Chapter 3

Rosie was humming when she got home late that night. She was in a great mood.

She shivered as soon as she stepped inside.

“Tom! Why are you blasting the air conditioning in the middle of winter?”

A second later, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“What’s wrong with you?! Didn’t I tell you to take her to the crematorium? Why would you bring her here? Isn’t it creepy to have a dead body on our couch?!”

Rosie pressed herself against the wall. Her chest heaved as she stared at Evelyn’s body like it was some kind of nightmare.

I calmly adjusted Evelyn’s dress and smiled.

“Rosie, what are you afraid of? She’s your daughter too, right? Or did you do something to her? Are you afraid she’ll come back for revenge?”

“Enough with that nonsense!”

Rosie was visibly shaken. She tried to hold it together, but she still kept her distance from me and Evelyn.

“I’m just as heartbroken as you are, but there’s a time and a place for everything. Why bring her body home? She’ll start to decompose! Is this how you want Ev to leave us? Without any dignity?”

I kept my eyes on Rosie’s face. She did not look sad. She just wanted to get Evelyn cremated as quickly as possible.

I did not budge. Rosie thought I was just being difficult.

“Tom, can’t you understand me for once? I had five surgeries today. I’m exhausted! Can you stop acting crazy?”

Sure, she was busy at the hospital.

I nodded, took a deep breath, and pulled out my phone. It had been on the whole time.

Evelyn had just passed today. Still, Rosie could not wait to have dinner with her first love and his son to celebrate Jacob’s restored vision. Bruce posted photos on social media, and the comments were flooded with well-wishes.

Rosie glanced at the photo. She looked uneasy, but she brushed it off like it was nothing. “The dead can’t come back. Instead of causing a fuss here, why don’t you just take Ev to be cremated right away—”

“I want an autopsy.” I cut her off and gently lifted Ev’s sleeve to reveal rows of needle marks.

“I’ve never seen these before. What have you done to her?”

Rosie’s expression darkened. She sneered and tossed her bag at my feet. “You were always away on business trips. Did you ever care about Ev? She was sick all the time, and she constantly needed hospital visits. And now, you’re questioning me?

“She went so suddenly. There was no saving her. My colleagues can back me up on that!

“You’ve yelled and caused a scene. Just let Ev rest.” She shoved me and tried to take Ev, but I pushed her away.

“I want an autopsy. If she was always sick, where are the medical records? You never told me any of this. Why did she have to suffer like that?” My voice cracked with anguish. My grief was too much to bear.