The funeral home was colder than I remembered.

Maybe it was because I had been away for three years.

Or maybe because the person lying inside that room was the reason I left everything behind.

Caleb Sullivan.

My older brother.

The person who protected me since childhood.

The person who always said that even if the entire world abandoned me, he would never do it.

But now there was only a quiet room.

A photograph.

And the truth that he was never coming back.

My mother sat in the corner.

Her eyes were empty.

When she saw me, she stood up quickly.

“Maya…”

I walked toward her.

She hugged me tightly.

For a long time, neither of us spoke.

I felt her tears soak my shoulder.

“I thought you hated us.”

My heart tightened.

“I never hated you, Mom.”

I looked at Caleb’s photograph.

“I just couldn’t stay.”

Behind us, Ethan stood silently.

For the first time, he wasn’t the powerful businessman everyone respected.

He looked like someone who didn’t know where he belonged.

The funeral director handed over Caleb’s belongings.

A watch.

A wallet.

A broken phone.

And a small notebook.

My fingers trembled when I saw it.

Caleb had always carried notebooks.

He wrote everything down.

Ideas.

Plans.

Things he wanted to do.

I opened it carefully.

The first pages were ordinary.

Until I reached the middle.

A name appeared.

Grace Bennett.

My breathing stopped.

Ethan noticed.

“What is it?”

I didn’t answer.

I continued reading.

The handwriting became messy.

As if Caleb had written these words in a hurry.

“Something is wrong with Grace.”

My fingers froze.

The next line was even worse.

“She knows something about the accident.”

The room became silent.

Ethan stepped closer.

“Maya.”

I closed the notebook.

For three years, everyone believed Caleb died because of a natural disaster.

A landslide.

An accident.

A tragedy nobody could change.

But now…

My brother had suspected something before he disappeared.

I looked at Ethan.

“Did you know about this?”

His expression changed.

“No.”

A little too quickly.

I stared at him.

For seven years, I had loved this man.

I knew every small reaction.

Every hesitation.

Every lie.

And right now…

He was hiding something.

Before I could ask more, his phone rang.

The screen lit up.

Grace.

Ethan immediately turned away.

He answered.

“Hello?”

Her voice came through.

Even from a distance, I could hear the panic.

“Ethan, where are you?”

“I’m at the funeral home.”

A pause.

Then Grace said:

“With Maya?”

His expression changed.

“Yes.”

Another silence.

Then her voice became softer.

“You promised me you wouldn’t let her destroy everything.”

My eyes narrowed.

Destroy everything?

Ethan looked uncomfortable.

“Grace, not now.”

But it was too late.

I had heard enough.

He ended the call.

The room became unbearably quiet.

I looked at him.

“What did she mean?”

“Maya…”

“No.”

My voice was calm.

“Answer me.”

Ethan lowered his eyes.

For the first time, he looked guilty.

“I made a promise to Caleb.”

My heart stopped.

“What promise?”

He looked at Caleb’s photograph.

“Before the accident.”

The air seemed to disappear.

“Caleb knew something was wrong.”

I held my breath.

“He asked me to protect Grace.”

I laughed softly.

Not because it was funny.

Because it was painful.

“So that’s why you married her?”

Ethan looked at me.

“I didn’t marry her because of pity.”

“Then why?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

And that hesitation hurt more than anything.

Three years ago, I thought Ethan abandoned me because he chose Grace.

Now I discovered there was another reason.

But somehow…

It still felt like abandonment.

I walked outside.

The cold wind hit my face.

Ethan followed.

“Maya, wait.”

I stopped.

“Do you know what hurts the most?”

He remained silent.

“Not that you chose Grace.”

I turned around.

“It’s that you decided I was strong enough to lose you.”

His expression changed.

“You never asked me if I could handle it.”

My voice shook slightly.

“You just left me behind because you thought I would survive.”

Ethan had no response.

Because he knew.

That was exactly what he did.

I looked at his wedding ring.

“Are you happy?”

The question surprised him.

“What?”

“With Grace.”

His eyes moved.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he whispered:

“I don’t know.”

That answer hurt more than a lie.

Because it meant three years of marriage…

And he still wasn’t sure.

Before I could say anything, a car suddenly stopped near the funeral home.

A man stepped out.

He was holding a folder.

He walked directly toward us.

“Miss Sullivan.”

I turned.

“Who are you?”

The man handed me the folder.

“I’m the investigator who worked on your brother’s accident.”

My heart began beating faster.

“There is something you need to know.”

He looked at Ethan.

“Caleb Sullivan’s death was not an accident.”

The world went silent.

The man opened the folder.

Inside were photographs.

Documents.

And one final piece of evidence.

A recording.

His voice became serious.

“Your brother discovered who caused the landslide.”

I looked at Ethan.

Then at the file in my hands.

Because the truth I had been searching for three years…

Was finally about to destroy everything.

Including the man I once loved.