Before The Last Sunrise We Chase Unspoken Promises Together by Arlo Hayes Finn
Vivienne Collier has spent three difficult years married to Commander Bryson Fenwick, a man renowned in the military for his strict discipline and fairness. However, within their marriage, Bryson’s rigid principles turn into emotional neglect. Vivienne receives none of the warmth, protection, or support one would expect from a spouse—especially a man of his stature.
Throughout their marriage, Vivienne continuously tries to be a good wife, but her efforts are always dismissed. On their first wedding anniversary, she prepares a heartfelt dinner and a thoughtful gift, only for Bryson to scold her for “violating discipline.” The second year brings even deeper pain when she suffers a miscarriage and nearly loses her life due to heavy bleeding. Despite the doctor urging that a family member stay with her, Bryson chooses work over her wellbeing, stating he “can’t leave headquarters.”
The third year becomes the final breaking point. When Vivienne’s father falls critically ill and requires urgent transportation to a better hospital, she begs Bryson for a military vehicle. He coldly refuses, insisting on formal procedures and refusing to make an exception—even for his dying father-in-law. With no alternatives, Vivienne pedals a borrowed tricycle through the night. Upon arriving at the hospital, she discovers that her father has passed away.
When she returns with his body, Bryson’s chauffeur appears, stating that the vehicle request has now been approved. The cruel timing makes Vivienne realize that her suffering has never mattered to Bryson. Fueled by anguish, she storms into the military headquarters. Bryson scolds her again, treating her grief as a childish outburst. Before she can respond, a soldier rushes in with alarming news: Nikki, a young woman living in the compound, has fainted. Bryson, who ignored Vivienne’s agony, immediately rushes to Nikki’s side, carries her to a vehicle, and drives her to the hospital with urgency he never showed his own wife.
Rumors soon spread across the compound—Bryson has been caring for Nikki night and day, even procuring rare supplements for her. These stories pierce Vivienne deeply. She finally understands that Bryson’s supposed fairness is selective; he simply cares for Nikki in ways he never cared for her.
Reflecting on her past, Vivienne realizes she was never truly loved. After a near-fatal mission, Bryson was pressured to marry, and Vivienne—captivated by him—signed up for a blind date. He barely acknowledged her but agreed to the marriage out of duty rather than affection. Their wedding was grand, but the relationship was cold from the start. Even on their wedding night, he treated it like an obligation.
Despite Vivienne’s efforts to create warmth in their home, Bryson remained emotionally distant. Everything changed only when Nikki entered their lives. Bryson smiled for the first time in her presence. He even reassigned Vivienne’s job to Nikki to give her employment, let her break dress codes, and ensured the kitchen prepared her preferred meals daily. Whenever Vivienne pointed out the unfairness, Bryson dismissed her concerns, claiming Nikki, being an orphan of a martyr, deserved special treatment.
Eventually, Vivienne accepts the painful truth: Bryson was never incapable of caring—he simply chose not to care for her.
Reaching her limit, she makes two life-changing decisions. First, she contacts her aunt overseas and expresses her desire to emigrate. Her aunt agrees to handle the arrangements. Second, Vivienne calls the military office to file for divorce. When asked why she suddenly wants to leave the marriage she once insisted on, Vivienne calmly explains that she will soon be a foreign resident—remaining Bryson’s wife is no longer appropriate.
When the call ends, Vivienne looks at their old wedding photo. Bryson’s expression is serious and distant, devoid of joy. She realizes she has spent years trying to warm an iceberg that was never meant for her.
At last, she decides that her life will no longer revolve around Commander Bryson Fenwick.
