Divorcing My Toxic Husband and His Sweetheart

Ethan and I lost our marriage certificate. Again.

As we stood in the City Hall waiting to get a replacement copy for the ninth time, his childhood best friend, Chloe, raised her voice from behind the service counter. "Sir, are you sure you want to sign this?

This woman, Seraphina Vance, has been divorced eight times, had nine abortions, and has HIV and syphilis! She’s a walking biohazard! Are you fully aware of this?" Crash!

A young couple sitting nearby gasped in horror, the groomtobe falling right out of his chair in shock.

In an instant, disgusting, judgmental stares swept over me from every corner of the lobby. Before I could react, someone threw a raw egg.

The cold, smelly yolk dripped down my cheek, freezing my heart to the core. This time, I was done. I turned and walked straight toward the complaint desk.

But Ethan, who had been standing by in silence, suddenly grabbed my wrist. He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped my face, murmuring softly: "Don't be mad, Sera.

She’s just being childish. She likes to play pranks, but she didn’t mean to hurt you." "Besides, she’s not really targeting you.

She’s just throwing a tantrum because she’s mad at me.

You know I trust you, right?" With that, he glanced at Chloe with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence. "Come on, just print the certificate for us—" I pushed his hand away, my face completely blank. "Don't bother," I interrupted. "Let's just file for divorce instead." Ethan’s hand froze midair, the tissue crumpled in his fingers.

Before he could speak, Chloe stormed out from behind the counter, pointing a finger at my face. "Oh, please! You and your own stepbrother didn't even dare to do a DNA test!

You got knocked up by godknowswho and forced an honest guy like Ethan to take the fall.

Even after marriage, you couldn't keep your pants zipped, hooking up with guys online on Snapchat.

Now that you've found a new sugar daddy, you want a divorce?" The moment she finished, someone in the crowd threw a large bottle of water right at me, soaking me from head to toe.

A draft swept through the lobby, and I shivered violently from the cold. I looked at Ethan. He opened his mouth, but not a single word of defense came out.

The whispers around us grew louder and uglier. "Her own husband isn't even defending her. The clerk must be telling the truth!" "Look at her heavy makeup and how she walks.

She definitely sells her body for a living." This wasn't the first time Chloe had ruined my reputation with vile rumors.

She had stolen our marriage certificate before, showed up at my workplace, and accused me of being a cheap hooker. She even leaked my personal information on shady websites.

After receiving countless harassing calls and death threats, I lost my job.

I suffered from severe insomnia, lost twenty pounds in a month, and had to take handfuls of antidepressants just to survive.

Yet, while Ethan helped me find doctors, he couldn't bear to see Chloe cry.

He had stood by my hospital bed and said with a sigh: "Sera, our mothers promised we'd marry when we were kids.

Since she didn't get to marry me, she's bound to throw some tantrums." "She doesn’t mean any real harm. She just has a sharp tongue.

You’re so kind and mature, just be the bigger person." "If you ignore her, she’ll eventually realize she’s wrong and apologize to you." But my endless patience only made Chloe more vicious.

Now, I was done being the bigger person. I wiped the water from my face, walked over to the ticket machine, and pressed the button for a divorce appointment.

Chloe smirked, rolling her eyes as if she had predicted this. "Playing hard to get again!

Pretending to want a divorce just to make Ethan beg you to stay!" Ethan let out a soft sigh, playfully tapping Chloe's nose. "Alright, it's the first day of your period.

Stop stressing yourself out." Then, ignoring my cry of pain, he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the building. "Stop making a scene, Sera!

Chloe worked so hard to get this temp job at City Hall. She’s immature, but are you going to be immature too?" "We can get the certificate reprinted any day.

She's in a bad mood today. I’ll bring you back some other time, okay?" I suddenly laughed. "Ethan, when is my birthday?" Silence fell. Ethan froze.

A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by irritation because he felt I was "making trouble out of nothing." "Sera, is this really necessary?

We've only been married for three years! Chloe and I have been best friends since we were in diapers!" "It's just a piece of paper! Why are you rushing me?

Do you have to ruin everyone’s day?" My brain buzzed, and my blood ran icecold. How could he say that so easily?

