Too Late For Sorry

For five years, Maya was my wife, and for five years, she hated my guts.

She collected lovers—young, beautiful men—and paraded them in front of me like trophies.

She even got pregnant with one of their children, a living monument to the ghost of her dead first love.

You let him die, she would say, her voice a blade. "This is what you deserve."

Then, one day, she learned the truth. She came to me, tears streaming down her face, begging for a second chance.

But it was too late. I was already dying.

1

The day I got the diagnosis was the same day as my ten-year high school reunion.

I called Maya three times on my way home from the doctor’s office, thinking she might want to go with me, for old times’ sake. She didn't pick up.

Her only reply was a three-word text.

Stop bothering me.

So I went alone. At the restaurant, the jokes started almost immediately.

"Look who it is! Your wife running a whole company now, Leo? Too busy for the likes of us?"

"Haha, don't tell me she's too good for her old classmates now that she's a big-shot CEO."

"Nah, cut it out," someone else chimed in. "You know Maya. She's the most sentimental one of us all. Every single year, she still makes time for Connor's…"

The speaker trailed off, his eyes darting to me with a flash of apology.

"Sorry, man. Leo. I'm sorry."

I forced a smile that felt like cracking plaster. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

The table scrambled to change the subject, the conversation suddenly loud and clumsy.

It wasn't a secret. Ever since Connor died, Maya reserved two weeks out of every year to fly back to his hometown and visit his grave. She even took care of his parents, sending them money, handling their affairs. She did it all without a single thought for how I might feel, ignoring her own parents' objections. It was a grand, public performance of her devotion.

Everyone knew. My wife was married to me, but a piece of her would always belong to him.

I took a sip of water, trying to force the thought down.

Just then, the door to our private room swung open. In walked Maya, impeccable in a Chanel suit, her makeup flawless. A genuine smile played on her lips; she looked happy. My heart gave a stupid, hopeful little flutter.

The room erupted.

"Maya! We thought you weren't coming!"

"Wow, still the queen of the class! You haven't aged a day!"

"Get over here! Your husband's been moping in the corner, won't even touch his food without you!"

But my eyes weren't on Maya anymore. They were on the young man trailing in her wake.

My breath caught in my throat.

He had Connor's face. Or about seventy, eighty percent of it.

2

"Sorry I'm late, everyone."

Maya slid into the empty chair beside me, then casually asked the waiter to bring another.

"I'd like you all to meet Finn," she announced. The introduction was brief, almost dismissive.

Finn had the grace to look shy, offering a nervous wave. "Hi, everyone."

An awkward silence fell over the table. No one responded. Eyes flickered between me, Maya, and the boy with the ghost's face. Given Maya's years-long obsession with Connor, it was impossible not to connect the dots.

Maya acted as if she didn't notice a thing. She started setting a place for him, her voice intimate and low. "These are just my old classmates. You don't have to be nervous."

"Okay," he murmured.

Through it all, she never once looked at me. It was as if I were a stranger, a piece of furniture.

It felt like I'd swallowed glass.

Her coldness at home was one thing, a silent war waged within the privacy of our walls. But to bring her lover here, to a reunion, in front of people who had known us since we were kids… she wanted to humiliate me. It was the only explanation.

A sharp, twisting pain shot through my stomach. Something hot and acidic rose in my throat.

I shot to my feet. "Excuse me, everyone. I need the restroom."

"Leo, you're pale as a ghost. You okay?" our old class president asked, his face etched with concern. I glanced at Maya.

She was whispering something to Finn, a private smile on her face. She didn't even register my departure.

I waved a hand dismissively and walked out as fast as I could.

I barely made it to the bathroom before I was retching, vomiting until the world spun. The pain in my stomach intensified, a vicious clenching that brought a cold sweat to my forehead. I was so focused on the agony that I didn't hear him come in.

"Ugh, gross. Who's in here?"

I turned. Finn was leaning against the doorframe, watching me with an arrogant smirk. He was a completely different person from the timid boy in the dining room.

3

I ignored him, rinsing my mouth at the sink and turning to leave.

