Ex-husband's Love Comes After Divorce

"Dad... don't leave me! Please... Dad!"

My cries echoed through the emergency room that night, five years ago. My father's body lay weak on the bed, tubes attached to his frail frame. His heart had stopped once, then beat again for a moment-only to give me false hope.

I clutched his hand tightly, tears streaming down my face.

"In this world... I only have you, Dad..." My voice was hoarse, choked by a reality I refused to accept.

But the monitor went flat, the sound turning into a single unbroken line.

"I'm sorry, we've done everything we could..." the doctor said with his head lowered.

I screamed, my whole body trembling. My world collapsed.

Beside me, a graceful woman in a black gown touched my shoulder. Mrs. Bagaskara. Her eyes glistened though her face remained composed. Her husband, Mr. Bagaskara, stood stiffly behind her.

"Devia..." Her soft voice pierced my ears as she gripped my hand firmly.

"This accident... was caused by the negligence of our family's driver." Her breath was heavy, her lips trembling.

"As atonement... marry my son. From tonight onward, you will become part of the Bagaskara family."

I stared at her with swollen eyes. Marry? When I had just lost my father? But the look in her eyes carried both demand and a promise I couldn't refuse.

That night, I signed my fate.

---

Five years have passed since that day. I, Devia, am now legally the wife of Argantara Bagaskara.

But "wife" is nothing more than a word on paper.

My husband-the tall, handsome man as cold as the Arctic-has never truly seen me. Not once has he acknowledged me as his wife with sincerity.

For five years, we lived under the same roof, yet his heart was nowhere to be found.

Every time I tried to get close, he pushed me away with excuses of being busy.

Every time I waited, he returned home late at night.

But tonight was different. Tonight I carried a secret-a new life within me. I was pregnant.

Though my hands trembled, my heart was filled with hope.

I wanted him to know. I wanted-just once-to see joy on his face because of me.

---

It was eleven o'clock at night.

I sat in the living room, my hand resting on my still-flat stomach, imagining the tiny life growing inside.

The front door creaked open. Footsteps echoed.

Argantara finally came home. His black suit was still neat, his face cold, his eyes never glancing at me.

"Argan..." I called softly.

"Hm." He grunted, tossing his keys onto the table.

I stood up, forcing a smile though my heart pounded. "I... I have something to tell you."

He shrugged off his jacket, dropped it carelessly, and sat on the sofa. His eyes weren't on me but glued to his phone, his fingers tapping rapidly.

"Can you listen to me for just a moment?" My voice wavered, rising with nerves.

"I'm busy, Devia." He sighed without looking up. "Tell me tomorrow."

I bit my lip. "But this is important..."

For the first time, he looked at me. His gaze was sharp, piercing. "What?"

My lips parted-I wanted to say I'm pregnant. But something in his expression froze me. There was a firmness in his eyes, as though he had already prepared words far crueller than mine.

He straightened his posture, set his phone on the table.

"Devia," he said flatly. "Let's get a divorce."

I froze. My entire body turned rigid. The words hit me like a storm.

"W-what did you say?" My voice cracked.

He met my eyes without a blink. "I want to end this marriage. We were never truly in love. So... why continue?"

My knees weakened, but I forced myself to stay standing. "You... you can't be serious, right? Argan, listen-I was just about to tell you something-"

"Whatever it is, it won't change my decision."

His tone was cold, stripped of emotion.

Tears spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

"For five years... I waited. I endured. Do you know why? Because I believed-someday-you would open your heart to me."

He scoffed. "You're too naïve, Devia."

My fists clenched. Pain stabbed through my chest, but I couldn't stop. "I'm pregnant, Argan! I'm carrying your child!"

The room froze.

Argantara's eyes lingered on me, then he slowly rose to his feet. His gaze flickered with something-not joy-but shock laced with rejection.

"You... pregnant?" His voice was low.

I nodded quickly, tears still falling. "Yes... this is good news, isn't it? I thought-I hoped-this child could bring us together."

But instead, he smirked. Cold. Cruel.

"You're wrong, Devia." He stepped closer, his voice heavy. "This child... won't change anything. I still want a divorce."

I staggered back. "Argan... don't say that. This baby isn't guilty of anything. I... I can't lose again. After Dad, you're all I have left!"

"Stop blaming me for your life," he snapped, voice sharp. "I never wanted this marriage. It was all because of our parents. You know that."

My chest tightened. His words cut like blades.

"So... from the start, I was just a debt payment for the Bagaskara family?" I whispered bitterly.

He said nothing. But his silence was the cruelest answer.

I sobbed, my body trembling. "Argan, please... don't do this. If not for me, then for our child."