When Chloe got me fired from my third job, I was so stressed that I miscarried our first child. I was terrified to close my eyes at night.

Whenever I did, I saw the blood running down my legs and the baby I would never get to hold. I used to wake up screaming in a cold sweat.

Ethan had been angry enough to block Chloe on Snapchat back then.

But within a week, before my body had even healed, he folded the moment Chloe went on a "hunger strike." "Sera, I asked her about it. She only did it because she felt insecure.

You've always been so successful, and she felt inferior. Your mom is a professional Civil Service Exam tutor, right? Why don't we have your mom tutor Chloe?

Once Chloe gets a permanent job, she’ll be grateful to you." I didn't care about her gratitude. But for the sake of my marriage, my mother spent two years tirelessly tutoring Chloe.

Even though Chloe didn't pass the official exam, she managed to get hired as a contract temp at City Hall. And how did she repay my mother?

On Thanksgiving, Chloe told all our relatives from my hometown that I was a shameless squatter in the Sterling house, pointing out that we didn't even have a registered marriage certificate.

Under the judgmental stares of our relatives, my mother’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed on the floor.

My father, a proud sixfoottall man, had to swallow his pride and beg me in tears: "Sera, please, just get the certificate printed.

Your mom can't take this anymore." But every time we went to City Hall, either the printer was broken, or the system was down.

Until last night, when my mother was rushed to the ICU and the doctor issued a critical condition notice. Her thin, frail hand held mine, trembling.

I had begged Ethan on my knees, sobbing, and he finally promised we would get it done today. But clearly, his memory of his promises to me was very short.

Suddenly, everything became clear to me. If we couldn't get a marriage certificate, a divorce certificate would work just as well to clear my name.

As Ethan and I stood in a silent standoff, the speaker at the counter buzzed.

Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "We are not doing this today—" "Number 103, Ethan Sterling and Seraphina Vance. Please come to counter four for your divorce application."

Ethan's face turned completely pale, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles cracked. "Sera, your mother is still in the hospital—" Before he could finish, Chloe’s sweet voice cut in. "Ethan, she’s bluffing!

She’s just using this to threaten you." That was the trigger. Ethan hated being threatened more than anything.

Without another word, he walked over and signed the divorce petition. "Fine, Sera! If you want to play this game, I’ll play!

There’s a 30day coolingoff period before the divorce is finalized.

That's more than enough time for you to regret this and beg me to come back!" With that, he grabbed Chloe’s hand and stormed off without looking back.

Chloe, however, looked over his shoulder and gave me a playful wink. "Today is Thursday, Sera! Don't wait up for Ethan tonight. Bye~" It was hilarious, really.

Even though I was Ethan's wife, I only got him on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Because Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays were the nights Chloe worked late shifts at the divorce window.

She claimed that dealing with so much "negative energy" during the day made her suicidal at night, so she couldn't sleep alone.

In the past, I had screamed, cried, and even stepped on broken glass in a desperate attempt to keep him home. But Ethan had only paused for two seconds before calling 911.

He had looked at me with disappointment: "Sera, why are you throwing tantrums like Chloe now? She’s young and foolish, but what’s your excuse?" "I don't have a choice.

I can't just let her kill herself." He always had no choice. He was always the righteous savior. Well, I was done listening to his excuses.

I went home, washed the egg and dirty water off my skin, and immediately came down with a fever.

As I searched the cabinets for medicine, my phone buzzed repeatedly with local TikTok and Snapchat notifications. "Heroic Clerk Exposes Local Biohazard Seducing Innocent Men!" "Boston University Alumna Sera Vance: A Professional Homewrecker!" The comment section was a toxic wasteland: "This kind of trash needs to be exposed!

We should reward Chloe for her public service!" "Sera Vance? I know her! She was a total slut in college. She stole her senior's boyfriend.

I bet she slept her way to the 'Best Couple' award back then." "Disgusting bitch! Having HIV is too good for her. Why isn't she dead yet?

Is she trying to infect the whole city?" "Her whole family is trash. No wonder her parents are rotting in the hospital.

