Draped over his arm like a trophy was Khloe, his new wife, younger, glossy, and dripping in beige designer clothes. On her wrist sparkled a diamond-studded Odmar’s watch that caught the light with theatrical precision.

Ethan didn’t just want to end their marriage; he wanted to humiliate her while doing it. For months he had drained their joint accounts to fund his new life with Khloe, then weaponized the best lawyers money could buy. Amelia, a university archivist earning a modest salary, could never hope to compete with his resources. Today was the final blow: the dissolution agreement that left her with a one-time payment of $10,000 and six months on her apartment lease. The settlement was less than the cost of Khloe’s handbag, which sat on the table like a silent insult.

“Can we expedite this?” Ethan asked