He turned his face away. "I'm not ready to be a father. And I was never meant to be your husband."

My heart shattered.

I collapsed to the floor, covering my face with both hands. My cries filled the empty room.

Argantara stood there, watching me for a moment, then grabbed his car keys again.

"I'll speak to the lawyer tomorrow," he said calmly. "Prepare yourself."

The door slammed. The roar of his car engine faded into the night, leaving me alone.

Still on the floor, I clutched my stomach tightly.

"My baby... forgive me," I whispered weakly. "You'll be born without your father's love. But I... I will protect you."

Tears kept falling, mixing with fear and rage. That night, I knew my life would never be the same again.

But there was one thing Argan didn't know-

I was not a weak woman who could be trampled on forever.

If he wanted a divorce, if he wanted to abandon me and this child, then I would fight back.

Because from that night on, I swore... I would no longer be the "cold wife" he ignored.

"Mrs. Devia, from this moment on, you are reassigned to office service staff. Your position as manager has already been replaced!"

I had just stepped into the office building, clutching my presentation files tightly, when that cold voice greeted me. Argantara's personal assistant stood in front of me, his face stiff, his eyes avoiding mine.

I froze for a few seconds. My breath caught. "What did you just say?" I asked, my voice trembling yet firm.

The assistant lowered his head, clearly afraid of my reaction. "Starting today, you are officially transferred. The product manager position is now held by someone else."

The files almost slipped from my hands. "How could this happen? The product launch is just around the corner! Why am I suddenly being sent to... office service?"

I pressed the last words bitterly. Office service? That was the lowest position of all. After five years of hard work-late nights, endless ideas, leading my team-now I was being thrown aside like trash?

A soft laugh echoed behind me. I turned quickly.

"Devia, you must be shocked, aren't you? Why you've suddenly been demoted to office staff?"

I knew that voice. Sweet, yet dripping with venom.

Revania.

The woman I once suspected of being the ghost inside Argantara's heart. His first love. And now she stood there, elegant in a white blazer, her hair tied neatly, her sly smile making my blood boil.

"What are you doing here, Revania?" I demanded, struggling to control my anger.

She walked closer, her steps graceful, as if the marble floor was her runway. Leaning close, her whisper stabbed my ear.

"Of course... I came to take back what was mine, what you stole five years ago."

I stiffened. My eyes snapped to hers. "Yours?"

She smirked. "Argantara. And now... this manager's chair."

A bitter laugh escaped me, though my chest burned. "Don't be ridiculous. I earned this position with my own hard work. Not by seducing a man or clinging to the past."

Revania chuckled, her voice sharp. "Oh, Devia... still so naïve. Do you really think the business world is only about hard work? No. It's about power. And right now, I'm on the stronger side."

My eyes narrowed. "You underestimate me, Revania?"

She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Not underestimate. Just knowing... you won't last. The launch is coming, and you won't be the one handling it. Because now, it's my responsibility."

My chest tightened, but I couldn't show weakness. I stepped forward, standing face-to-face with her. "Then we'll see who falls first. You... or me."

Our gazes locked, sharp and blazing, like two swords colliding.

Argantara's assistant, uneasy, tried to cut in. "Mrs. Devia... I'm only following orders. Please don't blame me."

My eyes shot to him. "Whose orders?"

He swallowed hard. "Mr. Argantara's..."

Rage flared in my veins. So this was all... my husband's command?

Revania chuckled at my reaction. "See? Even Argan no longer believes in you. You were nothing more than the wife he was forced to marry, Devia. Nothing more."

My fists clenched tight. I wanted so badly to wipe that smug smile off her face-but I restrained myself. That was exactly what she wanted.

"Listen carefully, Revania." My voice was low, but laced with steel. "I will not back down. That manager's chair, that position-I built it with blood and tears. If you think you can tear me down easily, you're gravely mistaken."

Revania folded her arms, her eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. "We'll see about that."

---

That day, I was truly forced into a new room. From a manager's glass-walled office, I was shoved into a tiny corner behind the pantry.

An old desk, a rickety chair, and a gray uniform awaited me.

I stared at them, my hands trembling. "This... is humiliation."

My coworkers stared, whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that Mrs. Devia, Mr. Argan's wife?"

"Yeah, they say she's just a staff servant now."

"No wonder. Revania fits the manager's chair so much better. She has class."

I gritted my teeth, swallowing the tears burning my eyes. No. I would not let them see me weak.

As I was about to sit, the door opened again. And there she was-Revania. This time holding a thick stack of files.

"Devia," she said with mocking sweetness. "Oh, sorry... I should call you by your new title. Servant Devia."

My eyes locked on hers, cold. "What do you want now?"

