Ex-husband's Sweetest Revenge.

(Screams! Pains!)

I stood, confused—he was my partner, not an opponent.

But without warning, Josh charged at me, his eyes fixed with a fierce intensity.

I barely had time to brace myself as his fist rocketed toward my face. I quickly ducked, dodging his fist.

I countered with a kick aimed at his side, but he anticipated my move, sidestepping and grabbing my leg.

In an instant, I was off balance, crashing to the ground. The impact rattled through my body, and I struggled to regain my steps.

Josh was relentless. He didn’t give me a moment to breathe. He lunged again, this time landing a solid punch to my ribs. Pain exploded, and I gasped, doubling over.

I tried to push back, throwing a wild punch, but he ducked and countered with a sharp uppercut that caught me square in the jaw.

“Arghhh!” I groaned, stumbling back.

I was disoriented. My vision blurred for a moment, but I shook my head, trying to clear it. I couldn’t let him see my weakness, he wanted a fight and I was going to give it to him.

I charged forward, desperate to take him down.

I threw a series of jabs, but Josh was too quick. He dodged and weaved, effortlessly avoiding my strikes.

“Come on, Ethan! You’re better than this!” he shouted, his voice a mix of encouragement and challenge.

I felt the frustration boiling inside me, but I couldn’t harness it. Instead, I lunged again, but this time Josh was ready. He sidestepped and delivered a powerful kick to my midsection. I gasped, the wind knocked out of me, and I crumpled to the floor, struggling to catch my breath.

“Get up!” Marcus shouted from the sidelines, but my body felt heavy, my muscles burning in pain.

Josh approached again, and I could see his determination. He wasn’t holding back, infact, at this point, I wasn’t his best friend, I was a stranger—an opponent.

I forced myself to stand, but as I rose, he charged again, a flurry of punches coming my way. I managed to block a few, but one punch landed hard on my cheek, sending me sprawling to the ground once more.

How come? I could deafeat five huge men but why can’t I take Josh down?

I pushed myself up again, but my body protested. I could feel a sharp pain in my ribs and a throbbing ache in my jaw. I glanced at Marcus, who was watching intently, his expression serious.

“You need to focus!” he called out, but all I could think about was how I had failed to keep up.

Josh took a step back, his fists still raised, waiting for me to make my move. I lunged one last time, fueled by a mix of anger and desperation. But he sidestepped again, and before I could react, he landed a decisive blow—a right hook that sent me crashing to the floor.

“Arghhh! Fuck!” I hit the ground hard, pain radiating through my body as I lay there, breathless.

I could hear the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, as my vision slowly began to blur.

“Ethan!” Josh knelt beside me, bringing me back to the moment. I could see concern etched on his face. “Are you okay?”

I groaned, trying to catch my breath. My body ached, but it was the feeling of failure that stung the most.

“You’ve got to learn to control your emotions,” Marcus said, stepping closer. “This isn’t just about strength. It’s about focus. You would have defeated Josh, or both of you would have been on the same page, but you let your emotions get the best of you,”

Marcus nodded at Josh who nodded back to him, then Josh turned to leave. While Marcus turned back to face me.

You have to learn to control you feelings, Josh is your best friend outside of this, but right now, he is your partner, and you know what that means, partners aren’t emotionally attached. This is a Job, like business, only much more serious. Keep that in mind,” Marcus said, turning to leave also.

I nodded weakly, knowing that this was a lesson I had to take to heart…