She Chose Him Over Me at the World Cup

During the World Cup quarterfinals, Holan accidentally kicked the ball out of bounds.

The soccer ball flew straight into the front-row VIP section, hitting a couple sitting there.

The tracking camera instantly put them on the stadiums giant screen.

On the screen, the woman was wearing an Argentina jersey. The man beside her caught the ball.

Realizing they were on the Kiss Cam, the two passionately locked lips.

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

Because that woman was my wife, Chloe.

She had no idea that I was sitting on the exact opposite side of the stadium.

She had no idea that the global live broadcast had just delivered the high-definition image of her kissing another man right to my eyes.

Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. She told me she had to work late.

I actually believed her. I came to the game alone, holding the World Cup ticket I had originally bought for her.

Only at this moment did I realize she wasn't too busy.

She just saved the chance of watching the game for the person she actually wanted to be with.

Fine. Im out of this marriage.

Chloe was a die-hard soccer fan. Her ultimate dream was to watch the World Cup live.

To get the tickets, I stayed up for three straight nights refreshing the ticketing website.

The moment I got them, I was too excited to sleep.

Because that day was not just the match, but also our fifth wedding anniversary.

I had even planned to give her the anniversary gift right outside the stadium after the final whistle.

Before leaving, I purposely asked her, "Can you clear your schedule for the next few days?"

Chloe didnt even look up from her laptop.

She frowned at her screen and said, "The project is in its final stage. I have to work overtime all week. I won't even have time to check my phone. Can you stop annoying me?"

I quietly put the tickets back into my pocket.

In the end, I flew to the game alone.

After finding my seat, I took a picture of the empty seat next to me and sent it to her.

That seat was supposed to be hers.

Ten minutes later, she replied with just one cold line.

[Busy. Stop texting me.]

I stared at the cold words on the screen and let out a bitter laugh.

During the intense game, Holan made a powerful shot. The ball went off target, flying straight toward the front-row VIP seats.

The crowd gasped.

A man caught the ball in his arms.

The broadcast director instantly switched the live feed to the giant screen in the center of the stadium.

Tens of thousands of fans cheered, and the camera locked onto the lucky couple.

The woman was wearing a brand-new Argentina jersey, with blue and white flag paint on her cheeks.

Realizing they were on the big screen, the two kissed passionately.

The stadium erupted into deafening cheers.

I was sitting in the back row, less than twenty yards away from them. My breathing stopped.

That man was Chloes first love, Julian.

He was a soccer fan too.

To make sure her first love didn't have any regrets, she lied to me on our fifth anniversary.

I didnt run down like a madman to confront them.

Instead, I took out my phone, started screen recording, and saved the live broadcast.

Then, I opened the reservation app and canceled the expensive anniversary dinner I had booked.

After doing all this, I turned around and walked out of the noisy stadium.

It was already 1:00 AM when I got home.

The door clicked, and Chloe walked in, humming a song.

She was holding a gift box. Inside was a rare, limited-edition jersey Julian had given her.

Seeing me sitting on the couch, the smile on her face vanished.

"Didn't I tell you I was exhausted from working overtime? Why are you sitting here in the dark? You scared me."

She changed her shoes and threw the gift box onto the table, clearly showing it off.

"Why can't you be romantic like other guys?"

"Ive been working my ass off at the office, and you don't even ask how I am. You just sit here with a resting bitch face."

She poured a glass of water, her voice full of impatience.

I looked at her self-righteous face and pulled a folder from under the table.

"So your idea of 'working overtime' is sitting in a front-row VIP seat with your ex?"

Chloes hand trembled, spilling water onto the floor.

"You... did you stalk me?"

I didn't want to argue. I pushed the folder in front of her.

"Chloe, here is your fifth-anniversary gift."

The words printed at the top of the page read: Divorce Agreement.

Chloe stared at the words, her face turning pale instantly.

"Are you crazy? You want a divorce just because I went to a game?"