He blocked my path, dangling a wrist in front of my face. A new Rolex gleamed under the harsh fluorescent light. "Maya got me this for my birthday," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "She ever get you anything this nice? Oh, wait. Don't answer that."

How pathetic.

"I've lost count of how many of you she's brought around to try and get a rise out of me," I said, my voice flat. "But you, you're easily the tackiest."

His face flushed with anger.

He puffed out his chest. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Maya told me she likes me the best. She brought me to meet her oldest friends. What does that tell you?"

I looked at his borrowed face and gave a small, tired nod. "You're right. You are different. You'll probably get to stick around for a while. Congratulations. I wish you both a long and happy life together."

My sincerity seemed to stun him into silence.

When I returned to the table, Maya was peeling a shrimp. Finn followed me in and slid back into his seat. Maya placed the perfectly shelled shrimp into his bowl.

"Eat it before it gets cold."

I don't know why I even bothered coming back. Maybe it was some pathetic shred of pride, a refusal to be chased away. Or maybe, before it was all over, I just wanted to see how far she would push me.

She continued to dote on him, completely ignoring the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere she'd created. Finally, one of our old friends couldn't take it anymore. "So, Maya… this is your…?"

"Oh, Finn is my new executive assistant," she said smoothly.

Finn beamed.

Assistant? The others had just been toys, disposable distractions. This one she'd brought into the company.

Her devotion to Finn—no, her devotion to Connor—ran deep.

So what did that make me? Her husband of five years. What the hell was I?

Maya didn't stay long. After about ten minutes, she stood up to leave. This time, looking at the boy by her side, no one tried to make her stay.

The door clicked shut behind them. For a moment, there was silence. Then, someone spoke in a low voice.

"Hey, did you guys ever hear that rumor? About right before Connor died? Someone supposedly tipped off his creditors, told them where he was hiding."

My hand trembled, sloshing wine over the rim of my glass.

At that exact moment, the door opened again. Maya had forgotten her purse. She stood in the doorway, her face instantly turning to stone as she took in the words that hung in the air.

4

Five years ago, Connor was drowning in gambling debt, hiding from loan sharks. The last call he ever made was to me.

He asked for money. I said no.

The next day, they found his body at the bottom of an abandoned construction site. He’d been beaten to death.

When Maya found out, she shattered. When the police told her that Connor's last lifeline had been a call to me—a call I'd rejected—her grief curdled into pure, unadulterated hatred.

In her mind, I had killed him.

So for years, she punished me. The silent treatment, the endless parade of other men. My pain was her revenge.

When the doctor gave me the news, a bitter, spiteful thought crossed my mind: When I'm dead, will she finally be satisfied? She'd probably say I got what I deserved.

Maya followed me home that night, and the storm broke. She tore through our apartment, smashing everything she could get her hands on.

"Was it you, Leo?! Was it you?! You told them where he was! He only called you!" she shrieked, her voice raw. "So what if I still thought about him? It was just a memory! I married you! What more did you want from me?"

She screamed at me as if I were the one who had laid a hand on him.

I looked at the wreckage around us. The shattered vase I’d bought for our third anniversary. The splintered frame of a painting I loved. Everything I’d carefully chosen to build a home, destroyed without a second thought.

But then, to her, this was never a home.

"Even after he used you?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet. "Even after he lied to you, over and over again, when you were together?"

"Shut up!" She was trembling with rage, a fury I hadn't seen in years. Her eyes were filled with a chilling venom. "You think you won just because he's dead? You will never win! Everything that's happening to us, to you… this is your karma, Leo. It's exactly what you deserve!"

With that, she stormed out, leaving me alone in the ruins.

5

Maya's parents arrived the next morning to a scene that looked like it had been hit by a hurricane.

Her father's hands shook with rage. "This was Maya, wasn't it?"

I didn't answer. My silence was enough.

He turned to his wife. "Call that girl right now. Tell her to get her ass back here. Immediately."

I wanted to tell him not to bother. Since becoming CEO, Maya had the perfect excuse to never come home, to never answer my calls. I had tried everything over the years—patience, understanding, arguments, ultimatums. Now, all that was left was a numb indifference.

