I Married My Ex To Save My Family

At the civil registry office, Amaris Mason arrived to find Emiliano Mason already there with his assistant. As always, their conversation crackled with sarcasm right off the bat.

"I never imagined you'd actually agree to Grandfather's terms. Let's just get this over with—my schedule's packed," Amaris said, her tone as cool as ice.

"Oh, big house, money, power, and a cheating husband who’s never around? Sounds like exactly the dream life I signed up for," Emiliano shot back, the sting in her words unmistakable.

"Is this how it's going to be between us from now on?" he asked, barely keeping his annoyance in check.

"I'll keep the personal and professional separate, Mr. Mason," she replied curtly.

The receptionist, picking up on the tension, completely misread the room and gestured to a sign. "Divorces? Please take a number over there."

Amaris froze, for a moment at a complete loss.

Emiliano adjusted his shirt collar and fixed the receptionist with a steady look. "We're here for a marriage license," he said flatly.

A stunned silence hung in the air.

Emiliano's reputation was the stuff of scandal—so bad that, for all his money, no woman of respectable standing would even entertain the idea of marrying him. That left him surrounded by only the most superficial admirers.

Amaris had first met Emiliano when she was seventeen, falling hard for his magnetic charm and what she'd believed was genuine sincerity. But his infidelity left wounds that never fully healed. She still remembered, with painful clarity, the time he'd whispered "Sophia" during a feverish delirium. And it hadn't been her name.

That year, she had loved him with everything she had, and he had shattered her. Seven years after their breakup, she kept hearing about his exploits through every channel. At first, it was almost bearable, but in recent years, the constant parade of women through his life had trashed his reputation and worried his grandfather sick.

His notoriety had spread to the point that families of equal status flat-out refused to involve their daughters, and women from ordinary backgrounds steered as far clear of him as they could.

Amaris couldn't quite pin down what she felt for him now—love was off the table, and hate felt way too strong. She never would have gone near a notorious cheater again if it weren't for the desperate pleas of her aunt and uncle, the ones who'd raised her, begging her to save their company. So, having come this far, she decided to view him as nothing more than a boss and this marriage as a stepping stone to financial security and her own freedom.

Just as they stepped outside with their marriage certificate, Noah, Emiliano's assistant, rushed over, expression urgent, phone in hand. "Mr. Mason, we've got a situation. Chloe Jones is live streaming, threatening to drown herself. The media's losing it."

Emiliano took the phone right as Chloe's voice came through, tearful and hopeless. "I know he doesn't love me, but I love him so much… I'm just lying to myself… I've let down my parents, the company, every single person who stood by me unconditionally. I'm so sorry…"

The comments below were absolutely tearing Emiliano apart.

"Go to hell, you heartless jerk."

"Chloe, don't hurt yourself over a loser like him."

"Live streaming a suicide attempt? Someone call 911!"

"Is that a comment from Emiliano's PR team? If anything happens to our Chloe, we're tearing the Mason building down!"

What a nightmare.

Still holding the fresh marriage certificate, Amaris smirked at Emiliano's furrowed brow. "What a unique wedding gift. I'm truly touched," she mocked.

"I have nothing to do with her," Emiliano ground out, his handsome features tight with frustration.

Amaris wasn't buying it. "Didn't pay her off well enough, huh? Not only are you a cheater, you're a cheapskate, too!"

"......"

Emiliano's expression went darker than a storm cloud. Trying to claim he was being set up would sound as ridiculous as saying the sun rises in the west—people would just laugh in his face.

Noah, risking even more fury, cut in, "Chairman Mason just called. He's livid. He said everything should prioritize… Mrs. Mason's feelings." Noah glanced nervously at Amaris.

After all, the one woman finally willing to marry into the family—they couldn't afford to scare her off.

Facing an emergency, the three of them hurried back to the company.

On the way, the Mason Group's PR department hastily fired off a statement distancing Emiliano from the incident. It only poured gasoline on the fire, spurring more mockery and criticism, accusing him of not only lacking remorse but also kicking Chloe while she was down.

Inside the executive office, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Crisis management staff filled the room, every one of them keeping their heads low, barely daring to breathe.

No one had ever seen Mr. Mason this furious.

For the past three years, Emiliano had bounced from one scandal to another, the PR department forever cleaning up his mess, only for him to get tangled with yet another woman right after. Usually, the heat came down from the old Chairman, not from Emiliano himself.

But this time was different.

Today defied all logic.

"Whose brilliant idea was it to drop a statement right now? You basically confirmed the rumors yourselves!" he thundered. "Mason Group pays you top dollar to sit around playing games at your desks?"

The rumors had started after he and Chloe got photographed together at a charity event. Gossip surfaced practically overnight, detailed enough that it was like someone had been spying on him directly.

Chloe, loving the spotlight, had initially denied them to little effect—if anything, her star power only grew. Back then, given his reputation, Emiliano couldn't have cared less. But of all the days, it had to blow up on his wedding day.

"If you can't see through cheap publicity stunts like these, you might as well eat dirt!" Emiliano shouted.

Noah once again risked speaking up. "Mr. Mason, Chloe's been rescued."

That was a given.

Emiliano's voice cracked through the room like thunder. "If you don't fix this today, you're all out of a job!!!"

Outside, the executive secretary's desk had already been set up—Amaris's new station. She'd been appointed directly by the Chairman as chief secretary, her first day starting now.

Seeing the stormy atmosphere inside, she quietly cracked the door open and beckoned Noah over.

Noah hurried to her, and she whispered a few words, showing him her phone.

His eyes lit right up as he rushed back to Emiliano. "Mr. Mason, we found Chloe's secret account. There's a video—just give me a second."

He pressed play on a WhatsApp video.

The footage was blurry, but it showed the essentials: a man and a woman who looked a whole lot like Chloe walking into a hospital together. The man had his arm around her as they entered the obstetrics and gynecology department.

The gynecology department—a taboo for any female celebrity.

They checked the anonymous social media account linked to her. No verifications, no description, just private couple photos. Even with faces hidden, the distinctive details matched Chloe perfectly, and the man in the photos was the same one who'd accompanied her to the hospital.

The crisis management team let out a collective breath, like they'd just dodged a bullet.

"Leak it anonymously," Emiliano ordered. "I want a clean break. No fallout."

"Understood, sir," they answered, and scurried out of the executive office.

Noah discreetly handed Emiliano a cup of coffee. "Mr. Mason, take it easy."

Emiliano turned, his gaze zeroing in on Noah's left ear.