**Rainport Memorial Cemetery – 11:47 p.m.**
The marble headstone gleamed under moonlight.
**Serena Lang**
*Beloved Wife. Gone Too Soon.*
*1989–2020*
Julian knelt before it, rain soaking through his coat.
He placed a bundle of lilies at the base.
“You always hated lilies," he murmured. “Said they smelled like endings."
Silence.
“I didn't look. I didn't open the coffin." His voice cracked. “I let Vivian call it closure."
He took a breath, pulled out his phone. “This is Julian Lu. Begin recording."
**Voice Memo Recording – Start**
"I, Julian Lu, admit I never confirmed Serena Lang's identity at her funeral. I authorized cremation based solely on secondhand information. I now believe that the body was never hers. That I buried a lie."
He ended the recording and sent it straight to