As I opened my mouth to speak, a violent tickle erupted in my throat. I doubled over, seized by a wracking cough.

Her parents rushed to my side, patting my back, fetching me a glass of water. I was curled up on the sofa, unable to straighten up, each cough a fresh wave of agony. Maya's mother's eyes welled with tears.

"Oh, Leo. This is all Maya's fault. And ours, for letting it go on."

"Anna… don't say that… cough…"

"She's right," her father said, his voice heavy. "Leo, we've asked too much of you these past few years. We never imagined… we never thought Maya would become like this. If we had known, we never would have…"

"Don't!" I cut him off, the word tearing from my lungs. "Cough, cough… It was my choice to marry her. I don't regret it. And we all agreed. We have to keep that secret from her, always. Otherwise everything we did, everything I've put up with… it'll all be for nothing."

For a long moment, the only sound was my ragged breathing. Finally, her father let out a long, weary sigh, as if a decision had finally settled in his soul.

"Leo," he said quietly. "Divorce her."

I froze.

"My daughter… she's blind. You don't owe her anything else, son. You've done more than enough. Whatever happens to her after this, that's on her."

Her mother's tears fell freely now, but she nodded in agreement.

"He's right, Leo. How many more five-year stretches do you have to waste? Leave Maya. Find someone who deserves you. Start over. God knows, our family owes you that much."

6

A bitter smile touched my lips.

The folded diagnosis was still in my pocket. I could feel the sharp edge of the paper against my fingertips.

What chance did I have to start over now?

A heavy silence settled over the three of us, thick with the weight of a memory we all tried to keep buried.

The truth was, five years ago, just after we got engaged, Connor had lured Maya to his apartment. He told her he needed to talk. But he was desperate for money. He drugged her—a massive dose—and then he let other men into the room.

When Maya woke up, the trauma shattered her mind. She became a ghost, barely there, attempting suicide multiple times. This brilliant, talented artist, a rising star fresh out of her master's program, was about to be extinguished by one evil man.

Her parents were destroyed.

In the end, we found the best therapists, the best hypnotists in the country. It took an immense effort, but they succeeded in burying the memory of that night so deep she couldn't access it.

But with it went the memory of Connor’s betrayal. In her mind, he remained her perfect, martyred first love. The one I could never compete with.

Afterward, I married her, just as we had planned. I promised her parents I would protect her for the rest of my life.

To avoid triggering a relapse, we couldn't press charges against Connor. So I found another way. I arranged for him to be drawn into a high-stakes poker game. I made sure he lost, big. And when he was desperate and on the run, I made sure his creditors knew exactly where to find him.

He died a brutal death. It was exactly what I’d wanted.

But even if he died a thousand times, it would never be enough to pay for what he did.

Maya's mother finally got through on the phone.

But it wasn't Maya who answered. It was a young man's voice.

"Hi, Mrs. Evans. The CEO is in a meeting right now. This is Finn, her new executive assistant. Is there a message I can take for her?"

7

Maya's mother hung up, frowning. "Since when does Maya have a male assistant?"

I didn't say anything. What was the point? It would only upset them more.

Besides, I was a dead man walking. What did I have left to be angry about?

The company's new product launch was scheduled for the end of the month. I didn't want to go. I hadn't set foot in the office since the diagnosis. It was a relief, not having to see Finn's smug, borrowed face every day.

But one of my colleagues called to persuade me. "Leo, a lot of the major clients you brought in are going to be there. It wouldn't look good if you didn't show."

He was right. As a co-founder, I had secured most of our biggest accounts through years of schmoozing and hard work.

I sighed. "Alright. I'll be there."

One last thing. For Maya. For the company we built together.

Of course, she brought Finn.

He strutted up to me, radiating borrowed importance. "Leo. We meet again."

Before I could respond, Maya called him away. "Come on. There are people I want you to meet."

I forced myself to mingle for a bit, exchanging pleasantries with old clients and friends, before retreating to a corner with a glass of whiskey.

"Ugh, my dad is the worst. He totally dragged me here."

A young woman, maybe early twenties, plopped onto the barstool next to me, complaining loudly into her phone. I paid her no mind and took another drink.

