The scene?  Japan.  The plot: Murder.

Well … virtual murder.

According to a release from the Associated Press, after a 43 year old Japanese woman logged in to her character on Maple Story, she found that her virtual husband had divorced her, without giving any warning or reason. Infuriated by his behavior, she logged in to his account (using the password that he gave her earlier when they were in virtual marital bliss) and deleted his character.  Ha!  Hell hath no fury like a virtual wife scorned!

And then, in the real world, she was arrested on charges of suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data.  And she was taken 620 miles across the country – from her home in southern Miyazaki to be detained in Sapporo, where her virtually deceased ex-husband lives – to await trial.

If convicted, she could face a prison term up to five years.  For virtual murder.  In a video game.

Let this be a lesson to you.