He Gambled Our Marriage on the World Cup

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When I came home late after working overtime, I found my husband's female friend sitting on his lap watching the World Cup.

When she saw me, Chloe pointed at the TV and said with a smile:

Ethan, let's make a bet, and if Haaland scores this goal, you divorce your wife, okay?

Then marry me, because I want a huge wedding!

Ethan patted her on the ass, his tone indulgent:

"What if he doesn't score?"

Chloe pouted and said, "If I lose, lock your wife in the bathroom!"

I listened as they used my marriage as a bet on a soccer game, and my face stayed blank.

In my last life, I fought for a divorce because of that sentence.

Ethan threw me into the bathroom with a cold face, my head hit the bathtub, and I died from a massive brain hemorrhage.

After getting a second chance, when I heard this familiar joke, I could not even find any anger in myself.

Ethan turned his head and looked at me with a frown.

"Chloe is just joking around, so don't pull that face again and ruin everyone's mood."

I looked into his eyes, which held no guilt at all, then my gaze landed on Haaland kicking the ball on the screen, and I smiled faintly:

"I want in on the bet too."

Ethan clicked his tongue impatiently.

He pulled the arm draped over Chloe's shoulders back half an inch, then turned his head to size me up.

"Ava, you don't even know what a striker is, so stop making trouble."

His tone was full of impatience.

Chloe took the chance to lean closer to Ethan, and the butt sitting on his lap shifted and rubbed against him a few times.

"Ethan, if your wife wants to bet, let her bet."

Chloe covered her mouth and laughed.

"But if she loses, she better not cry and demand a divorce like last time."

Those words fell in the living room, chilling my heart like a blade.

I held the glass cup, and my fingertips pressed against the warm wall of the cup before I barely managed to suppress the bone-deep chill from dying in that bathroom in my last life.

I did not answer her, and I only sat down on the sofa.

"If we're going to play, let's make it straightforward."

I raised my eyes and looked at the match timer that had just started moving on the screen.

"Let's bet on whether either team scores within the first fifteen minutes of kickoff."

Chloe froze for a moment after hearing that, then let out a mocking laugh.

She speared a piece of watermelon from the fruit plate and stuffed it into her mouth.

"You're really rushing to lose this bet."

She chewed the flesh and muttered unclearly.

"These two teams always take time to warm up."

"Their defense is tight."

"The chance of a goal in the first fifteen minutes is almost nothing."

Chloe spat out the seeds, then pulled out a napkin and wiped her hands.

"I bet no goal."

"Don't go back on it."

Ethan looked at me coldly, as if he was already completely fed up with me.

"Do you really have to join in on this?"

He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the table, took one out, and bit it between his lips.

"Fine, since you want to bet, what are you putting up?"

The lighter sparked a blue flame, lighting up the mockery in his eyes.

I leaned back against the sofa and folded my hands on my knees.

"If I lose, I'll hand over all my bank cards, and you can spend whatever money is inside."

The living room went quiet for a moment.

Ethan's hand holding the cigarette paused slightly, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Chloe's eyes lit up, and even her posture straightened.

"How generous of you!"

She rushed to respond, as if afraid I would take back my promise in the next second.

I looked at her, and the corners of my lips curved gently.

"Don't celebrate too soon."

"What if you lose?"

Chloe lowered her head and fiddled with her manicure, not caring at all.

"Name your price, because I can afford to play."

I stared at her face and said each word clearly:

"If I win, you slap yourself in the face on the spot."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the atmosphere in the living room dropped to freezing point.

Ethan suddenly crushed the half-smoked cigarette in his hand into the ashtray.

"Ava, don't go too far!"

He raised his voice, and his body instinctively leaned toward Chloe, shielding her in the most obvious way.

"Chloe was only joking with you, so do you have to be this vicious?"

I ignored Ethan's roar and just looked quietly at Chloe.

The smile on her face stiffened.

She probably had not expected me to suggest that kind of stake.

But her gaze soon fell back onto the paycheck card on the table.

That card held all the salary I had saved over the years.

A moment later, she gritted her teeth and forced out another faint smile.

"Ethan, don't be mad."

She reached out and tugged on Ethan's sleeve.

"Since Ava is in the mood for this, I'll play with her."

"Anyway, there's no way anyone scores within these fifteen minutes."

Ethan still wanted to say something, but Chloe had already turned her head and met my gaze.

"I agree."

"Ava, get your paycheck card ready."

I said nothing more and looked back at the TV screen.

Time passed.

Only the commentator's voice reporting the match was left in the living room.

Ethan leaned against the sofa and glanced at me from the corner of his eye now and then, as if waiting for regret to appear on my face.

