A trending tag read: "Emil Carson's mistress is pregnant."

On my birthday, he came home with a woman who had a slightly visible baby bump.

"Caprice is pregnant. I need to make sure she and the baby are properly taken care of. I’ll need you to cooperate. For now, we’ll go through a temporary divorce. Don’t worry. Once the baby is born, we’ll get married again."

I did not cry or make a scene. I proceeded with the divorce from Emil.

When we stepped out of the city hall, he expressed in a pleased manner, "Just stay low and keep to yourself. I'll contact you after Caprice gives birth."

Then, his tone suddenly became threatening. "But if you cause any kind of trouble for Caprice, you can give up on any chance of remarrying me."

I nodded quietly.

However, I waited until they had their second baby, and yet there did not seem to be any initiative on his part to remarry me.

It did not matter anymore. I was about to give birth to twins—a son and a daughter. Just like Emil, I was going to become a parent of two.

If anything, I was afraid of him barging back into my life and disturbing my peace.

After all, I now have a partner who has a particular streak of jealousy.

Emil was relatively generous. During the divorce proceedings, he gave me $20 million on top of a car and a house.

I started a modest florist business with the money.

I had just bid farewell to a customer when I received a notification on my phone. It was a text from Emil, whom I hadn't contacted in three years.

"Meet me at the city hall tomorrow at nine o’clock. We’re getting remarried."

The tone of the text was as curt and authoritative as he had always been.

Just from the text alone, I could imagine the facial expression he wore when composing it—the same high and mighty demeanor that held himself above everything else.

I set my phone aside and did not reply to his text.

In the past, I would reply to his texts instantly, but now, even after ten minutes had passed, there was still no reply from me.

In a quite uncharacteristic manner, he double-texted me. "You’re not going to get another chance like this in your life again."

I frowned. He was as arrogant as ever.

Sure, Tara Everson from three years ago may be completely devoted to him.

However, what made him think I would still be as devoted to him after everything he had done? He had publicly cheated on me and fathered children with another woman!

I tapped on his profile and blocked him right then and there.

The next morning, I took my time and leisurely strolled into the city hall at ten o’clock. Just as I stepped onto the stairway, I heard a vexed grumble behind me.

"Tara, what happened to punctuality? I've been waiting for you here for a whole hour!"

It was Emil.

I frowned faintly. I assumed he would understand my absence of reply was effectively a refusal of his offer to get remarried.

I certainly did not expect him to not only show up anyway, but even wait for an hour.

How rare.

In the past, even just a five-minute wait was enough to irritate him to no end. It seemed like he was certain I would come today.

"Alright, let’s go. Quit dilly-dallying."

With that, he walked into the building.

After taking a couple of steps, he realized I did not follow after him. He frowned, making his displeasure known.

"Tara, that's enough! I have graciously waited for you for an hour, so don’t push your luck."

I rolled my eyes at how self-righteous he was acting. "Did I even ask you to wait?"

His face darkened. "What is that supposed to mean?"

I laughed. "What else do you think it means? I never planned to remarry you."

He did not believe me. "You may say that, but what your action says otherwise. Even though you showed up late, you’re still here, aren’t you? Relax. I gave you my word that we would wed again, provided you remember your role."

I rolled my eyes so hard they practically reached the back of my skull. In the few years since we last met, his narcissism had intensified.

I frowned. "Who told you I came here to remarry you? Did it ever cross your mind that I might be here to get a marriage license with someone else?"

Emil did a double-take before scoffing, "Alright, quit being so stubborn. You honestly think I'm not aware of how much you adore me? You would never marry anyone else."

He spoke with such unwavering confidence and held himself superior to me.

Even though I had moved on from him, I still felt a faint tinge of pain when he said that.

I did love him. I loved him wholeheartedly, with all my heart and soul.

As for him?

He took my love for granted. He turned me into the biggest laughing stock in Sopol.

The color drained from my face. I decided it was not worth bickering with him. "If you don’t believe me, so be it."

My indifference must have provoked him, for he suddenly seized my wrist. "Tara, don't push your luck. You’ve gone a little too far with your antics.

"What happened with Caprice was a disservice towards you, but I did fulfill my promise to remarry you, didn’t I? What more do you want?

"If you keep causing a scene, I’m going to retract my offer to remarry you. You’re going to regret it."

I could tell he had run out of patience, judging by his expression.

Regret?

I had already done my part of regretting. I regretted not leaving him sooner. It was only after I left him that I realized that there was more to this world than Emil.

"Emil, let me be perfectly clear: I have no intention of remarrying you. In fact, I am already married, so I would appreciate it if you stopped pestering me." I shrugged off his hand and turned to leave.

I thought I had made myself clear, but he still did not believe me.

"How is that possible?"

I did not expect him to be so persistent, even though it had been three years. I frowned in response. "Why wouldn’t it be? We've been separated for three years, not three months. Besides, can't you see I’m pregnant?"

Only a blind man would not be able to tell I was pregnant.

I was carrying a pair of twins to boot, which meant my belly was twice the size of the average pregnant woman. My due date was soon. What was so hard to believe about me getting remarried?

