He Faked His Death, I Saw His Life

Synopsis

I took a solo trip to a small town and saw a man who looked exactly like my husband, Ryan Brooks. Five years of longing turned into breathless excitement. I was about to step out of my car. At the moment, I heard someone calling out, "Ryan." I froze. My eyes darted toward the voice, and my blood ran cold. It was Ryan's mother, Linda Brooks. She had told me she was visiting friends back in her hometown. What was she doing here? Beside her stood a pretty woman holding a child. The woman called him "honey." The child said, "Daddy." A bolt of lightning seemed to split me in two. He really was my husband, the one who had died five years ago. He hadn't died at all. He had faked his death, started a new family, and hidden in this quiet town. The cruelty of it crushed me. My heart didn't just break; it turned to ash. Everything in front of me faded into gray. I watched their happy little circle, my vision blurred with tears. I turned, got back in the car, slammed it into reverse, and stomped on the gas. Headlights rushed toward me in the dark. With a loud bang, then, all was silent.