At just 27 years old, Christopher\u2019s life was cut short by a tragic accident, leaving his mother, Brenda, to face an overwhelming emptiness. Her only son was her anchor, the reason she kept pushing through life\u2019s challenges. His death broke her heart, sending her into a long struggle with grief and depression that was so intense it eventually led her to seek help in a clinic.\n\n\n\n
A year had passed, and as Brenda stepped off the metro, the chilly air of the city nipped at her cheeks, prompting her to pull her coat in closer. After traveling hundreds of miles, she stood before Christopher\u2019s grave, her heart weighed down by a blend of dread and longing. The city seemed unfamiliar, its lively streets a sharp departure from her calm, solitary existence. It had been a long time since she last visited, and just the idea of being by his grave once more felt overwhelming.\n\n\n\n
As she stepped out of the station, Brenda noticed a familiar face among the bustling crowd. Her heart raced\u2014it was Harper, the wife of her late son. Harper walked quickly, her hair hidden beneath a beanie, her face mostly covered by a scarf.\n\n\n\n
\u201cHarper?\u201d Brenda shouted, picking up her speed. \u201cHarper, hold on!\u201d\n\n\n\n
The woman glanced over for a moment, catching Brenda\u2019s gaze. For a brief moment, a spark of recognition lit up her face, but just as swiftly, it faded away.\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t know you,\u201d the woman replied, her voice lacking warmth as she stepped back.\n\n\n\n
\u201cHold on!\u201d \u201cHarper, it\u2019s Brenda!\u201d She reached out to touch her shoulder as she spoke.\n\n\n\n
The woman dismissed her, her voice cutting through the air. \u201cI think you have the wrong person.\u201d \u201cI really need some space right now.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Brenda stood still, her hand dropping to her side as she observed the woman blend into the throng of people. Her heart was pounding. It was definitely Harper\u2014she knew it without a doubt. Those familiar eyes, that recognizable voice. But why had she claimed she didn\u2019t know her?\n\n\n\n
As she called for a cab to the cemetery, her mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts. The meeting had shaken her to her core, and the questions it brought up only seemed to amplify in her thoughts.\n\n\n\n
The cemetery was hauntingly still, a silence that made every crunch of Brenda\u2019s footsteps on the gravel path feel louder than it should have. As she walked among the rows of headstones, she held a small bouquet of lilies, which were Christopher\u2019s favorite.\n\n\n\n
At last, she discovered it\u2014his resting place. She knelt before the stone, her knees giving way a bit as her trembling fingers traced the name carved into the granite. Tears filled her eyes as she softly whispered a prayer, her voice trembling.\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think about you every day, Christopher,\u201d she whispered. \u201cThings just aren\u2019t the same without you here.\u201d\n\n\n\n
While placing the flowers gently, her eyes wandered over to the grave next door. She gasped, her breath hitching in her throat.\n\n\n\n
The gravestone had Harper\u2019s name etched on it.\n\n\n\n
Harper S. January 8, 1995 \u2013 December 3, 2020
Always in our hearts, always remembered.\n\n\n\n
Brenda felt her heart racing in her chest. Harper\u2026 gone? How could this happen? She had just seen her\u2014or at least someone who looked just like her\u2014moments ago. She couldn\u2019t believe what was happening. Why had no one mentioned Harper\u2019s death to her? But if Harper was laid to rest here, then who was the woman she had met at the metro station?\n\n\n\n
Looking for answers, Brenda walked over to the groundskeeper of the cemetery, who was busy raking leaves in the area.\n\n\n\n
\u201cExcuse me,\u201d she said, her voice shaking slightly. \u201cCould you share any details about the funeral for the woman who is buried next to my son?\u201d \u201cIs this Harper Sutton?\u201d\n\n\n\n
The man shot her a quick look, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. \u201cIs it that one?\u201d Yeah, it was definitely\u2026 odd. No one came to mourn. Only the funeral service, everyone. They carried the coffin, laid it to rest, and walked away. They didn\u2019t even have a proper ceremony.\n\n\n\n
\u201cHas anyone gone to her grave since that time?\u201d Brenda pushed forward.\n\n\n\n
