Tasked With Divorcing My Wife

In the end, they both lost their memories. Forgot each other completely. Started new lives, clean slates.

And the heroine? She met me. A nobody. A background character. We fell in love, got married, had a son.

Six years passed. Then, on a day no different from any other, my wife remembered everything.

Shimmering text, like a glitch in the very air before my eyes, flickered into existence:

OH MY GOD, THEY WROTE A BONUS CHAPTER FOR THIS ANGST-FEST?

YES! THE LEADS FINALLY HAVE THEIR MEMORIES BACK! ARE WE GETTING A HAPPY ENDING?!

But wait, theyre both married to other people now. How is this going to work?

Easy. They each divorce their stand-in spouses and get back together! Duh!

That evening, I walked the city streets, hollowed out and lost. My gaze met that of another woman, her face a mirror of my own despair.

A cigarette was pinched between her fingers as she spoke into her phone, her voice tight.

The person on the other end asked, loud enough for me to hear:

"Ma'am, he's saying something about his memory returning. He wants a divorce to go find his first love. Are you going to agree to this?"

My feet froze to the pavement.

1

Id only just learned it from the shimmering text, the impossible truth: I am a side character in a tragic romance novel. A placeholder.

After the hero and heroine both suffered from amnesia, the heroinemy wifemet me. We fell in love. We built a life.

And the hero? He married the second female lead.

The evening streets were a blur of nameless faces coming and going. I stared at the phantom words hovering in the air, my mind a complete blank. I walked without direction, without purpose, until I nearly collided with herthe woman with the same broken look in her eyes.

She was smoking, talking on the phone. As I passed, the voice on the other end cut through the city noise, sharp and clear.

"Ma'am," the voice said, hesitant. "He's saying something about his memory returning. That he needs to find his first love. That this marriage of convenience is over." A pause. "Are you going to agree to the divorce?"

The woman stood in the deepening shadows of an alley, the cherry of her cigarette glowing and fading, obscuring her expression in the twilight.

My steps faltered. This was too much of a coincidence. It had to be her. The woman the text described as the heros wife.

I found myself looking at her, a strange kinship pulling at me. I didn't want her to see me staring, so I ducked behind the corner of the brick building, my heart pounding. I had to hear her answer.

If she refused the divorce, then the hero couldn't come for my wife, for Lila.

And if he couldn't come for her maybe Lila would stay with me. Maybe our life could go on.

A fragile, desperate hope took root in my chest.

I waited. The silence stretched. No answer came.

Confused, I risked a peek around the corner.

The next thing I saw was a pair of impossibly high heels planted directly in front of me. The woman was holding her phone, a wry, humorless smile playing on her lips as she looked down at me.

"Having fun back there, pal?" she asked, her voice laced with ice.

I flinched. The voice on her phone was still babbling, oblivious.

"Ma'am, if the matriarch finds out she's not getting a grandchild and you're getting a divorce, she'll have another episode, I just know it"

The womans brow furrowed in annoyance. She ended the call without a word.

I was frozen, unsure of what to say. "Sorry," I managed to stammer out.

She studied me for a second, then her gaze went distant. It was clear she was dismissing me, ready to walk away. I hadnt heard her answer. Panic flared in my gut, and without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her sleeve.

She stopped, turning to look at me with cold indifference.

I knew this was insane, that I was crossing a line, but I couldn't help it. "So," I asked, my voice barely a whisper, "are you going to divorce him?"

The woman was silent for a long moment, her expression unreadable. She seemed to be trying to figure out why a complete stranger would be this invested.

She pulled her arm from my grasp and let out a short, sharp laugh. "Mister, you have a serious problem with boundaries."

And with that, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the evening crowd.

2

I took a deep breath outside our front door, trying to piece myself back together before going in.

When I opened it, my son, Finn, came barreling toward me, wrapping his small arms around my leg. "Daddy, you're home!"

Lila emerged from the kitchen carrying a casserole dish, a familiar, easy smile on her face. "There you are. Go wash up, dinner's ready." Her expression was normal. Everything was normal.

Finn darted over to his mom. "Mommy, I can help!"

