World Cup Final Eve, I Blocked My Husband and His Childhood Sweetheart Chapter 09

World Cup Final Eve, I Blocked My Husband and His Childhood Sweetheart Chapter 09

“You’ll get what’s coming to you!”

Her furious curse echoed throughout the restaurant.

I looked down at the greasy mess scattered across the floor, pulled out my phone, and blocked Ethan’s final

number as well.

“I hope I get to watch the Harrington family go bankrupt someday.”

I spoke softly while staring at Eleanor’s retreating figure.

After work, I went to the underground parking garage alone to get my car.

The garage was dimly lit, the fluorescent lights above flickering faintly.

I had just reached my car and was about to take out my keys when I suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

“Vivian! Go to hell!”

A scream tore through the garage.

Before I could react, a flash of cold steel shot straight toward my back.

I spun around and saw Clara.

Her hair was wild and disheveled, her eyes filled with pure madness. I had no idea how she had escaped, but she was gripping a kitchen knife tightly in her hand.

“It’s all because of you!” she screamed. “You destroyed everything I had!”

The blade was less than two feet away from me.

There was no time to dodge.

In that split second between life and death, a furious roar came from behind me.

“Vivian, get down!”

A dark figure rushed toward us from the side.

It was Ethan.

He shoved me out of the way, but he didn’t have enough time to escape himself.

The knife plunged directly into his abdomen.

A sickening sound filled the garage.

Ethan let out a muffled groan as the blade sank deep into his body

With his last bit of strength, he grabbed Clara’s wrist, twisted her arm, and forced her down onto the concrete

floor

“Call the police….

His face had gone completely pale. Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead as he looked at me.

I stood frozen in place, watching blood seep through his fingers and drip onto the ground.

My heart was racing, but my mind was strangely calm.

I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

Tm at the OmniCorp building, 455 Market Street. I’m in the underground parking garage, Level B. There’s an assault involving a knife. The victim has been stabbed in the abdomen, and the suspect has been restrained.”

I calmly gave the dispatcher the address and explained the situation clearly.

Clara struggled violently on the ground, screaming like she had completely lost control.

Ethan looked at me weakly.

A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips.

Vivian… I didn’t let you get hurt…”

He thought that by risking his own life for mine, he could make me soften toward him again.

He thought saving me would erase everything he had done.

I walked over to him and looked down at him coldly

“Ethan, do you think this will make me feel guilty?”

My voice remained calm.

“This is between you and Clara. Your history with her has nothing to do with me.”

The ambulance and police arrived within minutes.

The officers pinned Clara down and dragged her away in handcuffs.

The paramedics placed Ethan onto a stretcher.

A nurse looked around anxiously.

“Is there any family here? Someone needs to accompany him to the hospital!”

Ethan weakly lifted his hand from the stretcher, trying to grab onto the edge of my coat.

“Vivian… please stay with me…”

I stepped back, avoiding his hand.

“I’m not his family.”

I looked at him without emotion.

“I’m his ex-wife.”

The elevator doors slowly closed in front of the medical team.

I watched Ethan disappear behind them.

“This is what you owed me.”

My voice was quiet.

“We’re even now.”

The thirty-day statutory waiting period finally ended.

That morning, I arrived at the County Court right on time.

Ethan came in a wheelchair.

He looked completely different from the man I once knew.

He had lost so much weight that his dress shirt hung loosely from his frame.

The wound on his abdomen clearly had not fully healed. Every slight movement caused his brows to tighten

in pain.

When he saw me, his eyes briefly lit up.

But the hope disappeared almost immediately.

“Vivian, you came.”

His voice was hoarse.

I ignored his greeting and walked straight into the courtroom.

At the signing table directed by the court officer, both attorneys were already waiting.

The court clerk was reviewing our case file and confirming the final paperwork.

She placed the final divorce documents and property settlement agreement in front of us.

Her tone was professional and emotionless.

“Both parties confirm there are no remaining disputes regarding marital property or spousal support. Both parties acknowledge that the marriage has suffered an irretrievable breakdown and that this divorce is being entered into voluntarily. Is that correct?”

I signed my name without hesitation.

“Yes.”

Ethan’s hand trembled as he held the pen.

He stared at the document for a long time but couldn’t bring himself to sign.

His eyes slowly filled with tears.

“Vivian…”

His voice cracked.

“If I hadn’t posted that photo when we were watching the World Cup in Mexico…”

“If I had seen Clara for who she really was from the beginning…”

“Would we have ended up differently?”

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with desperation.

I stared at him.

Strangely, there was no hatred left inside me.

Not even anger.

Only complete peace.

“No.”

My voice was calm.

“A rotten apple will eventually start to smell. That photo from Mexico was only the moment the truth was exposed. It didn’t destroy our marriage. It only revealed what had already been rotten underneath.”

Ethan’s tears finally fell.

One drop landed on the legal document waiting for his signature.

His hand shook as he finally signed his name.

The judge stamped both final documents with the official seal, signed them, and instructed the court officer

to hand me my copy.

“Ms. Rhodes, this is your Divorce Decree. Please keep it safe. Effective immediately, your marriage has been legally dissolved.”

I accepted the thick stack of documents and placed them inside my bag.

Then I turned and walked toward the exit.

“Vivian!”

Ethan called my name from behind me.

I stopped but didn’t turn around.

“Wishing you a future filled with success.”

His voice carried a restrained sob.

I didn’t respond.

I pushed open the doors of the County Court and stepped outside.

Miami’s autumn air always carried a hint of salt from the ocean.

I took a deep breath and walked toward the sunlight.

That chapter of my life was finally over.

And my new life had only just begun.