It's karma!" Looking at those vicious words, my hands shook uncontrollably. Then, a text from my dad popped up next to my draft message.

My draft: "Dad, I filed for divorce." My dad's reply: "Come home, sweetheart. Even if the sky falls, your dad will hold it up for you." Tears streamed down my face.

For the first time in years, I felt a deep sense of peace. That night, I didn't spam Ethan's phone with calls. I didn't torture myself by staring at the cozy photos Chloe sent me.

I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. But in the middle of the night, Ethan stumbled into the house, smelling of alcohol. He tripped over two suitcases in the living room.

His heart skipped a beat. But when he realized the suitcases were light and mostly empty, a confident smirk returned to his face.

He figured I was just putting on a show to get his attention again.

He pushed the bedroom door open and threw his heavy, warm body onto me. "Sera... ten years since we graduated, and everyone still talks about us as the ultimate college sweethearts..." "Someone left a comment on my Instagram today, asking when our little angel is going to be born..." I froze, trying to push him off.

The love story between the junior finance prodigy and the freshman literature sweetheart had once been so passionate.

Ethan had used every romantic gesture a college kid could afford to win me over, writing me thousands of handwritten letters.

The moment I graduated, he proposed and transferred a portion of his startup shares to my name.

But the sweetness of those first five years turned into pure poison the year Chloe returned to the country with a box full of love letters.

I realized then that every single letter Ethan had written me was just a copypaste of what he had written to Chloe, with only the names changed.

And under the current cyberbullying campaign, those comments asking about a baby weren't blessings—they were mockery.

I blinked back my tears and let out a cold laugh. "Ethan, how do you even have the nerve to mention that?" Ethan leaned in, his hands cupping my face. "Don't cry, baby.

Don't you always want a baby? Actually, I—" Before he could finish, the bedroom door was flung open. Chloe stood there, her face twisted in jealousy. "Ethan!

You promised me you wouldn't touch her!"

Ethan jumped off the bed like a cat that had its tail stepped on, looking incredibly guilty. Chloe, with a cold face, helped him up and pulled him toward the door.

Seeing that I didn't even try to stop them this time, Chloe smiled triumphantly, as if she had won the ultimate prize. "I told you, Sera.

Without my permission, nobody gets to keep Ethan." "Oh, and thanks for playing along with my show today.

My mom said that once my permanent position is approved, you’ll be kicked out of this family for good!" My motherinlaw, Helen, had always favored Chloe.

She humiliated me at every turn and had even given the Sterling family heirloom bracelet to Chloe instead of me.

The only thing Helen was unsatisfied with was Chloe’s temporary job status. "Ugh..." A wave of nausea hit me, triggered by the overly sweet perfume Chloe was wearing. I dryheaved.

Alarm bells immediately rang in my head. Chloe noticed my reaction. Her expression stiffened for a second, but then she sneered. "Cut the act.

There's no way you're pregnant with Ethan's baby." "Don't believe me? Why don't you check the vitamin bottle on his nightstand?" I walked over and opened the vitamin bottle.

Beneath the fake label, I found male oral contraceptives. I gripped the bottle tight, my mind racing. After my miscarriage, I had struggled to get pregnant.

I thought it was my fault and had gone through painful hormone therapy and acupuncture. If I had discovered this earlier, I would have been devastated.

But now, looking at the pills, I felt nothing but profound relief. I slept deeply that night. The next morning, I still had a low fever. But I didn't want to wait anymore.

I packed my essentials, ready to leave. Just as I was throwing my old "fertility charms" into the trash, Ethan burst through the front door. My heart tightened.

Fortunately, he was in too much of a hurry to notice. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the door. In his haste, my lower abdomen slammed hard against the doorframe.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my belly. Ethan didn't even notice. He kept pulling me, speaking rapidly: "Sera, Chloe got into some trouble.

To prove she was a 'heroic clerk,' she leaked the personal info of several couples who came to register.

Now the families are furious and making a huge scene at her office..." "She’s just a young girl, she can't handle this.

I’m a man, so it’s awkward for me to apologize to those women. You’re always so good with people.

