I sat there, my hands trembling as the footage played.

At the start of the month, Dante and Ariya entered the house, his arm draped possessively around her. They walked into our bedroom. On my bed. I watched, helplessly, as they consumed each other with desperate passion. Ariya, in my pajamas. Dante, kissing every inch of her body.

An hour later, he left, carrying a pile of clothes.

The second time, he swept Ariya into his arms in a princess carry, striding confidently into the house. On the sofa, Ariya wore that same satisfied expression. She looked directly at the camera. At me. A declaration. A victory.

My fists clenched, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to tear me apart.

A sharp knock broke my daze. I didn't want to answer. But it persisted, louder, more urgent. Finally, I took a shaky breath and stood up.

I opened the door. There he was. Nill,Dante's cousin. His face grim, serious.

"Cousin..." I whispered, my voice barely a breath. "What's wrong?"

He didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"Dante's not dead."

A video flashed on my phone screen. Dante, sitting at a restaurant with Ariya, their eyes locked in an intimate gaze.

My fingers trembled.

Nill's voice cut through the silence. "Then why the hell are you arranging a funeral?"

"Everyone said he was dead," I choked out. "I had to believe it. I... I had to prepare."

Nill's silence was brief but thick with understanding. "Are you a widow now?"

I nodded.

"Cousin," he began again, his tone more gentle. "If you're still going ahead with this... I'll be there."

"I'll be waiting," I said coldly.

He sent me another video. I watched as Dante, livid, slammed his fist into a table. Ariya quickly tried to calm him, her hands pressing against his chest, her voice barely audible over the din of the surroundings.

But then Dante softened. I saw it. His anger, melting in the quiet comfort of her embrace.

She can calm him...

Dante. The man who once made me pay for every misstep, every mistake. He used to let me suffer in silence, in his rage. I'd wait for him to cool off before daring to apologize, begging for his forgiveness. But now? Ariya could stop him in an instant.

I closed my eyes, my heart sinking, and saved the videos.

Then, the phone rang.

Ariya's name flashed across the screen. I took a deep breath, answered it, and instantly, the loud music pierced my ears.

"Selina!" she yelled. "Have you completely lost your mind?! You're planning a funeral for Dante?! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"

I could practically feel her stepping closer, her voice a razor. "I swear, if you don't cancel this ridiculous decision, when Dante gets back, you will regret it."

Before she could say more, I cut the call and placed the phone down. I grabbed a plate of food and sat down to eat. For the first time in weeks, I felt... at peace.

The next morning, I dialed Ariya's number. It rang. And rang. She finally picked up, her voice still sleepy, lazy.

"What's up? What do you want?"

I leaned back in my chair, the words dripping with venom. "I want you to come to Dante's funeral. After all, you're his best friend."

Silence. Then a sharp intake of breath. "Selina..." She snarled. "You're his wife! He's still missing, and you're already giving up on him? You're planning a funeral for him when he could still be alive? Are you wishing him dead?!"

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped.

I reached into my bag, pulling out the death certificate. "He was lost in the ocean. I couldn't find him. So I declared him dead. You remember, right? Didn't you all tell me to move on?"

"When the news came... I was a wreck. Almost passed out. When I woke up, all of Dante's 'friends' were there, surrounding me."

"The place Dante disappeared is too dangerous. You should stop searching."

"Yeah, just let him go. It's hopeless."

At the time, I hadn't realized... the look in their eyes. The mockery.

Ariya's voice snapped me back to reality. "Don't think for a second I don't know what you're doing, Selina. No matter what happens when Dante comes back, he won't let you off the hook."

I smiled, cold and detached. "I'm not worried."

The phone argument echoed through the room, the sound sharp and frantic.

I got his death certificate.

Dante finally lost control. But I refused to let him find me.

With my pre-packed luggage in hand, I moved into my sister's house. I didn't leave for days, only coming out to prepare for the funeral.

The moment my sister entered, she couldn't hide her smugness. "I heard someone's losing their mind. The entire city's been hunting for you like you've disappeared off the face of the earth!"

I sat on the sofa, glancing at the missing persons notice.

A smirk tugged at my lips. "Let them search. I never planned on being found. He said he'd only show up if I lost my mind. Now, look at him-losing it himself. Sounds like he's the one who's gone mad."

She gasped, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I don't even know what to say anymore! How could anyone be so selfish?"

"Enough. Today is my husband's funeral. You should act like you're mourning."

With that, I grabbed my makeup bag, my hands trembling as I used concealer to mask the redness around my eyes, turning my face into a portrait of sorrow.

"Does this look convincing?" I asked, checking myself in the mirror.

My sister eyed me, nodding with approval. "You look perfect-like someone who's lost everything."

The two of us left for the funeral.

I sent the video of Dante, alive and well, to my sister, instructing her to play it when the time came.

Nill arrived first, stepping in with his black suit, his face a mask of cold professionalism. He handed me a wreath, his voice steady. "My condolences."

Then came the classmates, looking every bit the part of mourners, their eyes wide with feigned sadness. Seeing their fake sympathy made my stomach churn, but I kept my composure.

Family followed-my heart ached as I saw their grief. Yet, somewhere deep inside, a bitter taste lingered. Dante, what have you done? All this pain-just to escape for a moment?