"Julian just got back to the country. He has no one here. What's wrong with me keeping an old friend company?"

I threw my phone over. The screen was playing the live broadcast of her snuggling in Julians arms and kissing him.

"Does an old friend require you to lie to your husband about working overtime?"

"Does an old friend require you to make out in front of millions of viewers?"

Chloe went dead silent, her lips trembling.

"I... that was just for the Kiss Cam! I was too excited and did something stupid!"

She reached out frantically to grab my hand.

I stepped back to avoid her and threw a pen at her feet.

"Sign it. Were going to City Hall tomorrow morning."

"Im not signing! I will never sign!"

Chloe's eyes welled up with tears, her voice cracking.

"Five years of marriage! Youre really throwing it away over this?"

"I didn't throw it away. You did."

I stood up, grabbed my pre-packed suitcase, and walked straight out the door.

Behind me, I heard the sound of the gift box being slammed onto the floor, followed by Chloes hysterical crying.

But none of it had anything to do with me anymore.

Just as my hand touched the doorknob, Chloe grabbed my suitcase from behind.

"Its just a game! Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

"Julian and I have history. Can't you be a man and be a little more open-minded?"

She snatched my backpack from the entryway table and pulled out the ticket stub inside.

Seeing the seat number, she let out a mocking laugh.

"This is the surprise you talked about?"

"You couldn't even afford a VIP seat. You wanted me to sit in these cheap, crowded seats?"

"Julian got front-row seats easily. You couldn't even give me a decent experience, and now youre blaming me?"

She ripped the ticket into pieces.

"Your cheap romance only embarrasses me!"

I shook her hand off and walked out without looking back.

The next afternoon, Chloe sent me a text.

She said her parents were at our house and demanded I come back to explain myself.

When I pushed the door open, Chloes family of three was sitting in the living room.

My mother-in-law, Helen, had a stern face and started scolding me immediately.

"Couples fight, but you are being way too possessive."

"Chloe just went to a game with a friend. You making a scene about divorce will only make us a laughingstock."

My father-in-law, Richard, slammed his teacup onto the table.

"Go apologize to Julian, and well forget this ever happened."

I laughed out of sheer anger and pointed at myself.

"My wife kissed her ex in front of millions of people, and you want me to apologize?"

Richard stood up abruptly, pointing his finger at my face.

"Julian has a weak heart! His emotions can't handle stress!"

"If anything happens to him because of your drama, can you even take responsibility?!"

Chloe walked over and held Richards arm.

"Dad, don't get angry. Let me talk to him."

She turned to me, her tone incredibly casual.

"Julian just got back to the country and hasn't found a place to stay yet."

"Since you want a separation anyway, clear out of the master bedroom and let him move in for a few days."

"I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone in a hotel."

I stared at this absurd family, pulled out my phone, and turned the volume to the max.

Chloes voice echoed in the living room: "He's actually my first love. I lied to my husband about working overtime."

Richard and Helens faces turned incredibly ugly.

Chloe screamed and lunged forward to grab my phone.

"Go ahead and delete it. It's backed up on iCloud," I said coldly.

Chloes hand froze in mid-air, and she slammed the phone onto the couch in frustration.

"If you were there, why didn't you warn me? You did this on purpose to humiliate me!"

At that moment, I saw this woman for who she truly was.

She didn't think she did anything wrong. She only hated me for not helping her cover up her affair.

I bent down, picked up the divorce papers from the table, and put them back in the folder.

"Tomorrow morning at nine. I'll see you at City Hall."

"Don't be late. We are getting a divorce."

The next morning at nine.

My phone buzzed. Chloe sent a photo of Julian lying in a hospital bed with an IV in his hand.

"Julian had a relapse because of the video you played last night. I have to stay at the hospital."

"Postpone the divorce. Don't be so heartless."

I grabbed her ID card she had left at home and went straight to the hospital.

