Part 2The Rebirth After My Husband's Suicide for His First Love

After a thorough investigation, an autopsy, and a review of the security footage from near the reservoir, the police ruled out foul play.

The medical examiner found alcohol in his system, and the official cause of death was accidental drowning while intoxicated.

Our children flew back from overseas as soon as they heard the news.

I was so consumed by grief that my blood pressure spiked, causing me to faint several times. I ended up in the ICU.

My son and daughter handled all of their father's funeral arrangements.

By the time I was discharged, Eddy had already been buried.

It wasn't until the children took me to his gravesite that I realized, to my horror, that they had buried him in a joint plot with their biological mother, Julianna.

But they had been divorced for over twenty years…

I stared blankly at my children standing beside me.

My daughter, Lily, spoke in a flat voice. "It's what Dad wanted."

She pulled a document from her bag and handed it to me.

"This is the will Dad wrote. The lawyer gave it to me and my brother when we got back. You should read it too."

My hands trembled as I took it.

Just as Lily had said, the will stipulated that he was to be buried with Julianna.

Lily continued, her voice devoid of emotion.

"The last page is about the assets. The death beneficiaries for all of Dad's insurance policies are me and Leo. His mutual funds and stocks were purchased before he married you, so they’re considered his personal assets. He left those to us as well."

"As for the old apartment…" Lily paused. "Dad left you your 50% share, but you'll have to pay us the market value for his half. Of course, you could also sell the place and give me and Leo half the money."

Leo, who had been silent the whole time, finally looked at me.

His expression held a flicker of guilt, and his lips trembled slightly. "Mom, Lily and I got our green cards. After we settle things here, we won't be coming back. You need to take care of yourself."

I looked at the two children I had raised for twenty years, a wave of disbelief washing over me. I didn't even realize when the tears had started to fall.

A lump of pain formed in my throat, my voice so hoarse it was almost a whisper.

"How… how could you do this to me?"

I had been married to Eddy for twenty years.

I had been a stepmother to Leo and Lily since they were barely five years old.

I loved my husband, stood by him through thick and thin. I cared for his children with all my heart. I respected his parents, did everything a daughter-in-law should.

And in the end…

They had schemed against me until I had nothing left.