The last to arrive were his "brothers"-each of them glaring, faces twisted with disdain.

One of them, seemingly brimming with anger, yanked me aside.

"Sis-in-law, this has to stop! Dante isn't dead! He's been searching for you nonstop! You've seen the TikTok, right?!"

I blinked, fighting back the urge to cry. "Don't comfort me. That TikTok was Ariya's doing."

"Why are you doing this?" he shouted. "You can't just pretend he's gone!"

I held my ground, forcing the words out through a clenched jaw. "Once someone is dead to me, they are gone for good. I'm not holding onto any hope."

He tried to speak again, but I caught my sister's eye. She rushed over, pulling him aside. I gave her a silent thanks.

A voice cracked through my quiet, "Dante... Why did you leave me?" My eyes burned, my voice almost breaking.

But before I could continue, a shrill, furious scream cut me off.

"Selina! Are you out of your mind?! I told you-Dante isn't dead!"

Ariya, her eyes filled with rage, stomped toward me.

"Dante's been gone for a month, and you're already holding a funeral?! You're burying him without even knowing what happened!" Her hands shook as she grabbed my arm, her grip tightening.

I glanced behind her-no sign of Dante. Still, I stood firm.

"How could you?" Ariya spat. "Dante loved you more than anything, and you just... gave up on him? Just like that?"

Her voice dripped with accusation.

I looked at her, a quiet smile curling on my lips. "Even if he's alive, a man who betrays me isn't worth a second of my time."

The door creaked open, and there he was. A shadow in the doorway, disheveled, barely recognizable. His clothes hung loosely on him, his face gaunt, eyes wild.

"Dante?" Ariya's voice cracked, and she stumbled back, her face pale. "No... No, it can't be you."

He swallowed, gasping for breath. "Wife... I'm not dead... I'm back."

Ariya's scream pierced the air, but Dante didn't even flinch. He staggered towards me, his voice hoarse.

"I'm sorry... I was trying to... ... but I couldn't leave you behind."

The room fell silent. Everyone stood frozen.

"You didn't think about the consequences," I said, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and hurt. "You thought you could just run away, and everything would be fine. Well, look around you. It's not fine."

Dante reached out, his hands shaking. "I-I didn't want this, Selina. I never wanted this."

My sister, still in shock, whispered, "You can't just show up like this... after everything..."

But I shook my head, stepping closer to Dante, locking eyes with him. "No more excuses. You don't get to walk back into my life like nothing happened."

Dante stormed toward me, his eyes burning with desperation as he pulled me into his arms, trembling uncontrollably.

"Selina... I'm so sorry. I'm not dead, I swear. That day, I nearly drowned. But someone saved me-someone kind. I spent a month recovering, trying to get back to you. I couldn't bear it any longer. You mean everything to me!"

I looked at him coldly, not a flicker of emotion showing on my face.

He pulled back slightly, still gripping me, his voice pleading, "Selina, I swear, you're my life! I couldn't think of anything else during those dark days."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"Have you finished playing your part, Dante?"

"Who was it, Dante? Was it Ariya who saved you?"

His face paled instantly.

He forced out a strained smile. "Selina, what are you talking about? You're... not making sense."

"Not an act anymore, is it, Dante? All this pretending-it's over now!"

He staggered back, stunned.

I turned to the big screen behind me, clicking a button to play the video.

On the screen, Dante and Ariya entered my house, time and time again. Then came the footage of that fateful day-when I had left Ariya's house, heartbroken.

Dante's face on the screen was the last thing he expected to see. He turned ghostly white, his breath catching in his throat.

He scanned the room like he wanted to tear everyone apart.

"Who did this?" he bellowed, voice booming. "Who's behind this?! You've destroyed my life! My marriage!"

The people around us shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. None of them dared to speak up. Finally, he turned back to me.

"Selina! You've been lied to! These videos-these are fake! AI! I'd never betray you! Never!"

His hand shot out, pulling something from his pocket-a diamond ring.

He waved it in front of me, eyes pleading. "Look, Selina, this is proof. I love you. You can't believe this-none of this is real!"

I stared at the ring, unfazed. Then, I nodded toward my sister.

She swiftly queued up another video, zooming in on Ariya's ring-injured and worn. The same exact design.

The same exact ring.

Dante's face darkened, the color draining from it completely. I let out a dry laugh.

"Still lying, Dante? After everything?"

The guests were speechless, their eyes darting between us. No one had ever witnessed something like this-someone alive at their own funeral, only to be caught in a web of lies and scandal.

Dante's mask finally cracked, fury taking over.

His face twisted into an expression of pure rage.

"Selina! Is this what you want? To tear us apart? Is this some sick game to you?"

"Yes."

I took a step forward, handing him the divorce papers.

"Sign it. Everything you've worked for, everything you've built, will be yours again. If you don't, I will make sure you lose everything. "

His eyes narrowed as he grabbed the papers, flipping them open, his gaze flicking to the financial section. His eyes narrowed to slits. Then, in a fit of rage, he tore the agreement in half.

"You want to take everything from me?" His voice cracked with fury. "Why? I gave everything for this marriage, for you! How can you be so cruel?!"