Lila smiled and crouched down to his level, shaking her head. "That's okay, sweetie. Why don't you take Daddy to wash his hands?"

He chirped a yes and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the bathroom.

Nothing in our home had changed. Lila had picked up our son from school, she had cooked my favorite meal.

Later that night, everything was the same as well.

She curled up against me in bed, her body fitting perfectly against mine, and we whispered our good nights.

It was just another ordinary, mundane day.

She was still the wife who loved me, not the heroine of some tragic novel.

The text appeared again, a chorus of despair.

This is brutal The heroine and hero saw each other on the street today. The second their eyes met, they both remembered everything.

And yet they just looked away. Went back to their separate lives. So calm.

Well, yeah It's been six years. They both have families now.

I don't believe for a second they're over each other. Not after a love like theirs. It was epic.

But the heroine seems so serene Maybe she loves the placeholder husband more now. He's been with her for six years, after all.

I held Lila in my arms, her steady breathing a familiar comfort, and a single thought echoed in my mind:

Does she really love me more?

I didn't know.

All I knew was that Lila had forgotten. Today was our sixth wedding anniversary.

3

Sleep didn't come easily. When it finally did, it was a restless, shallow thing.

I woke in the middle of the night, reaching for the warmth beside me out of instinct.

My hand met empty, cool sheets.

My eyes flew open. I was instantly awake.

She was gone.

The text flared, buzzing with excitement.

YESSSSSS! I KNEW IT! THEY CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!

Rhys is still the bold one, going right to her house!

God, the tension, the forbidden longing this is what I live for.

The air was chilly; autumn had settled in. A light rain was falling outside. I went to the window and looked down at the street below.

And there he was. The hero, Rhys, soaked to the bone, staring up at Lila with a look of stubborn, desperate pain.

I couldn't hear their words, but the text provided a live broadcast.

Tears, or maybe just rain, streamed down his face as he asked her, his voice thick with emotion, "Lila is this really it for us? Is this how it ends?"

My wife just stood there in silence.

His composure broke. He grabbed her hands. "It should have been me! I should be the one married to you, sleeping next to you, having children with you! It should have been me!" His voice cracked. "He stole my place Lila, this is all wrong. We were never supposed to end up like this"

Lila's back was to me, hiding her face. After a long moment, she slowly reached up and gently touched his cheek.

All she said was, "You'll catch a cold."

His hand froze on hers. He stared at her for a second, his eyes searching hers.

Then, throwing all caution to the wind, he leaned in and kissed her.

Lila seemed to resist at first, her hands coming up to his chest.

But he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His wet lips met hers in a kiss filled with the bitter taste of tears and regret.

He was crying, his eyes red-rimmed as he murmured against her mouth, "We used to do this all the time Are you really going to push me away?"

Lila went still. And in the end, she didn't push.

She didn't run.

Oh, my heart it's breaking. Can't they just get back together already? For my sake!

This is so tragic. They were once the closest people in the world, torn apart by amnesia, missing out on so many years.

My ultimate star-crossed lovers. Please, universe, just give them a break. Please.

I stood at the window, watching my wife kiss another man.

Their story was a tragedy, no doubt.

But as I stood there, a numb, hollow question formed in my mind.

What about me?

From twenty-two to twenty-eight. Six years of my life.

The entire youth I spent with Lila.

What was I supposed to do with that?

4

Just then, a mechanical voice echoed not in the room, but inside my head.

It introduced itself as the System. It got straight to the point.

Greetings, Host. I am the System that governs this world.

Would you be willing to accept a mission? Successful completion will result in a substantial financial reward.

I blinked, stunned. "What mission?" I thought, not daring to speak aloud.

The System replied: In order to satisfy reader demand, you must facilitate the happy ending between the male and female leads.

You will need to complete a series of tasks to ensure the hero and heroine end up together.

The absurdity of it hit me like a physical blow.

"You mean you want me to personally push my own wife into the arms of another man?"

"Don't you think that's a little messed up?"

The System was silent for a long moment. Then, with a mental flick, a torrent of information flooded my brain.

My head swam for a few seconds. I was seeing their entire history. Lila and Rhys. From their first meeting to their passionate, all-consuming love affair. It was exactly like a noveldramatic, thrilling, epic. They fought their families, they fought the world, they overcame every obstacle just to be together.