I needed a valid marriage certificate to apply for my children's birth certificates, which was why I was there that day.

It was all because of that obsessive man who tore up our marriage certificate on the very day we got it. He claimed that there was no possibility of us getting divorced if the marriage certificate did not exist. That way, I was bound to be his wife for life.

Coincidentally, my appointment to get a replacement wedding certificate was set for the same day. Otherwise, I would not be here and cause such a misunderstanding with Emil.

I assumed he would finally understand now that I have laid out the facts bare.

That was when he finally looked at my waist and proceeded to frown and make his disdain known.

"How did you even let yourself go like that?"

I was thrown off. He sounded completely oblivious.

"Even though I left you, you should have taken better care of yourself. You have to start losing weight from now on. We’re going to sleep in separate rooms starting from now on."

I laughed in his face. "Take another look. I. Am. Pregnant. Doesn’t your wife have two children herself? Shouldn’t you figure out the difference between being pregnant and being fat?"

His face turned pale immediately. When he fixed another look on my pregnant belly, his breathing began to grow heavier.

"You really are pregnant?"

Even now, he seemed to be in disbelief.

I nodded and announced unabashedly, "Yes. With a pair of twins."

My nonchalant attitude completely infuriated him.

He grabbed my wrist and cried out exasperatedly, "Tara! How dare you cheat on me?"

His eyes were bloodshot as if he were about to turn into a beast.

"Should I remind you that we are already divorced?" Unlike Emil, who was freaking out, I remained composed.

"Didn't I tell you that our divorce was only a temporary arrangement? You are the one and only Mrs. Carson. I haven’t even taken off our wedding ring. Have you been so eager to run off with another man all this time? Why would you do something like that to me?"

He showed me his right hand to back up his claims, flashing our wedding ring.

From the self-righteous way he was presenting himself, one would think he was the one who caught me cheating instead.

If it wasn’t for him locking my wrist in a death grip tight enough to hurt me, I would have burst out laughing in his face.

What was wearing a ring supposed to prove? His loyalty?

How ridiculous.

Even when we were married, a mere wedding ring did not stop him from sleeping with other women. Despite being a scoundrel, he insisted on presenting himself as a devoted husband.

I was done wasting time with him and heckled him to release me. "Let go!"

However, Emil was persistent. "You're not leaving until you explain everything clearly."

I tried to wring myself free, but he was far too strong for me to overpower him. No matter how many times I attempted to pull away, it was no use. It was at this point that I started to regret turning down the offer to have bodyguards escort me today.

I was furious by this point and shot him a vicious glare. "You were the one who cheated on me first, then wanted a divorce! Who do you think you are to question me?"

Emil retorted with what he thought was a bulletproof rebuttal, "I said it was a temporary divorce!"

I sneered, "I never agreed to something like that. It was just your wishful thinking. Like I said, we were through three years ago!"

His face darkened in an instant. "If you abort the pregnancy, I’ll pretend none of this has ever happened."

"You're insane!" I tried to pull myself away, but all that resulted from it was him clenching harder onto me.

At one point in the struggle, his expression suddenly changed.

"Watch out!"

Before I could figure out what was happening, he forcefully shoved me aside.

It was immediately followed by a deafening smash. It was the sound of a flowerpot smashing against his head.

A streak of bright red blood oozed from his forehead.

I broke out in a cold sweat. If Emil hadn't pushed me away, the flowerpot would have struck me instead.

"Don't worry, I’m here!" He pulled me into his arms to comfort me, his voice low and filled with bravado.

I was suddenly struck with a sharp impression. What was happening was a near reenactment of what happened many years ago,

Ten years ago, my father had an affair. He had taken everything valuable with him and ran away with his new lover, saddling us with a mountain of debt.

Soon, the creditors came knocking. Each one of them looked more hostile than the last. My mother and I had trembled with fear.

Since they were unable to find my father, they began to turn their attention to me. They planned to sell me into a nightclub for money.

My mother fought desperately to protect me, only to get beaten up by them.

Just as they were about to take me away by force, Emil happened to pass by and saved me. I remembered how he held me in his arms and comforted me just like he did now.

"Don't be scared. Nobody is going to hurt you now that I’m here."

My heart melted in an instant, and I sank into his arms.

We began dating when we were in high school until our adulthood when we got married. I stuck by his side while he built his business empire from the bottom up.

When we were at our lowest, we would share a single packet of instant noodles.

Back then, he’d held me close and sworn he would love and protect me for the rest of his life. He even said that if he ever betrayed me, he’d deserve whatever came to him.

I believed him. I naively gave him everything and married him for love. I remember how happy I was.

As his career took off, his world grew bigger—and so did the number of people in it. My mother warned me more than once that once a man has money, his eyes start to wander.

I wouldn’t hear it. I was certain Emil would never betray me.

I was wrong. Reality hit harder than I ever imagined, and I had no one to blame but myself.

Wealth and fame come with their own temptations, ones that are hard for most people to resist. Once he had both, he gave in.

In the end, the man who once swore to love me forever… changed his mind.