Chapter 6: The Perfect Widow
Linda’s funeral was beautiful.
People cried. They hugged me. They told me how lucky Linda was to have such a devoted daughter-in-law in her final years. Ryan could barely speak through his tears. He kept thanking me in front of everyone for taking care of his mother so selflessly.
I stood beside him in a black dress, holding his hand and crying at all the right moments.
Inside, I felt nothing.
That night, after everyone had left, Ryan and I sat in the living room of the house that used to belong to Linda. He was drinking whiskey, staring into the glass like it held answers.
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” he said quietly. “She was so strong. I thought she would live longer.”
I reached over and touched his arm gently.
“She’s at peace now,” I said softly. “She’s not suffering anymore.”
Ryan looked at me with red, swollen eyes.
“I don’t know what I would have done without you these past four years,” he said. “You were amazing with her. Even when she was difficult, you never complained.”
I smiled and looked down, playing the role of the humble, grieving daughter-in-law perfectly.
“I did it because I loved her,” I lied. “And because I love you.”
Ryan pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.
That night, we made love for the first time in months. He was gentle, almost reverent, like he was trying to thank me with his body.
I closed my eyes and let him.
But in my mind, I kept seeing Linda’s terrified face on the night she died. I kept hearing her whisper that single word:
Evil.
When Ryan finally fell asleep beside me, I lay awake for a long time, staring at the ceiling.
I had won.
Linda was dead. She had suffered for four years. And no one suspected a thing.
So why didn’t I feel satisfied?
Why did I still feel that cold, empty space inside my chest?
I turned my head and looked at Ryan sleeping peacefully beside me.
He had no idea what I had done.
He still believed I was the perfect wife.
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And that thought should have made me feel powerful.
Instead, it made me feel… nothing.