The System's voice was cool and clinical in my ear. No one could ever forget a love that profound. They were always meant to be together.

I understood. Its logic was brutal and flawless.

Their love story was so powerful, so foundational, that even if I did nothing, Lila would leave me eventually. It was inevitable.

My role was simply to make it happen sooner.

The System added another incentive.

Upon successful completion of the mission, you will be rewarded with fifty million dollars. Enough for you and your son to live comfortably for the rest of your lives.

So. Have you made your decision?

I looked down at the two figures on the street, still clinging to each other. I thought about the last six years. Six years of marriage. Lilas meticulous care for me, the clumsy way she learned to mix formula for Finn, how she knew all of my favorite foods and Finn's little quirks.

But when I replayed those six years in my mind, a highlight reel of our life together it only took five minutes.

She had been a wonderful wife. An amazing partner. But that was before she remembered.

I took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Tell me what I have to do."

The System immediately issued the first task.

Convince the second female lead to divorce the hero.

5

The next day was Saturday, so Finn was home from kindergarten. He was in a clingy mood, and I couldn't bring myself to leave him. I ended up taking him with me to complete the mission.

Following the Systems directions, I found the hero's wife's home. My plan was to feel out her attitude first.

My timing, however, was terrible.

A butler showed me into a lavish living room where the woman from the street, Seraphina, was slouched elegantly in an armchair, being lectured by an elderly woman.

"Twenty-nine years old, and you haven't even given me a great-grandchild. I'm asking you, will I get to hold one before I die?"

Finn, shy in the unfamiliar environment, clutched my pant leg and peeked out from behind me, his eyes wide and curious.

Before I could say a word, the old woman's eyes lit up. Her stooped back straightened, her shuffle became a surprisingly brisk walk, and she headed straight for us.

She bent down, her face beaming with affection. "Oh, my goodness! My sweet great-grandson, look how handsome you are!"

She reached out to pick Finn up.

It all happened so fast that no one reacted. It was Seraphina who moved first, stepping between them and gently prying the old woman's hands away. "Grandma," she said, her voice firm but not unkind, "this isn't your great-grandson."

"Nonsense!" the old woman retorted. "I'd know him anywhere! Give me back my great-grandson!"

Seraphina turned to me with an apologetic sigh. "She gets confused sometimes. My apologies." Then, she narrowed her eyes at me.

"HoweverMr. Ethan Cole, husband of my husband's first love," she said, her tone dripping with irony.

"To what, exactly, do I owe the pleasure?"

I wasn't surprised she knew who I was; of course she'd have done her research on Lila and her family. Looking at her, I felt a strange sense of camaraderie. We were in the same impossible, miserable boat.

I chose my words carefully. "It seems your husband doesn't love you."

Seraphina gave me a deadpan look. "Tell me something I don't know."

I was at a loss. "..."

"So can you divorce him?"

She seemed genuinely surprised by my directness. "Are you sure about that? After I divorce him, he's going to come for your wife." She smirked. "What is this? Are you so in love with your wife that you're willing to set her free for her own happiness?"

I was stuck. I couldn't mention the System. That was the only plausible explanation left.

So I went with it. I looked her in the eye, my expression pleading. "Yes. So, will you help them? Will you set them both free?"

This time, Seraphina was silent for a full thirty seconds.

"Fine. I'll grant the divorce. But I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"You have to be my boyfriend."

I stared at her, confused. "Why?"

She gestured toward her grandmother, who was now trying to coax Finn into playing with her pearls, and shrugged helplessly.

"You see how it is. The old dear isn't well. She obsesses over a great-grandchild."

"After the divorce, I'll need someone new to play the part of my husband. And my child."

Her words clicked with the information the System had given me. Seraphina had married Rhys as part of a family business merger, but also to give her ailing grandmother peace of mind.

I thought about it. "Okay," I said, nodding. "I can do that. I can pretend for your grandmother. Just call me when you need me."

"It will also require a certain level of public affection in her presence," she added.

I clenched my jaw. "Fine."

A slow, genuine smile spread across Seraphina's face.

