Cold Elegance

“You don’t get to ask me why, Derick.”

The words landed softly. That was what made them hurt. Derick stood in the middle of the living room, jacket still on, one hand gripping his phone like it might explain what his eyes had just seen.

Maya sat on the arm of the couch, legs crossed, wine glass balanced between her fingers. Calm. Comfortable. Like this conversation had been rehearsed. “Say that again,” Derick said.

Maya sighed, already tired. “I said you don’t get to ask me why.”

Caleb shifted near the window. “Man, maybe we should”

“Don’t,” Maya snapped without looking at him. Then her eyes returned to Derick. “You’re making this bigger than it needs to be.”

Derick laughed once. It came out wrong. “Bigger?”

The phone vibrated in his palm. Another message. Another confirmation. He didn’t open it. “You slept with him,” Derick said. “In our bed.”

Maya took a sip of wine. “Lower your voice.”

He stared at her. “That’s your response?”

“What do you want me to say?” she asked. “That I’m sorry?”

“Yes,” Derick said immediately. “That would be a start.”

She tilted her head, studying him. “But I’m not.”

The room went still. Caleb cleared his throat. “Maya”

“No,” she cut in. “He deserves honesty for once.”

Derick’s fingers tightened. “For once?”

“You were comfortable,” she said. “Comfortable isn’t love. It’s laziness.”

Derick took a step closer. “I worked two jobs for us.”

“And still came home empty,” she replied. “Empty eyes. Empty dreams.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Is it?” She stood now, heels clicking softly against the floor. “Tell me the last time you surprised me.”

“That’s not”

“The last time you wanted me,” she continued. “Not because we were married. Because you actually wanted me.”

Derick opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Maya smiled, small and sharp. “Exactly.”

The front door creaked as someone laughed outside. A neighbor. Life continuing. “So this is it?” Derick asked. “You humiliate me, then rewrite the story so you feel better?”

She shrugged. “You humiliated yourself.”

Caleb stepped forward. “Maya, that’s”

“True,” she said. “I didn’t cheat because I’m cruel. I cheated because he was weak.”

The word hit harder than the betrayal. Weak. Derick felt something inside his chest loosen. Not pain. Something colder. “You think I’m weak,” he said quietly.

“I know you are,” she replied. “Look at you. Standing there, waiting for an apology that isn’t coming.”

Derick glanced at Caleb. “You knew.”

Caleb swallowed. “Man”

“You knew,” Derick repeated.

“I told him,” Maya said. “I said if you were any kind of man, you’d already know.”

Derick nodded slowly. “So you both decided I wasn’t worth the truth.”

Caleb looked away. Maya crossed her arms. “This conversation is over.”

“No,” Derick said. “It’s not.”

She laughed. “See? This is what I mean. You think raising your voice changes things.”

“I’m not raising my voice.”

“You don’t have to,” she said. “You’re still small.”

Something finally broke. Derick stepped back. “Pack your things,” Maya said. “I already called a locksmith. The code changes tonight.”

Derick blinked. “This is my house.”

“It was,” she corrected. “I’ll have your clothes boxed by morning.”

Caleb muttered, “Damn.”

Derick looked at them both. Then he smiled. It startled them. “That’s it?” Maya asked. “You’re smiling?”

“No,” Derick said. “I’m listening.”

“To what?”

“To the sound of something ending,” he replied.

She rolled her eyes. “Drama doesn’t suit you.”

He turned toward the door. “Derick,” she called after him. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

He paused, hand on the knob. “I won’t,” he said. “I promise.”

Outside, the city breathed. Horns. Voices. Neon flickering against wet pavement. Caleb followed him out. “Bro, wait.”

Derick stopped but didn’t turn. “I didn’t mean for it to go like this,” Caleb said. “It just… happened.”

Derick finally looked at him. “You sat in my house.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened. “You weren’t there.”

“I was,” Derick replied. “Just not in the room.”

Caleb exhaled. “What are you gonna do?”

Derick considered the question. “I don’t know yet,” he said. “But I won’t be loud about it.”

Caleb frowned. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“It shouldn’t,” Derick said.

He walked away. By the time he reached the end of the block, his phone rang.

Unknown number. He answered. “Derick Hale?” a man asked.

“Yes.”

“This is Victor Ames. Maya’s attorney.”

Derick stopped under a flickering streetlight. “That was fast.”

“We’re moving efficiently,” Victor said. “I suggest you do the same.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“There are documents you’ll need to sign. Refusal will complicate things.”

Derick smiled to himself. “Complication is relative.”

Silence. “Excuse me?” Victor said.

“Nothing,” Derick replied. “Send whatever you like.”

The call ended. Derick stood there for a long moment, watching cars pass. His reflection stared back at him from a dark shop window, eyes calm, face unreadable.

A woman brushed past him and apologized without slowing. Derick didn’t respond. He took out his phone and deleted every message. Photos. Contacts. Years reduced to empty space.

Then he opened a new note. One line. Weak men beg. Quiet men plan.

He locked the screen. Across town, Maya laughed as she poured another glass of wine. “See?” she said to Caleb. “He didn’t fight. Just like I said.”

Caleb nodded slowly, unease creeping into his chest. “Yeah. Guess you were right.”

Maya smiled, satisfied. Miles away, under the buzzing streetlight, Derick Hale stepped into the shadows.

And something else stepped out. He didn’t know its name yet. But the city would.