PART 2
Claire placed a thick manila envelope on the coffee table between us.
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside were three things: a sealed letter addressed to me in Robert’s familiar handwriting, a copy of a life-insurance policy, and a set of legal documents stamped with the county seal.
Claire spoke first, her voice barely above a whisper.
“He made me promise I would only come to you after the funeral. He said if you knew the truth while he was still alive, you would never have let him go through with it.”
I stared at the papers, unable to speak.
Claire continued, eyes fixed on the floor.
“Robert didn’t leave you because he stopped loving you. He left because the cancer treatment was going to destroy everything you both built. The doctors told him the experimental trials and the long-term care would cost more than your savings, your house, and your retirement combined. If he stayed married to you, the medical debt would follow you for the rest of your life.”
She finally looked up.
“He divorced you so the debt would die with him. Then he married me—only on paper—so I could be listed as the primary caregiver and the insurance beneficiary for the hospital bills. Every payment, every claim, every signature… it was all arranged so that nothing would touch you.”
My vision blurred.
