Medal in Hand: A Stand for Justice Chapter 07
It was the first time in days that I’d felt truly respected. With Isaac’s assurance, the weight on my chest finally eased.
He insisted on driving me home, but the moment he stepped inside and saw the wreckage, he froze in disbelief.
Apparently, while I was away, Harold had sent men to break in and destroy everything inside.
Fortunately, I had sent Giselle to her maternal grandmother’s place beforehand. Otherwise, if she had seen the devastation, it would have left her even more traumatized.
There wasn’t a single piece of furniture left intact. Even the pots and pans had been smashed to bits.
Isaac trembled with rage at the sight.
Then, right on cue, Harold called.
I put the call on speaker in front of Isaac.
In an instant, Harold’s arrogant voice blared out, “Back home, old geezer? It doesn’t feel good seeing your
house wrecked, does it?”
Furious, Isaac snatched the phone from my hand and shouted, “Do you think you can push people around like this? Aren’t you afraid the law will come down on you?”
But instead of backing down, Harold let out a mocking laugh. “Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do? Yeah, I’m throwing my weight around. So what? What are you going to do about it?” he
retorted.
I saw Isaac’s knuckles turn white. He was seething.
Harold sneered and spat out one last threat. If I didn’t sign the statement by tomorrow, he’d destroy my
family and leave us for dead. And with that, he hung up.
“This is unbelievable!” Isaac roared. He burned with fury as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
He then ordered, “Tomorrow, bring a team to the location I’m sending you.”
Once he hung up, he turned to me. “Don’t worry, Mr. Tanner. You don’t have to be afraid or get involved. I’ll take care of everything.”
Since my house was no longer fit to live in, Isaac arranged for me to move into one of the dorms on base.
Word spread quickly. That evening, officers and commanders streamed into my room carrying gifts. Even many retired soldiers had come rushing back after they heard of what had happened.
The line stretched from my room all the way out to the gate. Every single one of them had once served
with Moses and Clara-whether as comrades or commanding officers.
When they learned that the child of their fallen comrades had been bullied, their fury erupted. They
swore to use every means at their disposal to seek justice for Giselle.
Not to mention, when they heard that my place had been destroyed, one wealthy veteran immediately offered an unused house of his own, saying it would be Giselle’s new home.
Another assured me that we didn’t need to worry about furniture. They would pool their money to replace
it all.
Their generosity moved me deeply.
This kind of pure, unwavering loyalty was something I hadn’t felt in years. Moses and Clara might have
been gone, but they had left behind brothers-in-arms who would stand by them no matter what.
I wiped away my tears and told them I couldn’t simply accept these things for free. I had to pay. After all,
Moses had made me promise never to use the label of a fallen soldier’s family to claim benefits.
I couldn’t go against his wishes.
At that, the wealthy veteran dropped to his knees. Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, “Mr. Tanner,
Moses and Clara died saving me six years ago. I owe your family more than I can repay.
“From this day on, you’re my family. I’ll take care of you as if you were my own father, and I’ll raise Giselle
as my own.”
One after another, the others lowered their heads. “That’s right. We’re all like sons to you! Please, don’t
stand on ceremony with us.”
Another added, “Your fight is our fight. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on you will answer to us. We’ll make them pay!”