"Hey, Mister," she said suddenly, having hung up her call. "You know you're not supposed to mix those two, right?"

Oh, I knew.

I poured myself another.

She rolled her eyes and was about to leave when I stopped her.

"Hey, kid. Am I really that old? What's with the 'Mister'?"

Compared to a punk like Finn, sure, I was older. But it was called maturity, dammit.

8

She turned back, a smile playing on her lips when she saw the genuinely annoyed look on my face. "What's a grown man like you so worried about his age for?"

Just then, Finn reappeared, his mouth already open and spewing venom.

"There you are. Maya's out there working the room, and you're hiding in a corner? Look at you. You look like a stray dog that's been kicked one too many times."

I was already a little drunk. Finn's face seemed to distort and magnify before my eyes, and I had the sudden, violent urge to rip it apart.

"Get lost. You're blocking the view."

"I know you're not happy that Maya promoted me," he sneered, leaning closer. "But what can I do? She just likes me more. If I were you, I wouldn't have even shown my face here. So embarrassing."

This goddamn fly. Where did she even find him?

My hand tightened into a fist. But before I could do anything, the young woman beside me spoke up.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice loud and clear. "How did a gigolo like you get into an event like this?"

Pfft.

I nearly choked on my whiskey. She wasn't wrong. With his pretty-boy looks and cheap swagger, he really did look the part.

"What did you just say?! I'm the executive assistant to the CEO of Omnia Corp! I'm not a gigolo! You're the gigolo! Your whole family are gigolos!"

The young woman planted her hands on her hips, completely unfazed. "Yeah, right. I've heard the CEO of Omnia is a class act. You think she'd hire someone like you to be her assistant? She'd have to be blind."

I raised an eyebrow. The kid had a point. She had these bright, mischievous eyes that sparkled with defiance. Every word she said was a bullseye straight to my heart. Maya was blind.

Finn was practically vibrating with rage, pointing a trembling finger at her.

"I bet you're the one who crashed this party for free food! Security! Security! Get her out of here!"

He lunged forward to grab her arm. I set my glass down with a heavy thud and stood up, blocking his path.

"Take your hands off her."

9

Finn was a good half-a-foot shorter than me, and scrawny. Next to me, he looked like a malnourished chicken. If it weren't for that face, I'd seriously question if Maya had suffered a head injury to fall for a loser like this.

Two security guards materialized instantly.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the entire room. All eyes were on us.

Maya pushed through the crowd. She gave me a dismissive glance before turning to Finn, her voice softening. "What's going on?"

Finn's lower lip trembled as he prepared to tattle.

"Dad! This guy just called you a gigolo!"

A collective gasp went through the crowd.

At the front of the onlookers, the chairman of Hayes Industries, one of the biggest players in our industry, looked utterly bewildered. The young woman skipped over to him, linking her arm through his.

"Dad, it was him! This pretty boy called you a gigolo! And he tried to have me thrown out, said I was a party crasher!" She pointed a finger at me. "He heard the whole thing! He's my witness!"

Finn seemed to shrink. He hadn't realized he'd just insulted Sadie Hayes, the notoriously spoiled daughter of the man Maya was desperately trying to woo as an investor. His face went as white as a sheet.

Maya's smile was strained. "Mr. Hayes, I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding."

"He called security on me," Sadie shot back. "What's there to misunderstand? If it wasn't for Leo here, I'd have been tossed out on the street!"

Finn panicked. "No, that's not what happened! She called me a gigolo first, so I—"

A sharp look from Maya silenced him.

Maya stepped forward, all professional warmth. "My assistant is still young. Kids bicker, it's not a big deal. How about this? Right or wrong, I'll have him apologize to your daughter."

She turned to Finn, her voice firm. "Finn. Apologize to Miss Hayes. Now."

He looked utterly humiliated, but he didn't dare disobey. "Miss Hayes," he mumbled, "I was out of line. Please, forgive me."

10

Sadie just rolled her eyes at him, which only seemed to infuriate Finn more.

Finally, Mr. Hayes spoke. "Sadie," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Let it go."

