Chapter 2

My mother-in-law's death certificate was just a simple sheet of paper.

In the living room, Daniel was scrolling on his phone, shoving cookies into his mouth. My son, Leo, was sprawled on the sofa, the cacophony of his video game filling the air.

"What time is it?" Daniel heard me and looked up, furious. "No breakfast again? Are you trying to starve us?"

Daniel let out an irritated tsk, pushed himself up, and fished his wallet from the briefcase. He peeled off several bills, walked over, and flicked them toward me.

"Enough. Stop moping around like it was your own mother."

His voice was thick with condescension and undisguised annoyance. "Here. Five hundred. Go buy some discount flowers and a cheap candle. Wrap this up. Quickly."

"I've already booked my annual leave. Leo and I are taking Felicity to Whistler to ski. Don't you dare try to guilt-trip us into canceling."

Leo's eyes widened. He paused his game, sitting bolt upright. "For real? Dad! Yes! I want the new Carbon Pros."

His young face showed pure elation, even a hint of complaint. "Grandma, seriously...she couldn't have waited? She still owes me my graduation gift."

Grandma.

He said it so naturally.

Both father and son were absolutely convinced that the person who died last night was my mother.

Slowly, I bent down and picked up the bills.

This five hundred dollars was his entire budget for "my mother's" funeral.

"Daniel, don't you want to go see Mom at the hospital? It's the last time."

His lips curled into a mocking smile. "What's the point? She's dead. Occupying a hospital bed costs money. Just burn her, already."

He paused, his tone growing more impatient. "Honestly, your mom really knows how to pick her timing. Not dying sooner or later, but right on Christmas, almost ruining my ski trip with Felicity."

I took a deep breath.

Well, if Daniel, her own son, requested this, why should I waste my effort?

Just then, the doorbell rang.

The annoyance on Daniel's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cheerful lightness, and he strode to open the door.

"Daniel! Leo, sweetie!" Felicity stood there, cuddling that fluffy white Pomeranian. A dazzling gold chain shimmered around her neck, its pendant identical to Snowball's collar.

"I'm here to take Snowball for his Christmas grooming! Oh, Clara, you're here too?"

Her lips curved into a perfectly measured, pitying arc. "My condolences, Clara. Daniel told me about your mom. Old age, you know, nothing you can do."

She changed the subject, her smile deepening, as she ostentatiously stroked her necklace. "Look, it's a matching set for me and Snowball! Daniel picked it out specially. Isn't it cute? He says I'm even more adorable wearing this than Snowball is."

Snowball was set down and immediately scampered around the living room, rubbing against Daniel's pants, then going to Leo's feet.

"Oh, that reminds me," Felicity chimed in, her voice artificially light. "About your mother...it won't interfere with our ski trip at the end of the month, will it? Daniel assured me it was fine, so I went ahead and booked the hotel. All good?"

I watched Felicity's saccharine smile, Daniel's utterly indulgent and even doting gaze upon her, my son chasing the dog, and finally, my eyes fixed on Daniel's face.

"Daniel, let's get a divorce."

"What did you say?" Daniel took a step forward, his voice squeezed through clenched teeth. "Clara, are you out of your mind? You want a divorce over your mom dying?!"

He tried to crush me with his usual intimidation. "How are you going to explain this to your dad? Don't you dare embarrass me like this!"

"Mom! What are you talking about?!" Leo lunged forward, shielding his father, his face filled with incredulity and fury. "Grandma just passed, and you're not even sad, you're here making a scene about divorce? Are you sick?! You're making Dad and Felicity laugh at us!"

He pointed at me, his tone full of accusation and disdain. "Do you know how good Felicity is to me? She buys me anything I want! She's more like a mom than you are! What's wrong with Dad helping her? All you ever do is make a long face!"

Felicity, with her arm around Leo, shot me a triumphant, challenging look.

Every word was like a final hammer blow, shattering the last vestiges of my heart, any lingering illusion that perhaps, just perhaps, some humanity remained in them.