"It's a deal then, my dear pretend-boyfriend."

6

When I got home, Lila had dinner on the table, just like always.

I had barely stepped inside when there was a knock on the door. It was a delivery guy from the dry cleaner's. He handed me a garment bag. "Your order, sir."

I didn't remember sending anything to be cleaned. I unzipped the bag.

It was Lila's overcoat.

And even though it had just come from the cleaners, I could swear I smelled the faint, sharp scent of a man's cologne.

The scene from last night flashed in my mind. The rain, the kiss.

Lila walked over from the kitchen. "What is it? Why are you just standing there?"

Her voice trailed off as she saw the coat in my hands.

Our eyes met.

For a split second, I wanted to scream at her. To demand to know why her coat smelled like him, why she forgot our anniversary, why she was tearing our lives apart.

But under the warm lights of our home, Finn was watching me with his innocent eyes. On the table, a hot meal, cooked by my wife, was waiting.

Everything looked so painfully, beautifully normal.

It was a happiness so fragile that I lost all courage to shatter it. It felt as if, as long as I didn't ask, as long as I didn't say a word, I could keep this perfect, crumbling illusion intact just a little longer.

I took a breath, folded the coat calmly, and handed it to her.

"Your coat."

Lila watched me for a long moment before taking it in silence.

As she did, something small and heavy slipped from the pocket and clattered onto the floor.

I looked down. It was a small, velvet box.

"Huh?" Finn said, pointing. "Mommy, you still haven't given Daddy his present?"

A present? I froze.

Finn had been telling me for weeks, in that secretive way little kids have, that Mommy had a special surprise for me.

This must have been it. The anniversary gift she had forgotten to give me.

The box lay on the floor between us.

It felt as if the fall had cracked the very foundation of the life we were pretending to live.

Lila stared at the box, her expression momentarily blank, followed by a wave of panic.

She finally remembered. The sixth anniversary she had let slip her mind.

She quickly picked it up, her face a mask of apology.

"Ethan honey, I'm so sorry. Work has been so crazy, I completely forgot about our anniversary."

"This is for you. We'll celebrate properly soon, I promise. Okay?"

I looked up, studying her face, searching for a tell. This was the same pleading, cautious expression she always wore when she thought I was mad at her.

It had always worked before. I'd never once doubted her sincerity.

But this time, I stared into her eyes for a long, long time, trying to find a single shred of evidence that she still loved me.

Seeing my silence, a flicker of fear crossed her face. She did what she always did. She stepped into my arms, tilted her head up, and peppered my face with soft, apologetic kisses.

"Are you angry? It's my fault. Please don't be angry with me, honey."

Finn tugged on her sleeve, pouting. "I wanna kiss Daddy too!"

Lila stroked his hair. "Daddy's upset right now. Let Mommy make him feel better first, then he's all yours."

Later, after dinner, she was all over me.

For six years, she had been a perfect wife, a perfect mother. Whenever I was upset, regardless of whose fault it was, she was always the first to smooth things over. Comforting me seemed to be an instinct for her.

She pulled me close, her lips finding mine with a familiar warmth. For a moment, I could almost believe she was backthe Lila who loved me, and only me.

After the kiss, her breathing grew heavier. She slid her hand under my shirt, her palm flat against my stomach. "Honey," she murmured, her voice husky, "let me take care of you tonight. Anything you want, as long as you're not mad anymore."

When I didn't respond, she took my hand and placed it on the firm muscles of her abdomen. "I've been working out," she whispered, a little vulnerably. "Want to check my progress?"

Lila had always been a good partner. In every sense of the word.

Finally, after a long silence, I lifted my arms.

And wrapped them around her waist.

When I carried her to the bathroom later, she was so exhausted she could barely open her eyes.

I cleaned her up, carried her back to bed, and held her as she fell asleep.

I woke up sometime in the night. Lila was sleeping soundly beside me.

Her phone on the nightstand lit up with a new message.

I squinted, picking it up. The bright screen stung my eyes.

On her lock screen, a single text message glowed in the dark.

Let's wear a tux and a gown, just once. Fulfill our promise from when we were eighteen. After that, we can go our separate ways. For good.

First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "281513" to read the entire book.