When I got home, I dragged two cardboard boxes out of the storage room and started clearing every piece of Argentina merchandise from the house.

I pulled the throw pillows with their blue and white stripes off the couch, took the signed jersey down from the wall, and cleared the custom figurines from the display case. Every single item was something I had once picked out for Reid with a full and happy heart, and now, they were all just relics of an absurd marriage.

I placed them into the boxes one by one, without tears and without even a trace of longing.

At 11:00 that night, the lock turned. Reid walked in smelling of alcohol and perfume. It was a sweet, cloying citrus scent, the same one I had caught outside the bar that afternoon. It was Nola's favorite.

"Why'd you pull all this stuff out?" He spotted the boxes in the living room and paused.

"Spring cleaning." I did not look up and kept packing a mug into the box.

"Spring cleaning doesn't have to happen in the middle of the night." He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder like he was soothing a moody pet.

"Still upset about that post from yesterday? I already told you, I was just messing around with Nola. Don't be so petty."

He let go of me and pulled a small box from his pocket, holding it out in front of me. "Here. I got this for you. See if you like it."

I opened the box. Inside was a necklace studded with small diamonds, flashy in a way that did not suit anything I would normally wear. However, the most glaring detail was the fine print at the bottom of the box—'Ronaldo Fan Club Limited Edition'.

I stared at those words, and a sharp pain hit my chest.

Ten minutes earlier, I had seen Nola's latest social media update. She had posted a photo of several necklaces laid out together, with the caption: [Men have zero taste, I swear. This gaudy one is absolutely not happening. He can give it to whoever he wants.]

The necklace she had rejected was now sitting quietly in the palm of my hand.

"So? Pretty, right?" Reid had not noticed a single thing wrong and was still going on, pleased with himself. "I spent a long time picking it out. I thought it'd really suit you."

He was giving me someone else's leftovers and calling it a gift, and he expected me to be grateful.

"It's nice." I closed the lid and tossed the box onto the coffee table. "Thanks."

When Reid saw that I had accepted it, he seemed to relax. In his mind, as long as I took the gift, the matter was settled and he could move on. He slipped off his jacket and started heading for the bathroom to shower.

"Reid." I stopped him.

"Hm? What is it?" He turned around, looking a little tired.

"The game starts the night after tomorrow." I looked him in the eye, my voice soft. "Can you stay home and watch it with me?"

This was the last test I would ever give him. It was also my final goodbye to eight years of my life.

Something flickered behind Reid's eyes, and he looked away.

"I can't do the night after tomorrow." He let out a sigh, feigning helplessness. "Something came up at work. There's an important client dinner I can't get out of. A bunch of big accounts are going to be there."

He put on an easy smile. "Be good and watch it here by yourself. I'll come home and keep you company as soon as I'm done."

He did not so much as blink when he lied.

At the very moment those words left his mouth, the phone he had set on the coffee table lit up with a notification from Nola. The message content was hidden, but her name was displayed clearly across the screen.

I knew there was no client dinner. He was going to spend that night with his soulmate, and they would watch his new team's big moment together.

"Okay." I nodded and did not call him out. "Work comes first. Go."

Reid smiled, visibly relieved, and walked over to ruffle my hair. "My wife's always so understanding. Once things calm down, I'll take you on a trip."

He grabbed his phone and hurried out to the balcony to reply to the message.

I watched the way he could not get to that screen fast enough and said under my breath, "Go. You won't have to keep me company ever again."

It was game day. A light rain had been falling over the city since evening, but it did nothing to dampen the frenzy of the fans.

Reid left the house at 3:00 pm. He was wearing his brand-new Portugal jersey, his hair styled without a strand out of place.

"The client's pushing for an early start, so I'm heading out." He was at the entryway changing his shoes, barely able to contain his excitement. "Don't wait up tonight. Get some sleep."

I sat on the couch and watched him close the door behind him. The apartment instantly fell completely silent. I stood up and placed the signed divorce papers neatly in the center of the coffee table. Beside them, I set down the necklace he had given me.

I slowly slid the diamond ring off my left ring finger. I had worn it for four years, and when it finally came off, it left a deep groove pressed into my skin.

I walked to the wardrobe and pulled open the bottom drawer. Tucked underneath everything else was an Argentina jersey in blue and white. It had been washed so many times that it had faded. This was the very one he had long since dismissed.

I slipped the ring, the one that was supposed to symbolize a lifetime of love, into the jersey pocket. Then, I zipped my suitcase shut.

At 8:00 pm, I sat in the airport terminal. The screens overhead were running pre-game coverage for the match that was about to begin, and crowds of people in jerseys filled the halls with noise.

My phone buzzed. It was a video from Nola.

The footage was dim and hazy inside the private room at the bar. Nola was wearing a cropped, tight-fitting jersey, sitting openly on Reid's lap without a shred of self-consciousness.

Reid was smiling, lifting a glass of wine to her lips. Around them, his friends were egging him on.

"Reid, kiss her, kiss her!"

Reid did not refuse. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the side of her face. Nola flashed a victory sign at the camera.

The message read: [Sorry, but from now on, I'll be the one at his side for every big moment. Sweet dreams, Ms. Whitley.]

I looked at the man on my screen, laughing without a care in the world, and felt nothing at all. There was no anger and no heartbreak, just the quiet relief of something finally settling into place.

I opened the chat with Nola and typed two words: [Perfect match.]

Then, I held down the power button and turned my phone off completely. I pulled out the SIM card I had been using for years and dropped it into the trash.

The boarding announcement echoed through the terminal speakers. I stood, took hold of my suitcase, and walked toward the security checkpoint. Outside, the world was loud with celebration, and in here, there was only the stillness of leaving alone.

However, that was alright. From now on, my world belonged to no one but me.

…

At 11:00 pm, the match officially kicked off. Inside the bar, the atmosphere hit its peak.

Reid was glued to the big screen, his arm wrapped tight around Nola's waist. Just then, the phone in his pocket started buzzing relentlessly. He pulled it out with an irritated frown and glanced at the caller ID.

It was an unfamiliar landline number. He nearly declined it, but something made him hesitate. He could not explain the sudden flicker of unease.

He pushed Nola aside, covered his other ear with his hand, and stepped out of the room to take the call.

"Who is this?" he shouted over the roar of cheering that erupted as a goal was scored.

On the other end was a calm, measured voice, sounding entirely professional.

"Mr. Callister, good evening. I'm the attorney representing Ms. Brynn Whitley. Ms. Whitley has signed the divorce agreement. The papers are currently on the coffee table in your shared residence. She has asked me to inform you that she has left, and she requests that you complete the divorce proceedings at your earliest convenience."

The smile froze on Reid's face. In that single moment, the deafening roar inside the bar seemed to fall away.