The groundskeeper let out a sigh and shook his head. \u201cI haven\u2019t come across that.\u201d I\u2019m around all day, every day. No one has come around.\n\n\n\n
Brenda felt a growing sense of unease. This just doesn\u2019t add up. After thanking the man, she walked away, her thoughts swirling with a multitude of questions. Driven to uncover the truth, she made up her mind to pay a visit to Jake, who was Christopher\u2019s closest friend and past business partner. He would be the one to know what was really happening.\n\n\n\n
Jake looked surprised when he saw Brenda as he opened the door to his apartment. \u201cMrs. Sutton,\u201d he said, his voice careful. \u201cWell, this is\u2026 surprising.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need to talk to you,\u201d Brenda said with determination. \u201cCan I come in?\u201d\n\n\n\n
With a hint of hesitation, Jake moved aside, letting her enter. Brenda quickly spotted the suitcases piled up by the door. \u201cAre you leaving?\u201d she inquired.\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Jake confessed, looking away from her. \u201cThis past year has been really tough since Chris left us.\u201d \u201cThe business has failed, and I\u2019m looking for a new beginning.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Brenda made a face of discontent. \u201cWhat do you mean the company has shut down?\u201d Christopher put in so much effort to create it. So, what\u2019s the deal with Harper? Why didn\u2019t anyone let me know she had passed away?\n\n\n\n
Jake paused, clearly feeling uneasy. \u201cMrs. Sutton\u2026 it\u2019s not as simple as it seems.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you make it simpler for me?\u201d Brenda asked. \u201cI have a right to know the truth.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Jake let out a deep sigh, his fingers combing through his hair. \u201cWhen Chris passed away, Harper took over the company, but she had no desire to manage it.\u201d She passed the reins to me. It was a challenging time\u2014losing Chris really hit the business hard. Harper proposed that we take out loans to stay above water, but\u2026 she turned her back on us.\n\n\n\n
\u201cCould you clarify what you mean?\u201d Brenda inquired, her tone cutting through the air.\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe took five million dollars and vanished,\u201d Jake said, his face clouded with concern. \u201cA week later, they discovered her car at the bottom of a cliff.\u201d Her remains had been burned, and the police were able to identify her using dental records and a pendant she always wore. The incident was determined to be an accident.\n\n\n\n
Brenda looked at him, her thoughts swirling in confusion. Harper had taken money? Did she really fake her death? The image of the woman at the metro station came rushing back to her thoughts once more. Could it truly have been her?\n\n\n\n
Brenda couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that something was off as she caught Jake stealing nervous glances and fidgeting in his seat. There was something off. She chose to spend the night at his apartment, pretending it was to skip a late-night hotel stay. Jake hesitantly gave in, and Brenda bided her time until he drifted off to sleep before rummaging through his things.\n\n\n\n
Brenda discovered a hidden compartment in his suitcase, revealing two passports\u2014one featuring Harper\u2019s photo but under a different name, and the other belonging to Jake. There were plane tickets to London, set for the following morning. Her hands trembled as the truth dawned on her. Harper was alive, and Jake was there to help her get away.\n\n\n\n
The following morning, Brenda got breakfast ready, slipping a sleeping pill into Jake\u2019s orange juice. When Harper got to the apartment, Jake was passed out on the couch. Harper couldn\u2019t hide her surprise when she saw Brenda standing there.\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you searching for Jake?\u201d Brenda inquired, her tone icy. \u201cHe\u2019s staying right here.\u201d And you aren\u2019t either.\n\n\n\n
Harper attempted to escape, but Brenda stood in front of the door, preventing any chance of leaving. Shortly after, the police showed up, alerted by Brenda\u2019s call. Harper and Jake found themselves in handcuffs, and with the heat on, Harper spilled the beans about it all\u2014the embezzlement, the fake car accident, and the escape plan to leave the country.\n\n\n\n
