The Widower I Never Meant to Be

My wife, Sarah, died unexpectedly. My in-laws made an absurd request. "Why not have Stella play both roles? After all, Luke can't be without a mother."

My brother-in-law, Greg, yelled at me, calling me shameless, and stormed out in anger.

I looked at my sister-in-law, Stella, who looked exactly like my late wife. I could hardly conceal my grief. I was about to urge them to abandon their ridiculous idea, when I accidentally overheard a conversation between her and her parents.

"It was Stella who died, so why did you lie and claim it was you?"

Sarah sighed. "I love Greg. I staged my death so I could be with him legitimately. As for asking me to play both roles, don't even bring it up again. As for Michael, I have already given him a child and a respectable marriage. I owe him nothing."

Turning around, I saw Luke with reddened eyes, asking me softly, "Daddy, does that mean that Mommy no longer wants us?"

I bent down and pulled him into my arms, forcing myself to soothe him. "Your Aunt Stella wants to protect the person that she loves. We shouldn't bother her. It's time for us to prepare a new life."

With tears welling up in his eyes, my son, Luke, said, "Can I spend my final birthday with Mommy before we leave? It's my fifth birthday. Mommy promised she'll celebrate with me."

My heart broke into a million pieces listening to his plea.

"Alright, we'll spend your fifth birthday with Aunt Stella, then we'll go."

After tucking Luke into bed, I opened the drawers and took out Sarah Grant's death certificate.

This year was our sixth year of marriage. I never expected it to end with me becoming a so-called widower. I did not even have to sign any divorce papers.

Luke still had expectations of her, longed for that flickering trace of motherly love. I, on the other hand, had been deceived time and time again. She disappointed me, utterly and irrevocably.

She liked her late younger sister's husband so much that she would be willing to fake her death and let me bear the grief of losing my wife.

I was not going to trouble her anymore. After Luke's fifth birthday, I would take him and leave this place for good.

The following day, Luke went looking for his mother with a card he had specially made.

Seeing the eagerness in his eyes, I felt extremely sorry for him.

In almost seven years of our marriage, Sarah had never once celebrated our son's birthday.

Before her fake death, she promised she would celebrate her son's fifth birthday. I sincerely hoped she could find it in herself to stick to her promise.

However, the next second, I would hear Luke wailing in the living room. I rushed over there to see the card he had painstakingly made, torn into pieces, and scattered around the floor.

My niece, Nina, stomped on the pieces of the card and said smugly, "Luke, you idiot, your mother is long gone! She's ashes now! You're an ugly child, so you don't deserve a mother at all!"

Then, she threw something at Luke. I immediately shielded Luke from whatever was coming at him, only to see it hit me and roll away on the floor.

It was the wedding ring Sarah had mysteriously lost during the funeral.

Seeing how hostile Nina was to Luke, Sarah merely stood by the side and watched, allowing Nina to do whatever she wanted.

Tears started welling up in Luke's eyes, but he still mustered up the courage and approached Sarah, saying, "Mommy, I've gotten a few gold stars in school. I even won a prize for my drawing. I've been a good boy. C-can you celebrate my birthday with me just this once?"