Maya's smile faltered. He was a veteran of these games. The words were for his daughter, but the message was for Maya. Your man was in the wrong, and the apology was warranted. Don't act like you're doing us a favor.

But there was no way Maya was going to pick a fight with Hayes Industries.

"Well, glad that's all cleared up!" she said, a little too brightly. "Sorry for the disturbance, everyone."

As the crowd dispersed, Maya, her face a thundercloud, told Finn to leave. He looked like he was about to cry. So much for her plan to show him off and build his network. It had backfired spectacularly.

Sadie didn't leave. She sidled up to me, chattering away.

"Okay, I've got it figured out. You're in love with the CEO, the CEO is in love with the pretty boy, so you're stuck here drinking your feelings. Pretty boy gets a big head and decides to come rub it in your face."

She paused, then added, "But isn't the Omnia CEO married? God, what a mess. Her poor husband. You should probably just give up, you know. I can tell she doesn't just dislike you; it's more like she actively loathes you."

I froze, my glass halfway to my lips.

"You're just a kid," I said, my voice hoarse. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I don't?" she challenged, ready for a fight.

I cut her off. "What if I told you… I'm her pathetic husband?"

"Huh?"

Sadie stared at me, her jaw on the floor.

11

Maya didn't come home that night.

Her little prince had his feelings hurt. I imagined she was busy comforting him.

I sat in the vast, empty apartment, swallowed by a loneliness so profound it felt like a physical weight. Maybe it was the cancer, but I'd become sentimental lately.

I was drifting in a hazy, pained sleep when my phone rang. It was Maya. Her voice was sharp. "If you have a problem, you take it up with me. Finn is young. Why are you targeting him?"

I didn't say anything.

Her voice rose in frustration. "Leo! Are you dead? Answer me! Promise me you'll leave Finn alone, or I'll—"

"Maya," I interrupted, my own voice calm and clear. "Let's get a divorce."

The line went dead silent.

I clutched the phone, a strange sense of relief washing over me. It wasn't that hard to say, after all.

In the background, I could hear Finn's timid voice. "Maya?"

She must have snapped out of her shock, because a moment later, she laughed. A cold, ugly sound. "Fine. You want a divorce? You've got it, Leo. But don't think this is some kind of reverse psychology bullshit. You're not smart enough for that.

"I'll have my lawyer draft the papers tomorrow. As for marital assets…"

"Don't worry," I said. "I won't fight you on it. I'll only take what was mine to begin with."

"Leo," she hissed, her voice laced with venom, "I might as well tell you. I've hired a private investigator to look into Connor's death. When I find definitive proof that you were involved, don't think for a second that a divorce is going to save you. I will never let you go."

The line clicked, followed by a dial tone.

I sat bolt upright.

This was bad. Very bad.

12

With Maya's resources and determination, it was only a matter of time before she dug up the past I had worked so hard to bury.

After a long time spent staring at the ceiling, I called her parents.

Her mother panicked instantly. "Leo, what are we going to do? The doctors warned us! She can't be exposed to that kind of shock again. If she remembers… all that work will be undone!"

"Connor's been dead for years," I said, trying to reassure her as much as myself. "I did my best to cover our tracks. She might not find anything."

"But Leo, what if she does?"

"Anna, David… I'll… I'll try to talk to her."

At the end of the day, this was all about punishing me. She was convinced I'd killed Connor. She wanted me to pay for taking her perfect memory away.

Well, I was dying anyway. She was about to get her wish.

I went to the office first thing the next morning.

The employees were all respectful, greeting me with a quiet deference. All except one.

Finn, dressed in a tailored suit and sipping a latte, looked every bit the smug corporate climber.

The hostility in his eyes was undisguised. "What are you doing here?"

"I may be the CEO's assistant," I said, my voice low and steady, "but don't you forget that I am also a founder of this company. I am your boss."

I could feel the curious stares and pricked ears of everyone in the vicinity, though no one dared to say a word.

Finn's expression soured, but he knew better than to challenge me in front of the entire office.

I walked past him and went straight to the CEO's office.

He scurried after me. "Hey! Even if you're technically her husband, you can't just barge in without knocking!"

