Chapter 3: Now That She's Gone...
956 Words
Maya waited.
She didn't move until the cemetery was almost completely empty.
The last few mourners had disappeared through the gates. The sound of car engines faded into the distance, leaving behind only the whisper of the wind moving through the trees.
Still, she remained hidden.
Her mind was trapped on the same two sentences.
"I did my part..."
"She wasn't supposed to die."
The words repeated again and again like a warning.
Ethan knew something.
He had been involved in something she didn't understand.
But what?
Who had he been talking to?
What agreement could be powerful enough to make a man bury his own wife?
Maya slowly stepped out from behind the tree.
Her legs felt weak beneath her.
The cemetery that had once been a place of peace now felt like a place full of secrets.
She walked toward the fresh grave, each step heavier than the last.
The soil was still dark and damp from the rain. Small drops of water rested on the flowers surrounding the grave, making them look like they were crying too.
A simple wooden cross stood at the head of the grave.
She stopped in front of it.
Her eyes moved to the words carved into the wood.
MAYA WILLIAMS
Beloved Wife
1999 – 2026
Her breathing stopped.
Seeing her own name written there felt impossible.
Like she was looking at someone else's life.
Someone else's ending.
Slowly, her knees touched the cold ground.
She reached out with trembling fingers and traced the letters of her name.
The same name she had carried her entire life.
The same name everyone now believed belonged to a dead woman.
Tears filled her eyes.
"I can't be dead..." she whispered.
Her voice broke.
"I can't..."
For several seconds, everything around her became silent.
The wind disappeared.
The world seemed frozen.
Then...
A sound.
Footsteps.
Someone was returning.
Maya's entire body went still.
Fear rushed through her.
She quickly stood and moved behind a large marble monument nearby, pressing herself against the cold stone.
She held her breath.
Two figures entered the cemetery.
Both men wore black suits.
One of them was Ethan.
Maya's heart tightened.
Why was he back?
Who was the man walking beside him?
The second man appeared older, perhaps in his sixties. His silver hair was perfectly styled, his expensive suit showed his wealth, and he walked slowly with the help of a polished cane.
But what disturbed Maya the most was his expression.
He wasn't grieving.
He wasn't sad.
He looked at the grave with a calmness that felt almost frightening.
Like he wasn't standing beside a tragedy.
Like he was standing beside a completed business deal.
Ethan stopped near the grave.
"It's done," he said quietly.
The older man looked at him and gave a small nod.
"For everyone's sake... it had to be."
Maya watched from behind the monument, confused.
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
His shoulders were tense.
"You promised no one would get hurt," he said.
The old man's expression barely changed.
"In business, promises are expensive."
The words sent a cold feeling through Maya.
Business?
Was that what this was about?
Was her life just another transaction?
Ethan looked away, unable to meet the man's eyes.
The older man reached into his coat and removed a thick brown envelope.
He held it out.
"Your first payment."
Maya's eyes widened.
Payment?
For what?
Ethan stared at the envelope but didn't take it immediately.
His face showed guilt and fear.
"I don't want any more blood," he said.
For the first time, the older man's calm expression disappeared.
His eyes became cold.
"You've already crossed the line."
Silence filled the cemetery.
Ethan said nothing.
He looked like a man trapped by a decision he could never undo.
The older man stepped closer and whispered something into Ethan's ear.
Maya couldn't hear the words.
But she saw the effect.
Ethan's face changed instantly.
The color disappeared from his skin.
His eyes widened with fear.
Whatever the man had said had terrified him.
Slowly, Ethan reached out and accepted the envelope.
The older man turned and walked away.
His footsteps echoed against the wet ground.
When he reached his black car, he suddenly stopped.
Without turning around, he spoke.
"Find her."
Ethan frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The older man looked toward the grave.
His voice became colder.
"If Maya Williams is alive..."
He paused.
The silence that followed felt unbearable.
"...she'll destroy everything we've built."
Maya felt like the ground had disappeared beneath her feet.
Her heart pounded violently.
They knew.
Somehow...
They knew she had survived.
But how?
How could anyone know something even she was still struggling to understand?
Before she could think of an answer, something inside her jacket moved.
Her blood turned cold.
Her phone.
She had forgotten it was still there.
The screen lit up.
Then the ringtone exploded through the quiet cemetery.
The sound felt like a gunshot in the silence.
Ethan turned sharply.
The older man's bodyguards immediately looked toward the noise.
"Who's there?" one of them shouted.
Maya froze.
Her eyes widened.
She had only one second to decide.
Stay and get caught...
Or run.
Her body moved before her mind could think.
She turned and sprinted through the cemetery.
Branches scratched against her clothes as she ran between the graves. Her footsteps hit the wet ground loudly, but she didn't stop.
Behind her, voices shouted.
"Stop!"
"Find her!"
Maya ran faster.
She didn't know where she was going.
She didn't know who she could trust.
All she knew was one thing.
Someone had tried to erase her from the world.
And now that they knew she was alive...
They would do anything to finish what they started.
- Writer