Chloe was relaxed, eating watermelon and occasionally humming along with the rhythm on the field.

The match reached the twelfth minute.

The field was locked in a midfield battle.

Chloe spat the rind into the trash can and took the chance to sneer.

"Only three minutes left."

"I'll gladly take your money."

I lifted my cup and took a sip of water, my gaze fixed on the time in the lower right corner of the screen.

Thirteen minutes and forty seconds.

The ball was suddenly intercepted in the front field.

The commentator's voice rose sharply.

"Counterattack!"

"This is an excellent counterattacking chance!"

Ethan suddenly sat up straight, his eyes locked hard on the screen.

The half piece of watermelon in Chloe's hand also stopped in midair.

Fourteen minutes and twelve seconds.

The forward of one team dribbled into the penalty area, faced the goalkeeper's block, and did not hesitate at all.

He lifted his foot.

He shot.

The soccer ball slammed hard into the upper right corner of the net.

"It's in!!!"

"Only fourteen minutes after kickoff!"

"A lightning strike!"

The commentator's roaring voice exploded in the living room.

Ethan and Chloe froze where they were.

I put down my glass, turned my head, and looked coldly at Chloe.

"A bet is a bet, so you can start slapping yourself now."

Chloe's face stiffened.

She tugged awkwardly at the corners of her mouth, and her eyes darted away.

"Oh my... that goal was way too much of a coincidence."

She gave two dry laughs, then immediately switched back into that coy tone.

"You're so lucky that you even guessed this right."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and lightly touched her own cheek.

"Ouch, that really hurts."

The next second, she took the opportunity to shrink into Ethan's arms.

"I already hit myself."

"Are you satisfied now?"

When Ethan saw her like that, his brows relaxed.

He turned his head to look at me, his tone as if it was only natural.

"Enough, Ava."

"Chloe already hit herself, so let it go."

"Don't cling to it in the middle of the night."

I did not speak.

I only stood up, quickly went around the table, and walked up to Chloe.

Then I looked down at that face from above.

Chloe had not reacted yet and instinctively raised her head.

"Ava, why are you looking at me like..."

Before she could finish speaking.

I raised my hand and backhanded her hard across the left side of her face.

"Slap!"

The crisp sound of the slap drowned out the commentary on TV.

I used all my strength for that slap.

Chloe's head was struck sharply to one side, her hair scattered, and half of her face reddened visibly.

She covered her swollen cheek and widened her eyes.

After a brief daze, a scream burst from her throat.

"Ah!!!"

Tears flooded from her eyes.

Ethan's face changed in shock, and he suddenly stood up from the sofa and shoved me away.

"Ava!"

"Are you insane?!"

I staggered two steps, and my back hit the sofa before I barely managed to steady myself.

But Ethan had already pulled Chloe into his arms, lowered his head to check the finger marks on her face, and hurled his anger at me head-on.

"You are nothing but a crazy bitch!"

"Who taught you to hit people?!"

I looked at how he trembled with heartache and could not help but sneer.

"Didn't you say not to play if you can't afford to lose?"

I pointed at Chloe, who was sobbing in Ethan's arms.

"I was only letting her know what it means to accept the result of a bet."

Chloe grabbed Ethan's shirt and cried until she could barely breathe.

"Ethan... it hurts so much... is my face ruined..."

As she cried, she lifted her eyes from Ethan's arms to look at me.

At that instant, the venom in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

Ethan grew even angrier and glared at me viciously.

"Fine, fine!"

"A bet is a bet, right?"

"Let's keep going, and I'll play with you!"

"Today, I have to fix that arrogant rotten temper of yours!"

He gently patted Chloe's back.

"We'll bet on which team is leading at the end of the first half!"

"The stakes are the same as before."

"I bet the team that just scored keeps the lead!"

I clenched my fingers, my chest rising and falling violently, and deliberately acted like I had been blinded by anger.

"Fine!"

"Do you think I'm scared of you?"

I raised my voice, like a gambler who had lost all reason.

"I bet the other team can come from behind!"

This was a completely illogical choice.

Against a team with strong defense, scoring twice in one half to come from behind would not be easy.

But at this moment, the win or loss of one round was not important to me.

You have to risk the bait to catch the wolf.

When Chloe saw that I had taken the bait, pleasure appeared on her face.

The match continued.

For the next half hour, the field was dull.

The team that was behind fought back wildly, but still could not tear through the other side's defense.

With a long whistle from the referee, the first half ended.

The score was fixed at 1-0.

Ethan's bet succeeded, and he won this round.

He let out a scoff.

"You brought this on yourself."

"Did you really think you understood soccer now?"

