.”

“And if I insist?” She took a step forward.

Anica lost it, storming up to Zoya and swinging a hand at her face. “As long as I’m here, you’re not keeping those ashes in this house!”

The slap landed hard, and Zoya stumbled.

Before she could steady herself, Anica shoved at the urn, trying to knock it from her hands.