Desprezo (2025)

Elias cleared his throat. Nothing. He tapped the marble. Marco continued to steam milk for a customer behind him.

Frustrated, Elias marched to his office. He passed his secretary, Sofia. Usually, she would scramble to gather his messages, her eyes darting with anxiety. Today, she was scrolling through her phone, laughing at a video. When Elias slammed his briefcase onto his desk, she didn't jump. She didn't even blink. She got up, walked to his desk to retrieve a stapler, and walked back out, humming. Desprezo

Elias had spent thirty years building a fortress of importance. As the city’s most feared auditor, his gaze was a weapon. When he walked into a room, people didn't just look; they stiffened. His power was rooted in the attention of others—their fear, their resentment, their desperate need for his approval. He lived for the "hushed whispers" that followed him like a shadow. Elias cleared his throat

As the sun set over the city, Elias sat on a park bench. A young couple sat right next to him, whispering secrets, their shoulders brushing his expensive wool coat. They didn't move away; they didn't even notice the space was occupied. Marco continued to steam milk for a customer behind him

He tried to provoke a reaction. He shouted in the town square. People walked around him like he was a lamp post. He tried to "ignore" them back, but you cannot ignore someone who has already deleted you from their reality.

One Tuesday, Elias woke up to a silence so absolute it felt heavy.