Go apologize to them on Chloe’s behalf before the higherups get involved!" My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. Ethan finally noticed my pale face.

He knelt down, panicked. "SSera? Are you okay?" The pain in my stomach was getting worse. I realized my period was weeks late. "Take me... to the hospital..." I wheezed.

But as Ethan went to lift me, Chloe stepped into the house. She grabbed Ethan's arm, her eyes full of spite. "I told you she was just pretending to be nice!

The moment I get into trouble, she fakes an illness!" "Ethan! Do you want my career to be ruined?!" "Shut up!" Ethan snapped at her for the first time.

Then, he turned to me with begging eyes. "Sera, Chloe has a loud mouth, and she pissed off her coworkers this time. Just take the blame for her.

Tell them you were the one who gave her the idea. You don't work there anyway, so it won't affect your career, right?" "Please, I’m begging you. Just help her this once.

I promise she’ll be grateful and will never—" I couldn't listen to his voice for another second. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.

The slap was weak and lacked force. Yet, it seemed to shatter Ethan’s reality. He stood frozen, staring at me. "Ethan, do you have any idea what her 'heroic expose' did?

Because of her lies, three couples canceled their weddings and demanded ring refunds.

One pregnant woman got so stressed she had a miscarriage, and her husband is suicidal right now! You want me to take the blame?

Have you thought about what those furious families will do to me?" Ethan closed his eyes and let out a long, heavy sigh. "I know, I know. But I don't have a choice, Sera!

Chloe is pregnant! She can't handle the stress and danger right now!" "I'm sorry... but honestly, this is partly your fault too.

If you hadn't been so stubborn and let me stay at her place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, none of this would have happened!" I stared at him, my eyes wide with disbelief.

A wave of bitter sorrow washed over me. I had stepped on broken glass and scarred my feet just to keep him home, but I couldn't stop him from running to Chloe.

And now, he was blaming me. "Sera, if you hadn't always overshadowed her, she wouldn't have felt so much pressure, and she wouldn't have made this mistake!

Help her this once, and I promise I’ll never mention the past again!" "When the baby is born, we can raise it under our name. It will call you mom, and Chloe can just be its aunt.

Isn't that a perfect solution?" Chloe, however, was still arrogant, looking highly displeased. "This is my baby!

Why should it call her mom?" I laughed so hard tears streamed down my face. What made them think I would ever want to raise the product of his betrayal?

Before I could say no, a furious roar echoed from the hallway outside. "Where is that lying little bitch? Get her out here!" "She killed my grandchild!

Make her pay with her life!" Chloe finally looked terrified.

She fell to her knees, grabbing my coat and crying: "Sera, save me!" But as she clung to me, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, her voice dripping with venom: "I gave them your mother's hospital address.

If you don't go out there and take the heat, they’re going to find your dying mother instead!" A jolt of pure terror went through me.

I tried to pull out my phone to call the police, but Ethan grabbed it.

For the first time in my life, I fell to my knees and begged him, tears and snot covering my face. "My mom is in danger! Ethan, please don't be this cruel!

She was always so good to you and Chloe!" But Ethan still didn't believe me. He never did. "Why are you dragging your mother into this? She’s safe in the hospital.

What could happen to her?" "Just go in there and apologize.

It's a public office, they won't dare to hurt you." As he pushed me toward the door of the meeting room, a strange, hollow laugh escaped my lips. "I'm pregnant too, Ethan.

If I go in there, you might lose two lives today." Ethan froze.

But before he could process my words, Chloe gave me a violent shove from behind, pushing me straight into the room. "Stop faking it! You haven't been able to get pregnant for years!

Besides, I swapped your—" The heavy door slammed shut, cutting off her voice and sealing my fate. Outside, a sudden wave of panic washed over Ethan.

He didn't even hear what Chloe was saying next. Then, his phone rang loudly, making him break out in a cold sweat. "Mr. Sterling?

Your motherinlaw, Margaret Vance, is in critical condition. We need you to come to the OR immediately to sign the consent form!" Ethan's breath hitched.

He turned to run toward the hospital. But before he could take a single step, a piercing, bloodcurdling scream from inside the meeting room froze him in his tracks.