After Discovering Max's Affair, I Divorced Him

Something inside me snapped.

I grabbed my coffee mug—still half-full of black coffee—and before I could think better of it, I flung the contents directly onto Amora's pristine white Hermès bag.

The coffee splashed across the expensive leather, creating a dark stain that spread like a virus.

"There!" I shouted, my voice trembling with rage. "Now you've ruined something that actually matters!"

Amora's scream pierced the air. "My bag! Do you know how much this cost?"

Maximus's face transformed into something I barely recognized. His eyes narrowed to slits, and a muscle twitched in his jaw.

"How dare you," he growled, stepping toward me.

I backed away, suddenly aware of what I'd done. "Maximus, I—"

The slap came without warning.

His hand connected with my cheek with such force that I stumbled backward, my vision blurring with tears from the pain.

"Max!" I gasped, raising a hand to my burning face.

Amora was still clutching her stained bag, her eyes gleaming with malicious triumph.

"Maximus," she cooed, "she attacked me first. She's completely unhinged."

I watched in horror as Maximus grabbed my destroyed laptop from the desk. The screen was cracked, coffee still dripping from its edges.

"Enough of this," he snarled. "Enough of your games and your drama."

Before I could stop him, he strode to the balcony doors and flung them open. With one fluid motion, he hurled my laptop into the air.

It arced through the Manhattan sky, a black silhouette against the afternoon sun, before disappearing from view.

"Maximus!" I screamed, rushing to the balcony edge.

Far below, I could see it lying in a construction dumpster, its remains mingling with debris and trash.

"That's what your precious gaming means to me," he spat, slamming the balcony doors shut.

I stood frozen, my cheek throbbing where he'd struck me. The laptop contained not just my work, but backup copies of critical security protocols—irreplaceable data that would take weeks to recreate.

"Congratulations," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You've just destroyed your family's fortune."

---

Three hours later, the doorbell rang.

Maximus was still seething, pacing the living room like a caged animal. Amora had retreated to the guest bathroom to salvage her bag, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

"I'll get it," I said quietly, rising from the couch where I'd been sitting in stunned silence.

I opened the door to find three people in dark suits standing in the hallway.

"Aliyah Williams?" The woman in the center spoke, her voice crisp and authoritative.

"Yes?"

"Federal Bureau of Investigation." She flashed a badge. "I'm Special Agent Marcus Chen. We have a warrant to freeze all assets belonging to the Jensen family."

Behind me, I heard Maximus's sharp intake of breath.

"This is some kind of mistake," he said, pushing past me into the entryway.

"No mistake, Mr. Jensen," Agent Chen replied coolly. "We have reason to believe your family's investment accounts have been compromised in a major cyberattack."

The color drained from Maximus's face as he turned to me. "Aliyah..."

I met his gaze steadily, refusing to look away despite the pain still radiating from my cheek.

"Tell them it's not true," he demanded, his voice rising with panic. "Tell them this is all some misunderstanding!"

"I can't," I said quietly. "Because it's not."

The agents moved past us into the penthouse, their presence suddenly filling the space with tension and purpose.

"Mr. Jensen, we'll need access to all financial records," Agent Chen said, producing a thick folder of documents. "And Ms. Williams, we may need your assistance in understanding the technical aspects of the breach."

Maximus stared at me, his expression shifting from anger to dawning horror.

"You were telling the truth," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "The servers... the attack..."

"Yes," I replied simply.

"But why didn't you stop it?" he asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

I touched my cheek gently, feeling the warmth of the bruise forming beneath my fingertips. "You wouldn't let me."

As the agents began cataloging our possessions and reviewing financial documents, I watched Maximus's world begin to crumble around him. His face had gone ashen, his hands trembling as he tried to process the magnitude of what had happened.

"Amora," he called out suddenly, his voice cracking. "Amora, where are you?"

She emerged from the bathroom, her face pale as she took in the scene before her.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice small.

Maximus's eyes darted between her and me, something unreadable passing across his face. For the first time since I'd known him, he looked truly afraid.

But it was too late for fear. The damage was done.