She tossed the files onto my desk, scattering papers across the floor on purpose. "These reports. You'll handle them. Because even if your rank has dropped, you can still serve me."

I stood, glaring at her without flinching. "Don't be too confident, Revania. The fight has only just begun. And I won't let you win so easily."

She smirked, leaning closer to whisper. "You'll lose, Devia. Because this time, I have everything. The position, the power, even Argan's love."

The words hit me, but I kept my face unreadable. Let her feel victorious now. Because I knew-one misstep would be the very weapon I'd use against her.

She walked away with a sharp laugh that echoed in my ears.

I closed my eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. Then whispered to myself,

"I'll prove it, Revania. I'll prove it to Argan. No one will take me down so easily."

I bent down to gather the scattered papers. But when my eyes caught one particular document-my breath stopped.

"Devia, you will never win Argantara's heart!"

The voice pierced my ears the moment I opened the office door that afternoon. Revania stood before me with a triumphant smile. Her posture straight, chin lifted high, her eyes glittering with arrogance.

"Even if you are his wife, don't ever forget..." She stepped closer, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. "I was his first love. Not you."

A faint laugh came from beside her. A young woman-Revania's assistant-covered her mouth mockingly.

"How pitiful. The legal wife, yet never seen as a wife. What a shame, Mrs. Devia."

The words lashed at my pride like a whip. My chest rose and fell heavily, my breath thick with anger. I tried to keep my composure, but Revania pressed on, merciless.

"Devia..." She stopped just an inch away, her smile dripping with malice. "You can parade yourself in front of others, but in front of Argan, you're nothing but a shadow. I'm the one he truly desires."

My fists clenched, trembling. And when she shoved me hard, nearly knocking me off balance, my patience snapped.

Straightening myself, I grabbed her wrist firmly. My gaze locked onto hers like steel.

"You think you can treat me like this, Revania?" My voice was sharp, cutting through the air. "You are nothing but the mistress. And that's all you'll ever be. If Argan truly loved you, he wouldn't have kept you hidden as someone's side woman."

Her eyes flared with fury, her face twisted with rage.

"How dare you speak to me like that!"

She raised her hand to slap me, but before her palm could touch my face, I caught it midair.

"Enough, Revania," I said coldly. "I've let you humiliate me for too long. But today, that ends."

Her assistant widened her eyes, then snickered mockingly.

"Hahaha, look at this! Mrs. Devia dares to fight back. Have you forgotten? Even your husband doesn't side with you. Mr. Argan always stands with Miss Revania."

I turned, my eyes slicing at her like blades. "Silence. You're nothing but her shadow. Don't interfere in the affairs of two women."

Revania yanked her wrist free with force, her face red, lips trembling with fury.

"Devia! Who do you think you are, talking to me like this?"

I stepped forward, this time pressing her back. "I am his wife. That's reality. Whether you accept it or not, the world acknowledges me as Argantara's lawful wife. And you? You remain hidden, a secret in the shadows. Even Argan doesn't dare show you in public."

Revania froze, caught off guard, but quickly masked it with a bitter laugh.

"You think I care about what the world says? What matters is that Argan loves me. I'm the one in his heart-not you."

I stared at her, my voice low but piercing. "If you're so sure of that, then why-after five years-are you still in the same place? A mistress."

"DEVIA!" Revania screamed, her face crimson. She raised her hand again, but I stepped back slightly, making her stumble.

"Don't touch me," I said coldly. "I won't lower myself to fight a woman who chooses to live in a man's shadow. You want to slap me? That only proves your desperation."

Her assistant stepped forward in protest. "How dare you talk to Miss Revania like that!"

I turned my glare on her, sharp and unwavering. "And how dare you, a mere subordinate, involve yourself in your master's private affairs? Don't forget-on paper, I am still the mistress of the Bagaskara family."

The girl paled instantly, retreating a step in silence.

Revania ground her teeth, pointing her finger in my face. "Devia... you'll regret every word you've just said. I'll take everything from you. Argan's love, your position in the company, even your dignity. Everything will be mine!"

A crooked smile curved my lips, though my heart trembled. "Then prove it. I've stayed silent for too long. Now... I'll show you that the Devia you belittle can rise higher than you ever will."

The air grew tense, heavy, the atmosphere like two lionesses circling for the kill.

A few employees passing by stopped, whispering breathlessly at the heated clash. But I didn't care.

Revania finally spun on her heel with a sharp flick, slapping away my hand as she stormed past. "You'll lose, Devia! You're too naïve to fight me!"

Her footsteps echoed down the hall, her assistant trailing behind with one last hateful glare.

And I stood there, unmoving, my resolve burning hotter than ever.