Chapter 1

I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The doctors told me I had only one month left to live.

I contacted the cemetery early to arrange for a double burial plot. I wanted to spend eternity next to my wife.

But the manager told me the plot was already in use. My wife's husband was already buried there.

I was confused and demanded they open the vault. My heart hammered against my ribs as the heavy stone lid was lifted.

My wife had been dead for fifteen years. I found her remains resting in the arms of my younger brother, Silas.

My daughter, Maya, and my nephew, Morgan, had handled the funeral back then. When I confronted them, they shrugged it off.

"It must have been a mistake by the staff," Maya said casually. "They probably just buried them together by accident."

I pulled out the documents she had signed fifteen years ago. Her signature was right there, confirming the burial.

She didn't apologize. Instead, she glared at me like I was the one causing trouble.

"My mother settled for you her whole life!" she screamed. "She just wanted to be with her first love in the end!"

"When you finally kick the bucket, I'll bury you next to her, okay? Just stop making a scene!"

1

A sharp crack echoed through the air. My palm stung from the force of the slap I landed on Maya's face.

Ever since Rosaline passed away, I had treated Maya like a princess. I had never even raised my voice at her.

She stared at me with eyes like a venomous snake. The hatred in her gaze was cold and sharp.

I clutched my chest, feeling my heart throb with pain and fury. I forced my expression to turn cold.

"Maya, don't forget who I am," I growled. "I am your father!"

"As long as I am breathing, I am the one who makes the rules in this family!"

Morgan stepped forward, trying to play the peacemaker. He reached out to grab my arm.

"Uncle Arthur, calm down," he said. "Don't take it out on Maya. It was a long time ago."

I pushed him away with a sneer. I didn't want to hear his excuses.

They had buried my wife with my brother. They had treated this betrayal as a simple clerical error.

Even after their lies were exposed, there wasn't a hint of regret on their faces. They just looked annoyed.

I looked down into the grave at the two skeletons locked in an embrace. They were both wearing matching diamond wedding bands.

I looked down at my own ring finger. I was wearing a simple, plain gold band.

Rosaline had given it to me after she got her first paycheck. She told me it represented our eternal love.

I hadn't taken it off once in thirty years. Now, it felt like a heavy, mocking joke.

I ripped the ring off my finger and hurled it into the dirt. I felt a surge of bitter satisfaction.

Then I stepped on the red roses they had placed at the headstone. I ground them into the mud until they were unrecognizable.

"Throw these bones out," I commanded the workers. "Empty this plot immediately."

Maya couldn't hold back anymore. She lunged forward and shoved me.

"Are you insane?!" she screamed. Her eyes were wild with rage.

She turned to the workers, blocking their path. "Nobody touches this grave!"

"This is my mother's final resting place! She stays with whoever she wants!"

I stumbled back, my weak body trembling. I had been sick for months, and I didn't have much strength left.

My butler caught me before I hit the ground. He held me steady as I gasped for air.

"I'm not the crazy one," I hissed. "Your mother was the one who lost her mind!"

I had paid for this plot with my own hard-earned money. Rosaline had told me she wanted to be with me forever.

I spent a fortune to get the best spot in the cemetery. A famous priest had even blessed it to ensure soulmates would find each other in the afterlife.

It turned out I was just paying for her to be with another man. And that man was my own brother, Silas.

Maya stood in front of the casket, refusing to budge. The workers stood around awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

The cemetery manager ran over, looking pale. He whispered something to Maya.

"Ms. Sterling, the storage lease for Mrs. Sterling's personal items is up," he said. "Do you want to renew?"

Storage? I didn't know Rosaline had left anything behind in storage.

Maya's face went pale when she saw me looking. She tried to shoo the manager away.

"It's just some old paintings," she stammered. "I'm keeping them here for safekeeping."

I saw the guilt and panic flickering in her eyes. I knew she was lying.

I ignored her excuses and looked at my butler. "Go with him. Bring everything here."