My husband brought his mistress to my funeral and stood beside my open casket as if my death had finally set him free

The front door clicked shut below, sealing the mansion in a profound, suffocating silence.

Jenna stepped into the bedroom, letting out a long, dramatic sigh as she sank onto the edge of the unmade bed. "I swear to God, Claire, keeping a straight face while Father Thomas was giving that sermon about your 'peaceful departure' was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life."

"You were brilliant, Jen," I said, walking over to my sister and squeezing her hand. "The smile at the end was a masterclass in psychological warfare."

"Well, seeing Grant's face when he realized he was inheriting a coffin full of gym weights and medical dummies was payment enough," Jenna laughed, though a small tear finally broke free, tracking down her cheek. "Seriously, though... are you okay? How are you holding up?"

I took a slow, deep breath, letting the cool night air fill my lungs. "I'm tired. But for the first time in three years... I'm breathing on my own terms."

David Brenner cleared his throat softly, stepping forward with a fresh manila folder. "The federal prosecutor’s office is confident we have an airtight case. Between the financial trails Tessa left on her personal laptop and the forensic medical reports from Dr. Lin confirming the placebo tampering, neither of them will see daylight before they're grey and old. Their assets are completely liquidated, and the civil suits will strip away every last penny they tried to hide."

"Good," I said, taking the folder from his hands and tossing it onto the desk. "Let them rot in federal custody. I have a plane to catch."

David paused, raising an eyebrow. "A plane? Where to, Claire? You're legally dead in the state of Virginia."

"Exactly," I smiled, a genuine, lighthearted expression that hadn't touched my face in years. "And legally dead people don't have to pay taxes, attend charity galas, or deal with corporate board meetings. I'm taking a very long, very permanent vacation to a small coastal town in Greece where nobody knows the name Whitmore."