He picked up my paycheck card from the coffee table and casually tossed it into Chloe's arms.

"Take it."

"The password is her birthday."

Chloe pinched the card between her fingers, and her smile was especially glaring.

Ethan had already taken out his phone, lowered his head, and opened a shopping app.

"Didn't you like a bag just now?"

"I'll order it for you now as compensation for that slap."

Chloe immediately leaned against him sweetly.

"Thank you, Ethan."

After saying that, she shook the card in her hand again and looked at me.

"Ava, then I won't hold back."

"Thanks for sponsoring me."

I stood where I was and watched them celebrate as if no one else was there.

"We're not done yet."

I pressed down the raging anger in my chest and stared hard at them.

My nails dug into my palms, and the pain barely helped me keep up the appearance of being a desperate loser.

"Again."

I squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

Ethan's fingers paused on his phone, and he raised his head with a cold laugh.

"What?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"What else do you even have left to bet?"

Chloe stuffed my paycheck card into her bag, and the smugness in her posture was almost impossible to hide.

"Ava, quit while you're ahead."

"If you keep betting, don't lose everything you own and then blame us for bullying you."

I suddenly pulled open the drawer under the table.

With a slap, I slammed a car key onto the tabletop.

"Round three."

"We bet on which team gets the first yellow card within the first ten minutes of the second half."

I looked at Chloe's still-red face, and my voice cooled.

"I bet the team that is behind."

Chloe had clearly been carried away by winning the last round.

In her eyes, I was nothing more than a crazy woman desperate after losing.

"Fine."

She curled her lip.

"Then I bet the team that's ahead."

After saying that, her gaze circled the car key, and she gave a deliberately disdainful laugh.

"But one car key is too cheap, isn't it?"

"Do you have any stakes that are actually worth something?"

I took a deep breath and brought a document out from the bedroom.

It was the deed to the luxury apartment downtown that my parents had left me.

I pressed the property deed on top of the car key.

"Is this enough?"

The moment Ethan saw the property deed, a trace of greed flashed through his eyes that he could not hide.

The words he had originally wanted to use to scold me were swallowed back down, and his gaze stuck hard to the document as even his breathing quickened.

"Ava, you really dare to take this out and bet it?"

He stood up, the corners of his mouth rising despite himself, and his tone carried both testing and excitement.

"Fine, this is your own property, and if you want to bet it, no one will stop you."

I ignored him and turned to look at Chloe.

"My stakes have increased, so yours have to increase too."

"If you lose, I want you on both knees, slapping yourself ten times in a row."

Ethan instantly flew into a rage and pointed at me as he cursed:

"Ava, don't go too far!"

"Even killing someone is only a single clean blow, so do you really have to bully her like this?"

Chloe grabbed Ethan's arm, her eyes glued to the property deed.

"Ethan, let her bet!"

"I don't believe she can keep getting lucky!"

"I agree!"

"Let's bet!"

The second half officially began.

The scene on the TV became full of tension.

The team I had bet on was behind and trying to tie the score, so their movements became bigger, and they clearly showed signs of fouling.

The physical clashes became deadlocked.

The corners of Chloe's mouth began to rise, as if that luxury apartment already had her name on it.

Seven minutes and twenty seconds.

Near the front sideline.

A defender from the losing side made a brutal sliding tackle to stop the opponent's counterattack.

As the player fell and rolled, the referee's whistle sounded.

The referee did not hesitate and pulled a yellow card from his pocket.

He raised it high.

The smile on Chloe's face instantly froze.

Ethan also froze where he stood, opened his mouth, and could not say a single word.

The living room was frighteningly quiet, and only the sound of the TV replaying the foul remained.

I stood up, walked in front of Chloe, raised my hand, and pointed at the floor.

"I didn't lose my car."

"I didn't lose my apartment either."

"Now get down and slap yourself on your knees."

Chloe trembled all over in fear, and the throw pillow in her hands fell to the floor.

She scrambled behind Ethan and refused to come out no matter what.

"Ethan... save me, I don't want to kneel... she's targeting me on purpose!"

She cried and clutched Ethan's clothes without letting go.

Ethan's eyes turned completely cold when he looked at me.

The next second, he suddenly pulled the paycheck card from Chloe's bag and threw it hard at my face.

The plastic card scraped past the corner of my eye, leaving a burning sting behind.

"Here's your card back!"

He roared as if he were giving charity.

"I'll pay for those ten slaps for her, so stop this right now!"

I remained unmoved and did not even look at the paycheck card on the floor.

"Ethan, you said a bet is a bet."

I threw his own words back to shut him up.

"What?"

"Now you can't afford to play?"

"Are you even a man?"

"How embarrassing."