Maya was at her desk, taking some pills. When she saw me, she quickly tried to hide the bottle, like a child caught doing something wrong.

My eyes caught two words on the label before she shoved it out of sight: Folic Acid.

What was she doing taking prenatal vitamins?

13

I pushed the question aside. "Alright," I said, my voice flat. "What will it take? What do I have to do for you to finally be satisfied?"

Maya looked startled for a moment, then let out a scornful laugh.

"What kind of tone is that, Leo? Do you really think you're in any position to be making demands?"

I took a deep breath. "I know how much you hate me. So let's just cut the crap. Tell me what you want. It'll save you the trouble of bringing every stray you find into our lives just to torture me. Don't you ever get tired of it?"

As I spoke, Finn slipped into the room. A flash of anger crossed his face, but he quickly composed himself, turning to Maya with a wounded expression.

"Maya…"

She beckoned him over. He practically trotted to her side, taking her hand and shooting me a triumphant look.

"I guess you haven't heard, Leo," Finn said, his voice oozing satisfaction. "Last week, Maya bought me a condo over by the university. And a new Panamera."

I frowned.

Before we were married, I'd joked with Maya that once her company took off, she had to buy me a Panamera. I'd drive it around and tell everyone my successful wife bought it for me. I'd be so proud.

They both misinterpreted my silence as jealousy over the money.

"Don't you dare start talking about 'joint marital assets'," Maya snapped. "It's my money. I'll spend it on whoever I want."

Money? The idea was so laughable I almost scoffed. When had I ever cared about that? She thought throwing money at other men would drive me insane with rage.

She didn't understand. A man whose heart has already died doesn't care about such trivial things.

The only thing that ever stung was her unwavering devotion to Connor's memory. That was what made my years of silent sacrifice feel like a cosmic joke.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "I didn't come here to argue with your… replacement boy toy. I just have one question. Will you be happy when I'm dead?"

Without a moment's hesitation, she answered.

"Yes."

Even though I'd expected it, the word struck me like a physical blow.

14

The pain in my stomach flared, sharp and insistent.

I forced myself to stand tall. "Fine. I'll admit it. I had something to do with Connor's death."

Maya's pupils contracted. She shot to her feet. Her voice trembled. "What did you say? Say it again."

I met her gaze without flinching. "You don't need to investigate, Maya. It was me.

"When Connor called me that night, I told him I'd bring the money. The idiot actually gave me his address. And then, I called his creditors and gave it to them. He probably died thinking I was on my way to save him."

Maya began to tremble, her chest heaving with ragged breaths. The hatred that erupted in her eyes was terrifying.

"It was you," she whispered, her voice a serrated edge. "It was you. You bastard. You absolute bastard!"

Her shriek was so raw and furious that Finn instinctively took a step back.

"You should be the one who's dead, Leo! Why don't you just die!"

She started grabbing things from her desk—a stapler, a paperweight, a heavy glass trophy—and hurling them at me. Finn rushed to her side. "Maya, calm down! Don't get so upset! Think about the baby!"

The baby?

My entire body went rigid. I stared at her stomach, my mind refusing to process the words.

Seeing my stunned expression, a cruel, triumphant smile spread across Maya's face.

She lifted her chin. "That's right. I'm pregnant. And no, obviously, it's not yours. You hate Connor so much? You're so jealous of him? Well, I'm going to have a baby that looks just like him. I'm going to give him Connor's last name. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it. You're pathetic, Leo. Truly pathetic."

The air rushed out of my lungs. The room started to spin. Suddenly, the world went dark, and my legs gave out from under me.

Maya, how could you?

Her years of misunderstanding and misplaced anger, I had endured it all. But this… this was a level of cruelty I could never have imagined.

Just before I blacked out completely, I heard Finn answer his phone.

"Maya, it must be the PI! He's found something! Listen!"

He put the call on speaker.

"Mr. Scott, we've uncovered some new information. It seems the reason Connor was targeted was because he had a history of… well, it seems he drugged his ex-girlfriend with the intent of having her sexually assaulted by multiple men in exchange for money. After the incident, the victim's fiancé, he…"

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