After making up my mind, I pinched my thigh hard and forced myself into a picture of heartbreaking grief. I threw myself onto "Tommy's" body and cried until I nearly fainted.
Even the relatives and friends who had come to mourn couldn't help but feel their eyes sting.
"Ah… what a pity. The family's lost its support. What will she do now?"
"Yeah. If I remember right, Finn is only two and a half this year. Poor child… Tommy's wife is going to have a hard life from now on."
I received their pitiful looks, yet my heart grew colder with every word.
Relatives of the Robinson family who were barely more than acquaintances understood how hard it would be for a woman like me to live as a widow. Tommy, however, had never considered any of it.
All it took was one sentence—"she's strong-willed"—for him to feel justified in pushing me into suffering.
Even now, he wore an indifferent expression as he arranged "Tommy's" burial. Then, in front of everyone, he openly announced his wedding date with Amy.
Someone asked in confusion, "Tony, why are you in such a hurry? Your brother just passed away. Why rush into marriage?"
"Tony" waved his hand. "Tommy and Amy grew up together too. His dying wish was for me to marry Amy as soon as possible and give him a big, healthy nephew!"
When a person dies, and only one person is there at the end, whatever that person says becomes the truth.
Using a "dying wish" as a shield, and with both my mother-in-law and me keeping our heads down in silence, no one else dared to voice their doubts, even if they felt it was improper.
After everyone left, "Tony" held Amy's hand and stopped me in my path.
"Sarah, my dear sister-in-law, I have a favor to ask you. I know Tommy left you quite a bit of money and jewelry. Could you lend me a few gold pieces of jewelry to help Amy keep up appearances?
"You'll be in mourning for my brother anyway. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to wear gold, right?"
He used the word "favor," but his tone left me no room to refuse.
Inside, I cursed him for his shamelessness.
Forcing me into widowhood out of nowhere wasn't enough—how did he even have the face to covet my assets?
I glanced at his solid, muscular build and knew better than to argue with him.
"Tony, you're too polite. We're all family. Of course I can. I'll personally deliver them to Amy on your wedding day."
Amy's eyes instantly reddened with emotion.
"Tony, you're so good to me. You're the best husband anyone can ask for in the whole world."
"Tony" chuckled softly and affectionately tapped the tip of her nose.
"That's nothing. I wish I could give you all the good things in the world."
Amy gave him a shy, pretended-to-be-angry punch, her tone tinted with deliberate display.
"Oh, stop it. Sarah is still here. She just lost her husband—don't do this in front of her."
"Tony" glanced at me.
"Sarah definitely isn't that petty. Besides, Sarah, you're my brother's widow, and Finn is my nephew. We definitely won't treat the two of you badly in the future."
At those words, a flash of displeasure passed through Amy's eyes. She didn't want her own husband looking after another woman.
Just then, my two-and-a-half-year-old son, Finn, walked out of the room, stretching out his tiny arms as he went straight toward Tommy.
"Daddy, hug me! Hug me!"
Amy's face darkened instantly, and she stepped in between Finn and Tommy.
"Finn, he's not your daddy. He's your uncle."
Finn lifted his little head, his small mind unable to understand what she meant.
He tried to move closer to Tommy, but Tommy heartlessly shoved him away.
"I'm not your daddy. Sarah, you need to teach Finn properly. Luckily, we're at home. If someone else were to see this and misunderstand, what then? Our family has very upright family traditions!"
Finn fell to the ground and burst into loud sobs.
I rushed to pull him up. Hearing Tommy speak so righteously, my whole body trembled with anger.
I bit it back, again and again, until I finally forced it down.
"I'll teach Finn properly, Tony."
Tommy let out a breath of relief, then belatedly felt a flicker of pity for the child.
He reached out, wanting to pat Finn's head and comfort him, but Amy spoke up.
"Tony, you promised to go shopping with me. Let's not waste time."
Watching their retreating backs, the anticipation in Finn's eyes slowly dimmed, and even his crying weakened.
"Mommy, Daddy left… does he not want us anymore?"
My nose stung. I reached up and gently stroked his head.
"Finn, that wasn't your daddy. Your daddy is already dead. He won't be coming back. Mommy will find you a new daddy to stay with you, okay?"
Finn didn't understand what "dead" really meant.
But watching Tommy, who never once looked back, he seemed to half understand. Holding tightly to my hand, he nodded.
