The Strongest General Has Returned

Chapter 1

"General, I got a letter here from your daughter, Abigail. She's got leukemia, and she is asking to see you before it's too late."

Lyle Jackson sat in a speeding taxi, the rainstorm outside mirroring the turmoil within him. He clutched his phone, listening to his subordinate's report with a serious expression.

Eight years ago, Lyle answered the military's call to take down a notorious international crime ring. It was on his wedding night when duty summoned him away from Yvette Hale, his bride, onto a swift flight to an overseas military base.

The brutal war snatched away eight precious years with no chance for a reunion at home. Little did he know, during his absence, Yvette had given birth to a daughter. She, now in her tender seventh year, struggled against a merciless illness and yearned to meet her father. Finding himself a failure as a parent, he was desperate to see Abigail.

"Where is Yvette, then? Leukemia is curable with proper treatment. I send her 10 thousand dollars every month. Why didn't she seek help for Abigail? She should have told me about it!" Lyle huffed.

His mind was filled with confusion and rage. He had assumed Yvette's silence stemmed from the challenges of overseas communication, but his daughter's letter reached him like a thunderbolt—Yvette had been hiding the truth from him.

"Well..." the subordinate paused, his voice thick with emotion. Finally, he managed to say, "Mrs. Jackson doesn't come home, General. She's been staying at nightclubs, squandering all her money..." His unspoken helplessness echoed through the line.

Lyle, now the military base's top brass and the youngest five-star general in history, stood at the pinnacle of power in Meriana. Yet here he was, the news of his wife's betrayal slashing through him like a blade.

"What... What did you say?" Lyle's voice cracked, a sharp pain slicing through him. It seemed the once kind-hearted Yvette, who embraced him despite his humble origins, had changed.

"Drive faster! My daughter's sick. I must be by her side!" Lyle bellowed, his fists pounding the seat. This letter from home took a month to be delivered to the base; the thought of Abigail's situation worsening haunted him.

***

Meanwhile, Abigail stood at the entrance of a supermarket in the heavy rain. She was carrying a worn bag and wearing a shrunken, ill-fitting school uniform, her teary eyes bearing the trails of the weeping sky.

"I... I didn't steal anything! I wasn't even inside that supermarket. How can you say I'm a thief?" Abigail sobbed, surrounded by a group of adults holding umbrellas. Their expressions were filled with scorn as they pointed at her.

One of them sneered and said, "Then who else could it be, you lousy candy thief?"

Another chimed in, "Exactly! We give our kids pocket money every day. They wouldn't bother stealing a stupid packet of gummy bears! It must be you who did it because you can't afford them!"

A voice cut through the rain, dripping with malice, "I wonder what kind of lowlifes your parents are. A beggar and a prostitute, perhaps? They have abandoned you, right? Otherwise, why would no one bother telling you not to be a thief?"

Abigail's sobs intensified as she clutched the packet of gummy bears, shaking her head desperately. "No, it's not like that! My daddy and mommy have never abandoned me. They're just too busy. My mom told me that things would get better when I grew up."

Pulling out a trophy, she cried out, "I didn't steal anything! My teacher gave me these gummies because I won a school competition today. I was standing there to get out of the rain and wait for my grandma to pick me up. If you don't want me to stay, I can go. But you can't say I'm a thief!"

Abigail had never seen her father, yet she held onto the image that her mother worked tirelessly every day for her medical expenses. Her father was a legendary figure in Meriana, always bringing criminals to justice. She knew she wasn't an unwelcome burden. She just needed to wait—her parents would return to her, sooner or later.

However, all she received in response were vicious insults.

"Your mother is a goddamn w***e!"

"That's true. She's out having fun in nightclubs all the time. If she truly cared about you, why would she treat you like that?"

"As for your father, well, he's even more shameless than her. I heard he ran away when that b***h got pregnant!"

***

Abigail found herself surrounded by adults in their fancy attire, shielded from the pouring rain. Their faces were full of disdain. In a burst of defiance, Abigail lifted her chin, a glint of determination flashing across her eyes. "Don't talk about my mommy and daddy like that!"

She glared at the onlookers and continued, "My mommy isn't what you think! She's the most beautiful lady in this city! And my daddy didn't abandon us! He's my hero! He is a brave general, catching the real baddies. He's not by my side now, but he'll come back soon!" Abigail clung to the belief that her mother would never lie to her. Therefore, her dad must be the hero her mother described.

A booming laughter pierced through the air as a tall figure appeared. It was Jasper Nolan, a man with a commanding presence and a gaze as sharp as a blade. "Well, well, well... that's funny, you little bastard!" he exclaimed.

Jasper approached Abigail with an umbrella in hand. He fixed a cold stare upon the drenched little girl, mockery and malice in his eyes. For more than a year, he had pursued Yvette. He supported her financially and provided her with a job at his nightclub to pay for Abigail's medical expenses. Despite his efforts, Yvette declined his proposals constantly.

Jasper couldn't understand why Yvette was always trying to distance herself from him. Now, he realized Yvette still held onto the memories of this girl's father. His patience and empathy disappeared as he decided to get rid of her daughter, Abigail.

"That mother*cker is not a hero at all. He fled this city when that b***h got kicked out of her family. He thought she was worthless and abandoned her. He's a goddamn a*shole, you know?" Jasper snapped.

"No! That's not true! My daddy is a hero. I sent him a letter a month ago. He must have received it, and he's on his way home!" Abigail's gaze pierced through Jasper, brimming with hope.