But simply wishing for happily ever after never works. Whether you’re a beautiful British princess, a Wall Street mogul, a fast food cashier, or one of the richest, most talented singers in the world, no one gets an iron-clad contract for marital bliss. Some may have the advantage of keeping their dirty laundry behind closed doors as love crashes and crumbles but the reality remains the same.

While the altercation Beyonce’s sister Solange had with Jay Z in the hotel elevator made for great viewing and speculation, that incident may have been the beginning of the end for the glitzy couple. Since that conflict 10 weeks ago, a variety of scattered incidents, admittedly fueled by pure speculation, have supported the theory that there may indeed be trouble in 

Perhaps the most solid indicator there’s a split on the horizon is Beyonce’s apartment shopping. Just weeks after the infamous elevator fight, she reportedly checked out a Chelsea penthouse just the right size for a millionaire mom and her young daughter. Less than half the size of the Tribeca manse at 4,045 square feet, it’s doubtful Jay Z would consider leaving the home he’s painstakingly customized to meet his needs. Also curious is that Beyonce was touring the potential home alone when all the couple’s former homes have been viewed and considered as a couple. Suggestions the Chelsea digs might be a new home for Solange orBeyonce’s mother were dampened by the $20 million price tag, which sources claim is way more than Beyonce would spend for any place other than a home for herself and Blue Ivy.

Regardless of their feelings for each other, Beyonce and Jay Z are both hardcore capitalists. The “On The Run” worldwide tour is the hottest ticket out there, predicted to gross over $100 million, and scheduled to end in Paris on September 13, just a little over 7 weeks away. Ordinary people often stay married to avoid $5,000 a month in alimony payments, so it stands to reason these two will put on happy faces and tough it out. Whether they work things out or take the train to Splitsville, life’s always easier to endure when you’re sitting on a mountain of money. It’s also easier to divvy up funds that are in nice, round numbers that end in 8 zeros.

Jay Z has been accused of philandering or at the very least flirting with many women both before and after his marriage to Beyonce. And the bad blood between Beyonce and Jay Z’s former protégé Rihanna has been highly publicized.

Even though Rihanna has supposedly been off Jay Z’s radar for more than a decade, she never seems to be too far from him. Actually, the two were scheduled to meet up the night of the elevator fight, feeding speculation that perhaps Solange was angry over that liaison instead of Jay Z cozying up to designer Rachel Roy, as previously suggested. A Hollywood Life source as well as New York Post’s Page Six claims Solange’s outburst had everything to do with Rihanna and Jay Z, which could also explain Beyonce’s non-reaction to the fracas since Rihanna’s an old rival she’s never seemed to shake.

Beyonce makes it a point to snap hot, romantic pics of her and her man in every city on the concert tour. Just recently, Beyonce posted a picture of Jay Z, Blue Ivy and her taking in some culture at an art display. Detractors say the most telling sign the marriage is kaput would be the flow of happy photos of the family screeching to a halt, so things look good from that angle. Maybe the couple is trying to hide the the fact that their marriage is falling apart by posting pics of them as a happy family.

Though unsubstantiated, word on the street is Beyonce and Jay Z have been splicing marriage counseling sessions into their tour schedule. While that route is sensible and could help save the marriage if it’s actually in trouble, everyone has to go home at the end of the day (tour) and face the challenges of simple cohabitation and compromise. Even if the counseling doesn’t work, Beyonce can face the future with an honest claim that she made a serious effort to save the marriage.

Although many husbands and wives don’t wear their wedding rings 24/7, when a superstar diva takes off her ring amidst rumors of marriage woes, bets are placed on how many days or weeks will pass before the split is official. Every time a photo surfaces of Beyonce’s unadorned left ring finger, naysayers see it as yet another nail in the divorce coffin. Factor in gossip about her wedding tattoo literally fading away and you’ve got a juicy albeit flimsy anecdote of doom.

Back in June, Beyonce shocked her Ohio concert audience by altering the words to her hit song “Resentment” and not just an adjective or two. The changes appeared to be very well thought out and pointed straight at Jay Z, clever modifications that reflect Beyonce’s reputation for being smart and focused on the matters at hand. She sang, “Been ridin’ with twelve years” instead of the original lyrics of six years. She also changed this lyric: “I’ll always remember feeling like I was no good … Like I couldn’t do it for you like your mistress could” to “I’ll always remember feeling like I was no good … Like I couldn’t do it for you like that wack b*tch could.” Not very subtle but about as honest and straightforward as you could ask for.

At every venue on their tour, there are scads of pictures of Beyonce and Jay Z on stage performing, looking like they couldn’t be happier or more in sync. But according to sources, as soon as each show ends, each of them goes their separate ways. They might just need some alone time to rest and regroup but combined with all the other factors, it doesn’t convey a positive message about their relationship.