From Outcast to Legend: Thiago's Rise

Chapter 5

Thiago's expression remained emotionless. "Go to the Civil Court immediately."

There was a brief silence.

"What?"

"I've already prepared the divorce application," he said flatly. "Meet me there. The divorce will be finalized today."

For a heartbeat, the line went completely silent. Then Vespera exploded.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" she shouted. "Who do you think you are? You storm out of the house, hit my brother, and now you're demanding a divorce?"

A torrent of curses poured through the speaker.

Thiago listened without interrupting.

When she finally paused to catch her breath, her tone abruptly changed. "Think about Evren," she said, trying a softer approach. "He's only two years old. A child can't grow up without a father."

Thiago's eyes turned cold. "Stop using him."

"What?"

"I already know." His voice remained perfectly calm. "Evren isn't my biological son. He is your child with Leandro."

The other end of the line fell utterly silent.

Vespera's breathing stopped. Her mind went blank.

Impossible! How could Thiago know? She and Leandro had guarded that secret for years. No one else knew.

She had carefully concealed the timing of her pregnancy before marrying Thiago, ensuring that everyone believed Evren had been born prematurely. Even her own relatives never questioned it.

Yet now... Thiago had stated the truth so calmly that it was impossible to mistake it for a guess.

"Wh-What nonsense are you talking about?" she finally managed.

Thiago didn't answer. There was no point arguing. His certainty alone was enough to shake her.

Unable to regain control of the conversation, Vespera immediately changed tactics.

"Fine," she said coldly. "If you insist on divorcing me, don't blame me for what happens afterward. Obciously, you've forgotten the identity documents."

Her confidence returned.

"You came here as a refugee from a war-torn country and my family helped you obtain legal residency. You can only receive permanent local citizenship after remaining married to a local resident for more than six years.

"We haven't even been married for five. If we divorce now, everything we've helped you obtain could disappear."

She waited for him to panic. Instead, Thiago simply laughed. A quiet, almost pitying laugh.

"You still don't understand."

"What?"

Thiago remained quiet. "Three months from now, the apocalypse begins," he thought within himself.

To Vespera, something about Thiago felt off.

"I don't care whether I keep it or lose it."

Vespera's expression stiffened. For the first time, she sensed that something was genuinely different. The obedient man she had controlled for years had vanished.

Thiago continued before she could interrupt.

"But listen carefully. If you drag this divorce out... I'll publicly expose everything. The affair. The pregnancy before marriage, and the real identity of Evren's biological father. I'll make sure everyone—including your workplace—knows exactly what happened."

Vespera's face paled. She thought of her reputation, her career, and her family's standing. Everything depended upon those secrets remaining buried. If Thiago truly exposed them, the consequences would be devastating. She clenched her teeth.

After several long moments, she lowered her head.

"...Fine. I'll meet you."

An hour later, Thiago arrived at the Civil Court.

Vespera was already waiting inside.

Although she had agreed to divorce, she clearly had no intention of making it easy.

As soon as they sat down with the mediator, she began speaking.

"What about the house?" she asked. What about our savings? What about child support?"

She looked toward Thiago.

"We don't have to rush this. We should go home and discuss everything as a family. We can work this out."

Her words sounded reasonable. But Thiago understood her real intention. She wanted to bring him back under the Morgan family's control.

She believed that if she could get him home again, her parents and Nicola would pressure him into giving up the divorce.

Unfortunately for her... That Thiago no longer existed. He looked directly at the mediator.

"I have only one request. I want this marriage dissolved today."

The mediator nodded. "And the marital assets?"

Thiago answered without hesitation. "I won't contest any of them."

Vespera looked up in surprise.

"The house stays with her, even though I paid for most of it. The furniture. The savings. The vehicles. I don't want any of it."

The mediator frowned. "Are you certain?"

"Yes. I'll leave with nothing."

Vespera became even more confused. She had expected a lengthy legal battle. Instead, Thiago was walking away from everything.

"As for the child... I will not acknowledge legal parentage because that child is a bastard," he continued. "I am not the biological father. I therefore won't agree to ongoing parental obligations without establishing paternity."

The mediator looked between them. "Mrs. Morgan, do you dispute his statement that paternity is in question?"

Vespera's lips tightened. She couldn't. Demanding a paternity test would only expose the truth she had spent years hiding.

After a long silence, she slowly shook her head. "No."

The mediator sighed softly.

"Since neither party disputes the proposed division of property, and there is no disagreement about how to proceed with the dissolution today, this process can move forward."

The paperwork advanced far more quickly than either official had expected, and within a short time, the final document was placed before them, and both signed.

The mediator stamped the papers, "It is done." Thiiago and Vespera's marriage had officially ended.

Thiago stared quietly at the certificate and felt relieved. It felt as though a piece of rotten flesh had finally been cut away from his heart. For the first time in years, he could breathe freely. Without another word, he simply walked away.

Behind him, Vespera remained seated while bitterness consumed her. She hadn't merely lost a husband. She had lost the man who paid the bills, cooked, cleaned, maintained the house, and solved every problem.

She had lost a source of labor she had always assumed would remain under her control. The realization made her face twist with resentment.

"No... I'm not letting that idiot leave like this." She muttered under her breath.

The moment Thiago disappeared from the courthouse, she pulled out her phone and dialed the police.

When an officer answered, Vespera immediately reported that Thiago had assaulted her brother earlier that day. Her voice trembled just enough to sound convincing.

She intended to strike first.

If Thiago became entangled in a criminal investigation, she believed she could pressure him into returning, leaving him with no choice but to depend on her family once again.

A faint smile crossed her face.