"You!"

"Or am I the only one allowed to lose, while your little bestie can't lose?"

"Whose side are you even on?"

The atmosphere in the living room instantly dropped to freezing point.

Chloe looked at Ethan's expression and knew she could not avoid this.

She wanted to keep acting pitiful, but she also did not want to look too ugly in front of Ethan, so in the end, she could only grit her teeth and slowly move out from behind him.

"Ethan, I'm fine..."

She said it with a sob, as if she had suffered some enormous grievance.

Then her knees weakened, and she knelt in front of me.

Under my cold gaze, Chloe raised both hands with a tremble.

Humiliated, she slapped herself left and right.

"Slap!"

"Slap!"

Ten loud slaps echoed through the living room.

After the final slap, Chloe collapsed onto the carpet.

Both sides of her face were red and swollen, the corner of her mouth had broken skin, and her makeup was ruined from crying.

"Ugh... Ethan..."

She covered her face and looked at me through her swollen eyelids, and the hatred in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

Ethan's eyes reddened with heartache.

He could no longer keep pretending, and he rushed to me in a few steps, pointed at my nose, and cursed:

"Ava, how can you be so vicious?!"

"Fine, don't you like betting?"

"I'll bet with you to the end tonight."

"I want to see how long you can keep acting arrogant!"

He was completely enraged, and instead took the initiative to propose the fourth round.

"We'll bet on the result at the end of regular time."

After saying that, he helped Chloe up from the floor and held her tightly in his arms, as if he was afraid I would touch her again.

"If we win, you leave with nothing tomorrow and get out of this house."

He stared hard at me.

"Ava, do you dare to accept?"

I subconsciously took half a step back, my shoulders shrank slightly, and my eyes moved back and forth between the two of them as I deliberately showed hesitation and fear.

"This is my home, so why should I..."

When Chloe saw me back down, her spirit immediately returned.

With that red and swollen face, she sneered and mocked me:

"What?"

"Weren't you so tough when you forced me to kneel just now?"

"Ava, if you don't dare to play, just say it."

"Don't lose and then cry that we bullied you."

Ethan followed with a cold laugh.

"If you don't dare to accept, admit defeat."

"Pack your things and get out now, so you don't embarrass yourself."

They echoed each other, as if they were certain I had been pushed into a dead end.

I clenched my fingers and suddenly slapped my palm onto the coffee table.

"Fine, I accept!"

I raised my voice and acted like I had been cornered and had completely lost my mind.

"Since you two want me gone so badly, let's bet!"

Ethan immediately pointed at the screen.

At this moment, the score was 2-1, and Team F was leading.

"We choose first."

He said it impatiently.

"We bet Team F wins in the end."

I clenched my back teeth and stared at the screen for a few seconds.

"Then I bet on Team A."

As if afraid I would go back on it, Ethan immediately found paper and a pen in the drawer and quickly wrote a betting agreement.

In black and white, it stated that if he won, I would leave with nothing, and if I won, he would leave with nothing.

He shoved the pen into my hand and urged me:

"Sign."

I held the pen, my fingers trembling slightly, and wrote my name in the signature spot.

When Ethan looked at those two words, a trace of smugness flashed through his eyes.

The match continued.

In the time that followed, Team A's attacks were blocked several times, and the situation became more and more tense.

Ethan sat on the sofa, leaning forward, his eyes fixed on the screen without blinking.

Chloe also stopped crying, covered her face, leaned beside him, and the corners of her mouth slowly lifted.

Soon, the match entered the final minute.

The countdown for stoppage time appeared on the big screen.

Just then, Team F seized a counterattack chance.

The forward broke through one-on-one and pushed the ball past the goalkeeper with one shot.

The soccer ball rolled into the net.

The score became 3-

Cheers instantly erupted in the living room.

Ethan picked Chloe up in his arms, so excited that even his voice changed.

"We won!"

"We won!"

Chloe got carried away and turned to point at me as she cursed:

"Ava, look at you now!"

She walked up to me, her tone sharp and delighted.

"The agreement is signed, so get out tonight."

Ethan also walked over, his face full of the thrill of certain victory.

"Ava, kneel down right now and apologize to Chloe."

He pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and casually threw them at my feet.

"After you apologize, take the cab money and get lost."

"Don't let me see you again."

I quietly watched their celebration.

There was no anger and no fear.

I only slowly raised my hand and pointed at the TV screen behind them.

"How about you turn around and look first?"

Ethan and Chloe froze, then instinctively turned their heads.

In the next second, both of their faces changed at the same time.

"How is this possible?!"

On the TV screen, the scoreboard that had originally changed to 3-1 had now strangely jumped back to 2-1.