Chapter 3

The sound of a heated argument drifted through the closed door.

So, hearing that her legal identity had been erased was enough to finally rattle Jessica.

But she wasn't going to find me. She'd been missing for three months. It was only fair I disappear for a few days myself.

I grabbed the suitcase I'd already packed and had Daniel book me a hotel room for a week under his name.

For the next few days, my only activities were arranging the funeral and hiding out in my room.

When Daniel came to visit, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Heard someone's been looking for you. Tearing the whole city apart, apparently."

I glanced at the missing person's report flashing on the hotel TV screen, a small smile playing on my lips.

"Let her. If I don't want to be found, she won't find me. She was the one who said she'd only reappear when I'd gone mad looking for her. Why the sudden impatience?"

"Serves her right!" Daniel spat. "I don't know how such a venomous woman can even exist!"

He was getting worked up. I cut him off. "Enough. It's my wife's funeral today. I should be sad."

I went into the bathroom and studied my reflection. I hadn't shaved or combed my hair.

I looked haggard, grief-stricken. Perfect.

After confirming with Daniel that I looked sufficiently devastated, we headed to the funeral home.

On the way, I handed him a USB drive containing the videos of Jessica.

"Play these when I give you the signal," I instructed.

Only then did I send out a group text with the address.

Sophia was the first to arrive.

She stepped out of her car in a chic black dress, took a white memorial flower from me, and pinned it to her sleeve.

"My condolences," she said, her expression perfectly solemn.

Next came a stream of relatives and friends who knew nothing.

Their grief was genuine, and seeing it twisted a knife in my gut.

Jessica, look how many hearts you've broken with your little game.

Today, you're going to start paying for it.

Then, her so-called best friends arrived.

Their faces were pale, their hands trembling as they took the white flowers from me.

Finally, one of them pulled me aside.

"Jacob! Stop this! Jessica's not dead! She's been going crazy looking for you! Haven't you seen the missing person alerts on TV?"

I blinked, forcing out a couple of tears.

"Don't try to comfort me. I know Kevin was the one who posted those."

"She's gone. I can't live with the hope that she's still alive."

She started to say something else, but I gave Daniel a look, and he quickly led her to a seat.

When it seemed like most of the guests had arrived, I stepped up to the podium and tapped the microphone.

"Thank you all for coming today to mourn the passing of my beloved wife…"

My words were cut off by a furious shout from the back of the room.

"Jacob! Have you lost your mind? I told you, Jessica's not dead!"

Kevin stood in the doorway, his eyes burning with rage.

"What kind of husband are you? She's been missing for three months, and you're holding a funeral without even finding a body? I won't allow it!"

I scanned the entrance behind him. No sign of Jessica. Even now, she wouldn't show herself.

I looked down at Kevin from the podium, my voice cold.

"You won't allow it? Who are you to not allow it? Like you said, I'm her husband."

Kevin's eyes widened, filling with tears.

"How can you be so heartless? Jessica loved you with all her heart, and you're just casually declaring her dead?"

"What if she's not dead?"

My gaze dropped to the love bites still visible on his neck.

A small smile touched my lips. "Even if she's not dead, a cheating wife isn't worth my time."

As the words hung in the air, I signaled for security to escort Kevin to a seat and continued with the service.

I had just opened my mouth to speak again when a disheveled, gaunt figure appeared in the doorway.

She stood there, her voice choked with emotion. "Honey, I'm not dead. I'm back."