“Have you told her yet?”, the woman asked him.

“No I haven't. I promise I'll tell her soon though.”, he replied.

“You have until tomorrow morning or were through!”, she said.

Early that evening, while their kids were at the local library with the neighbor kids for a craft and book fair event, he stopped his wife on her way out of the kitchen.

“Sit down please, hon. We need to talk. I need to tell you something. I, uh...well, I want a divorce.”, he said, handing her the divorce papers.

“What? Why?”, she asked, tears in her eyes.

“I'm so sorry, Tara. I never meant for it to happen. It started out as an innocent flirtation between two agents. We had a lot in common. Conversation between us was easy. One thing led to another and, well...I'm in love with her. I'm sorry, Tara!”, said, .

She looked at him, devastated, with tears in her eyes.

“You're in love with another woman? How...how could you? Why? We've built a life, a family, together! I love you!“, Tara said.

“Like I said, I never meant for it to happen. Things have been strained between us for awhile now and, I guess I just missed what we used to have.

”She's so much like you were before things got rough between us after our last kid. I'm so sorry, Tara!”, he said.

“How long has the affair been going on?”, she asked.

“For awhile now.”, he replied.

“Anything else I should know about her?”, she asked him.

He took Tara's hands in his.

“She's...ten weeks pregnant.”, he said.

Tara screamed in agony and collapsed. He swiftly caught her.

To hear that her husband not only was having an affair, but that he'd gotten his girlfriend pregnant, especially as she herself was having a very difficult pregnancy, was more than Tara could handle.

He held her and said,

“I haven't been fully honest with you. I've been with her for four years.

“We met and got together when you were on bedrest with Kacy. And...this is our fourth child.

”By the time you had Pakh, she was pregnant with twins. Our twins are 3, almost four now. I didn't have the heart to tell you. I really wanted to make our marriage work.

”I love her, and I love my kids. I don't want to hurt any of you, yet I have to hurt you and the kids we've had together so I can be with her and our kids.

”I'll give you a more-than-generous settlement, buy you and the kids a house in another province, pay off your pod for you, and give you anything else you want. We'll sell this house and split the proceeds 80-20. You get the 80%.

“I've signed the divorce papers and also signed away my parental rights to our kids, including the one you're carrying now. The house I'll buy you and your kids must be in a different province so my family and I won't run into any of you.”, he said stoically.

“I'm PREGNANT! I'm due any day now! You couldn't have waited to tell me this until after I'd given birth? And what do you mean you've signed away your parental rights? Are you divorcing our kids as well?”, Tara asked, sobbing.

“I know you're angry, but I'm just not happy being married to you. I haven't been for awhile now. I've got to do it this way. I don't want the kids. I don't want any of you.”, he replied.

“But we're having a BABY...ANY DAY NOW!”, she exclaimed, sobbing.

“No...YOU'RE having a baby. The baby you're carrying, and the others you've had, legally aren't mine now. They're yours.

”YOUR kids are at some kids event at the library.

”MY children are all at home with the woman I love, anxiously awaiting their daddy's return tonight.”, he said coldly.

His words cut her deeply. She looked at him, barely recognizing him, the man she loved so deeply and completely.

”I won't stand in your way. I'll sign, but with an addendum. While the divorce will be final once I sign, I'll have three months, AFTER I'VE GIVEN BIRTH, to put the house up for sale.

“I'll househunt before then so we'll have our new home bought and paid for in full by you, IN MY NAME, before this house is put up for sale. Other than your settlement offers and my pod, paid off as you've said you'll do, I want my half of our joint savings.

”Also, I want to meet your lover and children, AFTER I've given birth, while I'm still in the hospital.

“I want my half of our joint savings in my account by noon tomorrow. Our bank's still open. You can start the transfer now.

”Then get out. Go to your family.”, Tara said, handing him her small-screen to start the transfer.

She signed the divorce papers as well after putting their addendum agreement into the papers in writing. It was done. They were divorced.

He started the transfer, then packed his clothes, toiletries, and what belongings he could pack in his pod.

”I never meant to hurt you.“, he said.

”Well then, you should've kept it in your pants.“, Tara said.

”Take care of yourself.“, he said to her before leaving.

******************************************************************************************

He stopped by the next day with a moving company while the older kids were in school. Within two hours, all his belongings were out of the house and pod port.

He was cordial yet distant to her. He never said a word to their 4-year-old daughter. Tara kept her busy baking. The little girl loved baking with her mom!

Two weeks later, Tara's water broke. After several hours of excruciating labor, she gave birth to a healthy daughter, Rosalie.

The next day her ex, his mistress, and their children stopped by to see Tara, and brought her flowers. She was in bed nursing her newborn. Her other kids were with their neighbors. Her ex smiled ever-so-slightly at the infant.

After polite introductions, her ex took his children to the waiting room so the ladies could talk for a few minutes.

His mistress sat on a chair next to her bed. The two women just looked at each other, silent yet speaking volumes.

Finally, Tara said to his mistress,

”I want you to know that I don't hate you or your children. I just wanted to meet you to see whom he dumped our children and me for. You have a lovely family.

“I'm working very hard to find my kids and myself a place to live so we can be out of your lives.

”Be careful. If he can do this to me days before I was due to bear his child, one day you could be the one in the hospital bed having just given birth, nursing his child, and meeting the woman, pregnant or otherwise, he's leaving you for. I hope for your sake it doesn't happen, but one never knows when dealing with a cheater.“

Two months after giving birth, Tara found a place. Her ex paid for it in full. One month later, after she and her kids had moved into their new home, she hired a realtor from her new province and sold the family home.

She and her ex split the profits 80-20, as they'd agreed to in their divorce. They never spoke to nor saw each other again. He'd never spoken one word to their children.

She'd told them that she and their father had decided to get a divorce, but didn't tell them he'd signed away his rights to them.

Nor did she tell them he had another family. She decided those particular pieces of information could wait until they were older and able to understand.

Tara assured them they weren't to blame for the divorce. She never spoke an ill word about their father to them.

When her sons asked why they had to move so far away, she said she thought it'd be better and much easier for them to start over and build a new life that way.

When they asked why he never saw them, she explained that he'd gotten a new job far away on another planet and couldn't travel often.

After they'd finished their business dealings with the marital home, her ex had Permanent Restraining Orders put on her and her kids to keep them from ever having any contact with him or his new family.

Any ounce of love she might've had left for the man vanished the moment she received the Restraining Orders.

Her new home was a four-bedroom condo in a nice part of town.

Her Gathering Room was large, as were the bedrooms and kitchen. The bathroom was somewhat small but highly functional. She had a large balcony with a grill, numerous plants, a patio table, and chairs.

Inside, she had numerous curios on wall shelves, pictures and paintings on the walls, figurines and candles on the Gathering Room coffeetable, plants scattered around the condo, plus several herb plants in the kitchen. She absolutely loved plants!

The building had a fitness center and pool. The grounds had a park with a swing set and slide for kids as well. She and her kids loved living there!

She'd decided to start her very own business soon after they'd moved in. She'd already sold high-end makeup and skincare from home before her divorce, and continued selling it from her condo while starting her own company.

Other than a couple neighbors and some of her kids' classmates' parents, who all were more acquaintances than anything, she didn't have alot of friends.

She did her shopping at the local megamart, where the prices were better than the grocery store and boutiques down the street from her. Even though she was set financially, she still loved a good bargain.