Brenda was stunned when her late son’s wife, Harper, denied knowing her during an unexpected encounter. Her shock turned to disbelief when she visited her son’s grave and found a headstone for Harper right beside it. Desperate for answers, Brenda turned to her son’s best friend, Jake, but his suspicious behavior only fueled her determination to uncover the truth on her own.
Christopher was just 27 when a tragic accident claimed his life, leaving Brenda to grapple with an overwhelming grief. The loss consumed her, leading her to spend a year in a clinic recovering from the emotional toll.
Finally, after traveling hundreds of miles to visit her son’s grave, Brenda carried a heavy heart. As she stepped off the metro in the city where Chris had lived and died, she was startled to see a familiar face in the crowd—her daughter-in-law, Harper. Brenda had planned to meet Harper after visiting the cemetery and decided to surprise her.
“Harper! Harper, wait!” Brenda called, gently tapping the woman’s shoulder.
“I’m not Harper. You’ve got the wrong person, lady!” the woman snapped, brushing Brenda’s hand away and hurrying off.
Brenda was bewildered. That had to be Harper—the same eyes, the same hair, the same voice. But before she could pursue her, Harper had disappeared into the crowd. Shaken, Brenda hailed a cab to the cemetery, the strange encounter lingering in her mind.
At the cemetery, Brenda was overwhelmed with emotion as she searched for Christopher’s resting place. Tears streamed down her face as she ran her trembling hands over his tombstone. But then, something caught her eye—a grave right next to his, with an inscription that left her reeling.
The headstone read:
In Loving Memory of Harper S.
January 8, 1995 – December 3, 2020
Forever cherished, forever missed. Rest in peace.
Brenda gasped in disbelief. Harper had died just a week ago, and no one had told her. A chilling question gripped her: If Harper is dead, then who was the woman at the subway?
Disturbed by the discovery, Brenda sought answers from the cemetery groundskeeper. She found him nearby and asked if he could tell her about Harper’s funeral.
The man sighed, “Her funeral was last week. It was strange—no mourners, just the funeral service workers. They brought the coffin, buried it, put up the headstone, and left. It wasn’t much of a funeral.”
“Has anyone visited her grave since?” Brenda asked, her concern deepening.
“Not that I’ve seen,” he replied. “I’m here all day and live on the grounds. I haven’t seen anyone visit her grave.”
Nothing made sense. Brenda left the cemetery, her mind spinning with questions. Desperate for answers, she decided to visit Jake, Christopher’s best friend and business partner.
When Jake opened the door, he seemed uneasy. He invited her in, but Brenda quickly noticed the luggage in the living room.
“I’m leaving the state, Mrs. Sutton,” Jake said, his face etched with worry. “It’s been a rough year since Chris passed. The company went bankrupt, so I’ve decided to move far away from all this.”
“How could the company go bankrupt, Jake?” Brenda asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. “And why didn’t anyone tell me about Harper? I saw her headstone next to Chris’s grave. What happened to her?”
Jake hesitated. “Mrs. Sutton, I didn’t want to burden you. After Chris’s death, you were so devastated. When I heard you were in a clinic, I was afraid that news about the company and Harper would make things worse.”
Brenda’s heart pounded as she pressed him for more. “What did Harper do, Jake? I need to know everything.”
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