Chapter 1

On the night we lost the championship, the TV was still replaying the footage of Ethan Vance missing that crucial penalty kick.

I looked at Ethan, who was slumped on the couch smelling of cheap beer, and swept the aluminum cans in front of him straight into the trash.

He looked up, his eyes bloodshot and swollen. "You saw it too, didn't you? I ruined everything. That penalty..."

Seeing that I didn’t offer a single word of comfort, he let out a bitter laugh. "You think I'm useless too, don't you? I practiced that shot a thousand times..."

I slid the divorce papers across the coffee table, stopping right in front of him. I looked at him calmly. "Let's get a divorce."

A flash of utter shock crossed Ethan’s face.

Then, he reached out, trying to grab my hand with a helpless, forced smile. "What's wrong with you? Is this a joke? You're divorcing me over one lost game?"

He squeezed out a laugh, but the panic in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"I know I let you down. I'll work harder next year. I promise we'll win the cup, okay?"

His voice trembled. He was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince me.

Looking into his pathetic, pleading eyes, I pulled my hand back. My voice was cold.

"It has nothing to do with the game."

The gentle facade on his face cracked, and his brows furrowed. "Not the game? Then what else could it be?"

His brow tightened further, a trace of impatience creeping into his tone. "Is it because I didn't pick you up today? Or did your friends talk trash about me behind my back again?"

"Or are you mad because I didn't spend enough time with you while preparing for the finals these past few days?"

His tone softened, as if he were coaxing a child. "Stop being dramatic, babe. I'll spend every single day with you during the off-season, okay?"

He reached out again to grab my wrist. The moment his fingers brushed my skin, I snatched my arm back and glared at him. "Don't touch me."

"I said I want a divorce. Do you not understand English?"

"It's not this, it's not that! What the hell do you want from me then?"

He finally dropped his pleading act, his voice rising with uncontrollable irritation. "You can't seriously divorce me just because I lost a match! Do you have any idea what people will say if they find out?"

I looked at him blankly. "Yes, I am divorcing you because you lost."

I stared straight into his eyes, pronouncing every word clearly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He looked at me in disbelief. "Do you even hear yourself?"

His eyes widened, as if he were seeing a stranger. "Because of a loss? I sat here all night waiting for you to come home and comfort me, and instead, you walk through the door and throw divorce papers in my face?"

"And I already said we'd win it back next year, but you just won't listen. Now you're..."

I didn't bother to answer. I turned around and walked into the bedroom to pack my bags. Behind me, his roar echoed through the apartment: "Chloe! Do you even have a heart?!"

Refusing to give up, he rushed after me. He tried to block the door, but his elbow slammed against the doorframe, making him gasp in pain.

"Chloe, make it make sense! What did I do? Why are we divorcing?"

Through the door, his voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "At least give me a reason. Even if we break up, I deserve an explanation, don't I?"

I leaned against the door, closing my eyes. I didn't say a word.

After a long time, a heavy thud echoed from the other side of the door.

"I'm not signing it. Don't even think about it!"

With that, his footsteps faded away, followed by the heavy slam of the front door.

After he left, I stood alone in the empty living room, staring at the divorce agreement on the coffee table for a long time. Then, I picked up my phone and called my lawyer friend.

"Lily, help me draft a final divorce agreement. The house goes to me, and we split the savings fifty-fifty."

Ethan didn’t come home that night, but I slept like a baby.

The next morning, right after I woke up, I received a call from his parents asking me to come over.

Shortly after Ethan left last night, they had called, saying we needed to talk. But when I arrived at their house, I realized Hailey, the team's personal physical therapist, was also there.