Divorce?

Melissa sprung off Max almost instantly, nearly tripping in the process. She wore her robe completely, tying the knot to avoid any more leakage of her nudity. 

Instinctive fear had never struck the heart of Max like it did at that moment. He didn't know what to do. He turned away, not wanting to clash gazes with the fiery eyes of his wife.

He wore his robe completely as well, and stood up slowly, his body trembling.

Madeline’s face was still registered in disbelief. She didn’t know what to say or do. Her body dripped in water, and her eyes turned red in rage and despair.

Max finally found the courage to look her in the eye, his face reflecting guilt. He spoke in a cool, almost seducing innocent voice. “Madeline, I–”

“Don't…” Madeline interrupted, her voice deep and firm.

“Madeline, it's not what you think.”

Her eyes twitched. “It's not what I think?”

“It's not what it looks like.” Max tried to play on his words.

“It's not what it looks like?!” Her voice leaped in enunciation, cracking at intervals.

Max began mumbling. “No I mean, you were supposed to be in the hospital, you weren't supposed to see this… you weren't supposed to see me this way. I—”

“I just went through the most mentally destabilising day of my life, fighting for the survival of OUR baby, Max; fighting till it was no longer possible to win. We lost our baby, Max and while I'm thinking you're just as unstable as I am, you're here trying to make a new one?!” Madeline had enough.

“This is not—” 

“Just shut up, Max.” Madeline cut in. “Shut up.”

Melissa read the room and realised it was her time to leave. She carried her bag and awkwardly stormed off. Before that however, she pulled Max in and whispered some words into his ear. 

Max held her by the waist with no shame, and smirked unconsciously by the words of Melissa.

Melissa meandered through Madeline to get through the door.

“I would have said don't forget your dignity on the way out but apparently she never had one.” Madeline said. “Now back to you.”

Madeline took some steps closer, the drops of water from her body escorting her.

“Madeline, I need you to calm down.” Max said. 

“You know, after I was discharged, I felt quite empty inside: literally and figuratively.” Melissa began explaining, walking closer and closer towards her husband. “It was pouring outside. No cab, no uber, nothing. I was expecting multiple missed calls from my loving husband. I looked into my phone. None. Not even one measly message to check up on me. Just completely dead silence from you.”

“Madeline, you were being hospitalised for two days now. I wasn't expecting a breakthrough for about a week.”

“So you decided to find comfort in getting humped by your Secretary instead.”

“You're making it—”

“How long has this been on?” Madeline asked. “Cause it don't seem like the first time you two have gone at it, am I right or am I right?”

“Madeline, baby…”

“What did you just call me?” Madeline interrupted. “I must be hearing wrong. Did I just hear, ‘baby’? Correct me if I'm wrong.”

“Come now.” Max smiled. He walked up to her to close the distance. “It was just was one silly mistake, Madeline.”

He gently placed his arms on her neck and teased her with his lips. He whispered onto her ears. “Let's just forget this all happened, sweetheart. You are always my forever girl. Don’t you forget that, Madeline, or need I remind you?”

Max smirked, reaching to her waist. He pulled her to his body. “So what if our baby is gone? We can make love forever till a little angel comes out of you.”

Madeline tried in every possible way to resist, but Max's game was better than anyone else. He was the most handsome, seductive trillionaire. A casanova at his bachelor years till he found Madeline. His touch, his eyes, his everything. It spoke to her.

“Let's fade away our worries, shall we?” Max proposed, reaching to her behinds.

Madeline got a hold of herself, and reignited the fiery spark she nearly lost.

“You sick bastard!” Madeline pushed him away, slapping him in the face. “This is all your worth. This is what you are. You don't deserve my love. You don't deserve love at all! I pray you never find love.”

She pulled off her wedding ring. “You, me… I'm done. It's over.” 

She threw the wedding ring to her face and stormed out of the house, carrying her bag and phone on the way out.

The rain had slowly begun to subside. She called Chanel once again and the latter picked up almost instantly. 

“Girl what happened to you? I thought you found yourself in some accident.” Chanel immediately started blabbing.

“I'm coming over.” Madeline said. 

“What do you mean you're coming over?” Chanel asked. “Did something happen? Is your house on fire?”

“Don’t ask me anything until I get there, okay?” Madeline started sobbing.

“Honey, are you crying?” Chanel asked. “What's—”

Madeline hung up. She cleaned her tears and moved forward, not daring to look back.

– – –

About half an hour later, Madeline made it to Chanel's place. She took a hot bath and changed into one of Chanel's clothes. 

In the guest room, Madeline explained all that happened right from what she had struggled in the hospital, to when she confronted her husband. Chanel tried to give words of encouragement, but the former inevitably broke into tears. 

Almost instantly, Chanel broke as well and they hugged each other for a while, but she toughened up her resolve for the sake of her friend. She wiped her best friend's tears and looked her in the eyes.

“Madeline, there's only one thing you gotta do…” Chanel proposed.

– – –

Two weeks later, Madeline sat face to face with Max Richard Booker, for the final time their eyes locked onto each other as their lawyers spoke in favour of their client in a divorce case.