The Silent Duality

Leo stood under the shadow of an old building, lighting a cigarette between his blood-stained fingers. The scent of tobacco mixed with the metallic tang of iron, wafting from the man sprawled at his feet. His eyes were empty, devoid of emotion. A single bullet had lodged in the man's head, the traitor who dared to sell information to his enemies.

Leo took a deep breath. The man should've known betrayal in this business only led to one thing: death.

He reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the remaining blood from his hands before flicking away the half-burnt cigarette. His steps were steady as he left the narrow alley, heading toward the car waiting for him at the end of the street. The rain poured relentlessly, muffling the sound of his footsteps.

As soon as he settled into the back seat, a middle-aged man with a hardened face glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

"Is it done?"

Leo didn't answer. He only nodded.

The man, Rafael, gripped the steering wheel and pulled the car smoothly onto the slick, glistening roads under the streetlights.

"Do you want to go straight home?" Rafael asked.

Leo hesitated. For a moment, he considered saying yes until his phone buzzed. A message popped up on the screen, making his eyes narrow.

"Come home. There's something you need to see."

The sender was unexpected, one of his trusted men stationed at his own house.

Leo clenched his fist. A sudden coldness settled in his chest.

"No," he said at last. "Take me home."

The front door swung open with a sharp push.

Leo stepped into his vast, opulent home, its walls adorned with priceless artwork, a grand chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. But all the luxury in the world couldn't shake the bad feeling that had been creeping up on him since he received that message.

His strides were quick and deliberate as he ascended the stairs, heading straight for the master bedroom.

When he pushed the door open, his heartbeat seemed to stop.

There, in the bed that was supposed to be his and his wife's, were two entwined bodies.

Hana, his wife, jolted awake, her face turning ghostly pale at the sight of the figure standing in the doorway. The man beside her scrambled, yanking the sheets up to cover his naked body in sheer panic.

Leo recognized him.

His own best friend.

For the first time in a long while, something inside Leo shattered. Not because he still loved Hana, but because the betrayal was so blatant, so shameless.

"I can explain-" Hana's voice trembled, but Leo lifted a hand, silencing her.

His cold gaze shifted to the man who had once called him a friend. The bastard couldn't even meet his eyes.

Leo didn't yell. He didn't lash out.

Instead, he smiled, a smile that made Hana shrink back in fear.

"You can have her," Leo said quietly. "Because from this moment on, she is nothing to me."

With that, he turned and walked out. But before he left, he whispered to one of his men standing by the door.

"Make sure he never gets to enjoy life peacefully after this."

Then, he was gone.

He didn't need to stay and witness the rest of the night. He already knew his ex-wife and the man who betrayed him would never live the same way again.

***

That morning, the divorce proceedings were swift.

Hana, who had once carried herself with such arrogance, now looked like a broken woman, pleading for forgiveness. But Leo remained silent, refusing to give her even a single response.