As I approached the room, I heard Julians playful laugh through the gap in the door.

"Chloe, you just made up an illness, and Logan actually believed it?"

Chloes voice sounded playful. "Shh, keep it down. I need to keep that idiot calm first."

"If we really divorce, I can't let him keep the downtown apartment and our savings."

I stood outside, listened to the whole thing, and walked away. I went straight back to our apartment.

At 3:00 PM, the front door was kicked open.

Chloe rushed into the study, pulling open every drawer and throwing files all over the floor.

She gripped the house deed, her face dark with anger.

"Why is this deed only in your name? Why didn't you add me after we got married?"

She slammed the deed onto the desk, demanding an explanation.

"We are married! What's yours is mine! You need to add my name to the deed right now!"

"Also, Julian quit his job to be with me. You have to hire him at your company."

I sat in my chair, looking at her coldly.

"Do you think that's even possible?"

Chloe pulled out her phone and threatened me with her Snapchat family group.

"If you don't agree, I'll post in the group chat that you emotionally abused me and drove me to depression!"

"I'll make sure your parents can never show their faces around our relatives again!"

I picked up my iPad and opened the living room security camera app.

"Go ahead. For every text you send, I will post a high-definition clip of this security footage to your company's Slack group."

The arrogance on Chloes face instantly froze.

She quickly changed her expression to a victim's face, her eyes turning red as she reached for my arm.

"Logan, I was just stressed. Julian is just an outsider. You are my husband, the only one I love!"

I opened my phone and played the World Cup clip right in front of her face.

"He's actually my first love. I lied to my husband..."

Chloes face turned paper-white. She opened her mouth, but couldn't squeeze out a single word of defense.

I grabbed her wrist, dragged her to the front door, and pushed her out.

Then, right in front of her, I deleted her fingerprint access.

I slammed the heavy door shut.

From outside, I could hear Chloe frantically banging on the door, crying and begging.

I walked back to the living room and threw her trash into the bin.

I would never believe a single word out of that woman's mouth again.

I submitted a transfer request to my companys out-of-town branch.

I packed up all the cheap gifts Chloe had given me over the years and mailed them back to her.

The next second, Chloes Instagram was updated.

The picture was a close-up of Julians hand with an IV.

Five years of love ruined by baseless jealousy. I am losing my mind. Does a married woman have no right to have friends?

Underneath, comments from her relatives and friends started piling up.

They were all calling me heartless, petty, and toxic.

I opened our family group chat on Snapchat.

Without saying a word, I sent three video files. They were all proof of Chloe and Julians affair.

The relatives who were just bashing me in the comments went dead silent.

In less than thirty seconds, Helen sent me a direct message.

"How can you be so immature? Delete those videos right now!"

"Don't wash your dirty laundry in public! Do you want Chloe to never show her face in front of her relatives again?"

"Go apologize to Chloe, and we will let this go!"

I typed back:

"Chloe did those things herself. I didn't make her do them."

After sending it, I blocked her and left the group chat.

The night before I left the city, I went to a hotel to pick up some luggage I had stored there.

The elevator doors opened on the third-floor banquet hall.

The first thing I saw was Chloe holding Julian's arm, walking in happily.

She was wearing a custom-made designer gown. It was the anniversary gift I had spent three months of my salary on.

The guests raised their glasses to congratulate them.

Chloe laughed happily.

"After all these years, Im finally back with the man I was meant to marry."

"My past marriage was just a nightmare. Now that Im awake, I deserve to be happy."

The guests cheered, and Julian leaned in to kiss her cheek.

I stood at the end of the hallway, watching this farce coldly.

I pulled out my phone and messaged Marcus, the hotel manager, on WhatsApp.

"Marcus, is the special gift ready?"

"When they cut the cake, play it on the big screen at max volume."

After sending it, I grabbed my suitcase and walked into the down-bound elevator.

Enjoy my gift, Chloe.