package on doorstep
Jade Small
Jade Small
March 3, 2024 Â·  8 min read

Soldier Send His Wife This Gift While Deployed – She Divorced Him 24 Hours Later – a Short Story

Sally had had enough. Her husband was never at home because he was a soldier in the army. He kept promising that he would find another job that allowed him to stay at home. But that day never came. He was out fighting another war somewhere across the world, and he had a brilliant idea to get Sally a present. However, the day he received it, was the day she decided to divorce him.

High school sweethearts tied the knot!

Sally met her husband when they were just in High school. Richard had been on the wrestling team, and he was pretty good. Unfortunately, he did not make it into a university scholarship program. So, he decided to take up the family business. That meant enlisting in the united states Army. This was not the life that sally had planned for them. Her father had been a soldier, and he was barely at home. Although, she loved Richard dearly and would put up with being a soldier’s wife to be with him.

they were so happy in the beginning
Image credit: Pexels

When Sally and Richard finally graduated, they had their whole lives ahead of them. Richard started his boot camp training, and soon he was given his first posting. They had to move across the country, which meant Sally had to leave everything she knew behind. But, she took marriage very seriously, and her love for her husband ran deep. So, she plucked up her courage and packed up their belongings. 

A call to fight

Soon after they settled into their new home, Richard got the news that his platoon was to be sent off to the Middle East. The news was heartbreaking for they had only just arrived and her husband was being called to war. Fear gripped her heart as she mulled over the possibility of Richard getting hurt. 

Over the next two years, Richard was barely home. He became quite the sought-after soldier, and he was permanently sent off on another mission. Sally had grown used to his absence, although she longed for his return the moment he left home. 

Read: Man Is Certain His Wife Died 3 Years Ago, Accidentally Meets Her on Vacation – a Short Story

An unexpected turn of events 

Sally stood in the bathroom, staring at her reflection. Her face was the epitome of terror with a perfect mixture of bewilderment. Her heart was hammering on her chest, but her hand was resting on her belly. Millions of questions were racing through her mind. She had always wanted to become a mother, but was this the right time? She glanced at the pregnancy test she had just tested herself on, hoping the plus sign would magically disappear. 

Sally realized she was pregnant
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There is no time like the present… but presently, her husband is barely home. Sally feared that she would end up raising their child alone. That was not how she had imagined things. However, she went along with the pregnancy. Nine months later, her daughter Lillian was born.

False promises from her soldier husband

Lillian was the piece of joy that was missing from Sally’s life. She was a perfect little angel, beside the typical toddler tantrums. Now that she had someone to care for, Sally was not as lonely as when Richard left. The only thing that bothered her, was that Richard was going to miss half of his daughter’s upbringing from being sent away. He had promised to quit being a soldier in the army, and find work that allowed him to stay home. Although, when his platoon was about to ship out again, he agreed to go – much to Sally’s dismay.

Soldiers running
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Richard promised he was going to get Sally a gift to make up for leaving again. He promised this would be the last time, but Sally could not help but doubt that. Richard knew the gift had to be spectacular. So, he put much thought into it, and he asked his friend to help him as he was very far away.

The spectacular gift

One day, Sally came home after dropping Lillian off at daycare. She saw a parcel standing by the front door of her house. Curious, she opened it, and aw there was an old rusted key inside. Taking the key out, she examined it. Looking back into the box, she saw a note with her soldier husband’s messy handwriting. The note was short and confusing. All that it contained were a set of coordinates.

Feeling seriously intrigued… She knew this was the gift that Richard had promised. She decided to follow the coordinates to see where they led, and what the key was intended for. After typing in the coordinate, she was on her way. About 20 minutes later, Sally arrived at a house. It was very run-down, with broken windows and a weathered paint job. She kept wondering to herself why her soldier husband would send her there. But, he had to see if the key worked.

Inside the box was a key
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As Sally reached the front door of the house, she put the key in the lock and was surprised when it worked. Going inside, she was a little nervous. The house was falling apart on the inside too. Her curiosity soon turned to frustration. She thought to herself this was a cruel joke on Richard’s part. Her mind raced with all the possible reasons why he would send her there, or why this house was part of the gift. she reached into her pocket to call him and ask what was going on.

Suddenly…

Out of nowhere, a thud came from the room above Sally. She froze in fright. Her anger dissipated in seconds as she wondered what to do next. The noise could be a part of the gift. So, she walked toward the stairs and started to climb. As she reached the top, she saw a door that stood ajar. She went towards it… Suddenly, a man came rushing out and nearly knocked Sally to the ground. She screamed in fright and tried to run away. The man grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. He yelled for her possessions, and she gave them up willingly.

The man ran out of the building along with everything Sally had. She heard him get into her car outside the house and drive off. She was in shock, but she knew she had to get home somehow. Climbing to her feet, she staggered outside. Once there, she waved down a pedestrian and explained the whole story. That’s when she burst into tears. This man helped her get home by lending her his phone. He then walked her to the police station, which was ironically right around the corner. they were kind enough to escort her home.

Read: Wife Learns Her Husband Who Never Wanted to Have Children Has Another Woman and 5 Kids – a Short Story

Sally was distraught
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More surprises

She waved as the policemen drove away after dropping her at home. She turned towards the house and realized there was a car parked in the driveway. But, it wasn’t her car, nor was it a soldier’s car. She was still freaked out from the incident in the abandoned house and wished she had asked the police to stay with her until she knew she was safe.

She tenderly went up to the front door, and just before she could reach the handle, it opened for her. Sally jumped in fright. But, the man who opened was Richard’s best friend from high school, Paul. He quickly saw the scared expression on her face and ushered her inside. His face sank as she explained the traumatic story. Sighing, he gestured for her to go upstairs, explaining that something was waiting for her on her bed.

Bewildered, Sally followed his instruction. And, sure enough, there was a surprise. On her bed lay a life-sized pillow with her husband’s image printed on it. He was wearing his soldier uniform. Sally’s blood began to boil, she was furious. Seeing her expression, Richard’s friend tried to explain. He had sent her coordinates to a house that belonged to Paul. It was all a plot to distract her for a few hours so he could deliver the pillow while she was out of the house.

She called her lawyer up.
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Infuriated

Sally had had enough. Her soldier husband’s careless plan could have gotten her seriously hurt, or worse, killed. She burst into tears and told the friend to leave. Of all the silly things he had done, this was the thick of it. Richard was supposed to get her something to make up for being away all the time, and he thought a life-size pillow would make do. Sally was having none of it.

She used the house phone to call her lawyer because all she wanted was a divorce. Richard was heartbroken. He had not anticipated a vagrant living in the house. He felt terrible for his mistake, and he begged her to forgive him. Sally said she did not hold anything against him, but she knows she deserved someone present in her life, as well as Lillian’s. She no longer wanted to be married to a soldier, so he reluctantly signed the papers.

Richard the soldier had to sign the papers
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Sally was now a free woman, free to find a man who was deserving of her love. One day, she bumped into the man who had helped the day she was attacked. They both felt a chemistry between them immediately. They started dating, and Sally was blown away by how attentive he was to her every need. Soon, they got married, and her new husband was always there for her.

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This fictional story was inspired by stories from around the web. Any similarities between this story and actual people are purely coincidental