Chapter 2

I knew exactly what he was thinking; he must be baffled. In my last life, I was sobbing and begging the doctors to save him, but now, I was giving up on him without hesitation.

I straightened up, wiped away imaginary tears from the corners of my eyes, and said to Susie, "Try to stay strong, Susie. Take care of yourself. I'll handle everything for the funeral."

Susie gave me a suspicious look, likely wondering why I was suddenly so calm and showed no sign of sadness.

I didn't bother with her and just walked away.

Behind me, her cries echoed, and Helen whispered, "Mom, I think there's something weird about Shirley..."

This was only the start.

The funeral was lavish, almost ostentatious.

In the memorial portrait, Xavier was in an immaculate suit, wearing that gentle, refined smile of his.

I remembered the moment when the photographer asked him to smile. He turned and glanced at me, his eyes so soft and tender they seemed almost to melt like water.

Back then, I thought that was love.

Now I know it was all just a facade.

For three days straight, guests kept pouring in. Some shook my hand and offered their condolences, while others tried to catch a glimpse of my face, searching for any crack in my grief.

I played my part, keeping my eyes red and dabbing at them with a tissue every so often, making sure I looked like the perfect grieving widow.

Susie came every day, crying her heart out each time. But she kept giving me strange looks, probably because I hadn't shed a single real tear. In my previous life, my eyes would have been swollen from crying by now, but in hindsight, it was pointless.

On the afternoon of the third day, Helen came looking for me.

"Shirley, the lawyer's here to read the will. Are you coming or not?" she asked.

"You bet I'm going," I replied. This was where the real show started.

She gave me a look, like she had something to say but kept it to herself.

The funeral hall was crowded. The lawyer stood in the middle, holding a stack of papers. Susie sat up front, his sister right beside her, and the rest of the relatives were all present.

The lawyer cleared his throat and said, "This is Xavier Luther's will, made on March 15th this year."

I listened, letting out a cold chuckle in my mind.

By then, he was already scheming his fake death.

The lawyer read the will quickly. Just as I expected, he left all his assets to a charity called the "Xavier & Irene Charity Foundation," claiming it was to "give back to society."

I scoffed inwardly at the foundation name.

He was so blatant about it.

As soon as the lawyer finished reading, all eyes were on me.

The company was left to me in the will, but it was nothing more than an empty shell. Over the past six months, all the real assets had been stripped away, leaving behind nothing but massive debt.

"No way!" Helen was the first to jump up. "How could my brother donate every last dollar to that Xavier & Irene Charity Foundation? What about me and Mom?"

Susie shot to her feet and said excitedly, "This will can't be right. Xavier was always so good to me. How could he not leave me a single dollar? Did you tamper with it?"

The lawyer adjusted his glasses. "Mrs. Luther, this will has been notarized and is fully enforceable by law."

"I don't buy it." Helen pointed straight at me. "It must be you. Did you tamper with the will or pull some shady tricks?"

I looked at her and rose to my feet, taking my time.

"You're right," I said. "This will is messed up. I'm not buying it either."

Everyone froze.

"I'm reporting this," I said.

I pulled a folder out of my bag and handed it to the lawyer.

"Mr. Addison, here's proof Xavier was laundering money, moving assets, and dodging debts. Can you call the cops for me?"

The funeral hall went dead silent.

Susie's face went from furious to white as a sheet. His sister's jaw dropped, totally dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about?" Helen blurted.

The lawyer took the folder, opened it and glanced inside; his expression shifted instantly.

"Mrs. Luther, these..." he stammered.

"And," I cut him off, "I think his death isn't as simple as it looks."

"W-What do you mean?" Helen stammered, her voice trembling.

I stared right at her and said, pausing between each word, "I don't believe he just died. Someone wanted him dead."

"You..." Susie pointed at me, her hand shaking. "If anyone wanted him dead, it had to be you. You were the one who signed that consent form."

"Relax," I said with a smile. "I'm just saying I have my suspicions. If I think something's off, then we need to look into it, right?"

Susie was left speechless.

Just then, someone in the crowd spoke up. "She's right. We need to get to the bottom of this."

I turned to see a young man standing in the corner. It was Hugh Luther, Xavier's cousin.

He looked at me, his eyes holding something I couldn't quite read.

I looked away.

"That's it for now," I said. "Mr. Addison, the evidence is in your hands. Please handle the follow-up."

I turned and walked out.