As Brenda watched them being taken away, she felt a wave of closure wash over her. Christopher\u2019s legacy was marred by lies, yet she had managed to reveal the truth. She promised to keep her son\u2019s memory alive by making sure justice was achieved.\n\n\n\n
After a whole year, Brenda finally sensed a flicker of tranquility. The journey before her would be challenging, yet she felt a deep confidence in her ability to confront it.\n\n\n\n
\nSummarized:\n\n\n\n\n
Christopher Sutton, a 27-year-old man, lost his life in a heartbreaking accident, leaving his mother Brenda to face the overwhelming pain of grief and depression. A year later, Brenda made the long journey to Christopher\u2019s grave, her heart heavy with dread and a deep longing for him. She spotted Harper, her late son\u2019s wife, moving quickly through the crowd. When she asked her, Harper turned for a moment, but the spark of recognition faded just as fast as it had come.\n\n\n\n
Brenda wondered why she had said she didn\u2019t know her. As she made her way to the cemetery, she discovered his grave, adorned with a small bouquet of lilies\u2014his favorite\u2014carved into the granite. Tears filled her eyes as she softly whispered a prayer, expressing how much she misses him each and every day.\n\n\n\n
As she placed the flowers gently, her eyes wandered to the nearby grave that held Harper\u2019s name. Brenda felt her heart racing, filled with disbelief at how this could even be happening. She had just seen her, or someone who looked exactly like her, just moments ago. She couldn\u2019t shake the feeling of disbelief as her mind raced. Why hadn\u2019t anyone mentioned Harper\u2019s death? And who was that woman she had met at the metro station?\n\n\n\n
Brenda walked up to the cemetery\u2019s groundskeeper, who told her that Harper Sutton\u2019s funeral was unusual, as there were no mourners present. He mentioned that no one had come to her grave since that time, and that he spent all day, every day there. Brenda felt a growing sense of unease as she thanked the groundskeeper and walked away, her mind swirling with questions.\n\n\n\n
Brenda made up her mind to pay a visit to Jake, who was Christopher\u2019s closest friend and past business partner, in order to uncover the truth. If anyone had a clue about what was happening, it would definitely be him. This story emphasizes how crucial it is to grasp our history and the influence it can wield over our lives, particularly in times of grief and sorrow.\n\n\n\n
Brenda, who had shared a close friendship with Christopher Sutton, is taken aback to see Jake stepping out of his apartment. He acknowledges that the company has collapsed following the loss of Chris and Harper, who took over after his passing. Harper deceived the company by stealing five million dollars and vanishing without a trace. A week later, they discovered her car at the bottom of a cliff, charred and burned, and authorities declared it an accident.\n\n\n\n
Brenda has a feeling that Harper might have taken some money or even pretended to die. She chooses to spend the night at Jake\u2019s apartment, pretending it\u2019s just a hotel stay. Upon discovering two passports tucked away in his suitcase\u2014one bearing Harper\u2019s photo and the other Jake\u2019s\u2014she comes to the shocking realization that Harper is indeed alive and that Jake is aiding her in her escape.\n\n\n\n
The following morning, Brenda gets breakfast ready, slipping a sleeping pill into Jake\u2019s orange juice. As Harper steps into the apartment, she finds Jake sprawled out on the couch, completely unconscious. She says to him that he isn\u2019t going anywhere, and neither are you. Harper makes a dash for it, but Brenda stands firmly in front of the door. The police show up, having received a heads-up from Brenda. Harper and Jake find themselves in handcuffs, and with the weight of the situation pressing down on her, Harper spills the beans on it all\u2014the embezzlement, the fake car accident, and their escape plan to leave the country.\n\n\n\n
As Brenda watches them being taken away, a wave of closure washes over her. Christopher\u2019s legacy has been marred by dishonesty, yet she has revealed the truth and committed herself to honoring her son\u2019s memory by making sure justice prevails. After a whole year, Brenda finally feels a flicker of peace, realizing she has the strength to confront the long journey that lies ahead.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"