The breaking point

The room was silent—so silent that even the soft hum of the chandelier above felt too loud. Ethan stared down at the papers in his hand, his mind blank. The words Petition for Divorce burned into his memory like fire.

Divorce?

His jaw clenched tightly as he reread the first line, his pulse racing. How dare she.

That thought struck him like a wave. His chest tightened, his anger beginning to boil. He had expected Mira to be upset, to cry, to plead for him to take her back—but this? Filing for divorce without a word? Sending papers like a stranger?

The nerve.

He rose to his feet so suddenly that Chloe flinched. The papers crumpled in his fist as he glared at them, his breathing harsh.

“How dare she?” he growled under his breath. “How dare Mira think she can just walk away from me?”

Chloe blinked, taken aback by his sudden rage. “Ethan…”

He ignored her, his eyes dark with fury. “After everything I did for her. After everything she was because of me—she thinks she can just erase me like I meant nothing?”

He paced back and forth, his voice growing louder with every word. “She was mine! My wife! My name, my house—mine!”

Chloe watched him, confusion flickering across her face before turning into annoyance. She stood and walked over to him, placing a hand gently on his arm.

“Ethan,” she said softly, her tone sugary sweet. “Come on, you know you love me, not her.”

He froze, looking down at her.

Chloe smiled, stepping closer. “Aren’t you happy she’s finally divorcing you? You can let go of her annoying, boring self and be with your true love—which is me.”

Her words were meant to soothe him, but instead they made something inside him snap.

Ethan didn’t respond. His jaw tightened, and he turned away from her, snatching his phone from the table.

“She thinks she can just walk away and send papers?” he muttered furiously, typing rapidly. His thumbs moved fast, his message spilling with anger:

“You think you can walk away from me, Mira? You’ll regret this. You belong to me, and no one divorces me without my consent.”

But before he could hit send, the message failed.

A small notification appeared on his screen: Message not delivered.

He frowned, tried again. Same result.

Then it hit him.

She had blocked him.

Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “She—she blocked me?” he whispered, his voice breaking with rage.

Without warning, he threw the phone across the floor with full force. It hit the wall, shattering into pieces. The sound echoed through the room like a gunshot.

Chloe gasped. “Ethan!”

But he didn’t stop. His fury exploded all at once. He kicked over a chair, grabbed a glass vase, and hurled it across the room. It shattered into shards, scattering across the marble floor.

“How could she!” he roared, his voice raw. “How could she even think of leaving me!”

His breathing grew uneven, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The papers were still in his hand, crumpled and torn, his knuckles white from the grip.

Chloe stood frozen, her heart pounding. She had seen Ethan angry before—but never like this.

For a second, she thought about leaving him alone, letting him cool off. But the thought of losing his attention terrified her.

So she did what she knew best—she played the victim.

“Ethan,” she said in a trembling voice, tears forming in her eyes. “Please stop yelling. You’re scaring me.”

He didn’t look at her, his mind consumed by rage.

She stepped closer, her lower lip trembling as she faked a sob. “Is this about her? Is she really that important to you that you’d ruin everything on my birthday?”

That made him pause. He turned, eyes narrowing. “What?”

Chloe sniffled dramatically, wiping fake tears from her cheeks. “You don’t even care that it’s my special day anymore, do you? You’d rather scream about that woman instead of celebrating with me.”

Her voice broke as she sank into the couch, shoulders shaking. “Doesn’t my happiness mean anything to you?”

For a moment, Ethan just stared at her. The anger still burned in his veins, but seeing her cry—seeing someone cry—sparked something else in him.

Guilt.

Or maybe just exhaustion.

He exhaled shakily, running a hand over his face. “Chloe…”

She looked up at him through her fake tears, her expression softening when she realized he was calming down.

Ethan’s shoulders slumped. The fury drained slowly from his body, leaving behind only a dull ache. He walked over and crouched beside her.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Chloe sniffed again, glancing up at him with big, watery eyes. “Then don’t be angry anymore, okay? She’s out of your life now. You have me. That’s all you need.”

He hesitated, his jaw tightening again at the mention of Mira—but he forced a small nod. “You’re right,” he muttered. “You’re right…”

Chloe smiled faintly, resting her head on his shoulder. “Good,” she whispered. “Now come to the party, please? Everyone’s waiting for you. I can’t celebrate without you.”

Ethan said nothing for a while. His hand was still clenched tightly, the faint sound of broken glass crunching under his shoes as he shifted.

Finally, he let out a tired sigh and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Alright,” he said quietly. “I’ll be there.”

Chloe smiled triumphantly to herself, her fake tears drying instantly.

But behind his calm expression, Ethan’s thoughts were burning. He could play the part for now, pretend for the cameras and the guests—but the anger inside him wasn’t gone.

Mira thought she could walk away?

She thought she could just divorce him and live in peace?