I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 485

Three days later, the funeral was held at Westfield Memorial Park.

Nora had chosen a south-facing plot, where Benedict's headstone now stood right next to Margaret's.

It was a scene she had pictured countless times during the years they were apart, though she never imagined it would become reality quite like this.

It had rained heavily the entire night before, but the sky cleared up unexpectedly by morning.

Nora stood at the edge of the grave in a simple black dress, her complexion pale and her expression heavy with sorrow.

Xander stood faithfully by her side, a silent and steady presence.

The gathering of mourners was small, consisting mostly of Benedict's old friends.

Bonnie and Cassie stood side by side next to their mother, their eyes rimmed with red as they looked toward their grandfather's resting place.

When it was time to deliver the eulogy, Nora stared at the warm smile etched onto the memorial plaque. A lump formed in her throat, and she choked back a sob before speaking.

"My father had a hard life."

Her opening words immediately brought tears to the eyes of everyone gathered.

"He built his business from nothing when he was young, enduring so much hardship to secure his legacy. Then he married my mother, and they had Nicholas and me. Those were probably the happiest years of his life. When we lost them, it aged him a decade overnight."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly, but she forced herself to keep going.

"I always thought he resented me. It wasn't until now that I realized he never once blamed me. But I figured it out too late, and now I've lost him forever."

Her voice finally broke, and she covered her mouth as a quiet sob escaped her lips.

"You used to say that people need something to hold on to in order to keep living. You held onto anger for so many years just to survive. When I finally came back, you told me you didn't hate me anymore. You said you had been waiting for me. But when you said those things... had you already decided to leave? You let go of your anger toward me, and in doing so, you let go of your will to live, didn't you?"

Stepping up behind her, Xander placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Nora reached up and covered his hand with her own, drawing strength from his warmth just to keep herself standing.

"I don't blame you. You had the right to make your own choices, even this one."

She took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm just so heartbroken that you didn't give me the chance to properly love you. I'm heartbroken that you thought erasing yourself from this world would somehow make my life easier."

She stepped forward and placed a single white rose at the base of the headstone. Crouching down slowly, she traced her fingers over the engraved letters and whispered softly.

"Rest in peace, Dad. Mom is waiting for you, and so is Nicholas. The three of you can finally be together again. You don't need to worry about me anymore. I have Xander, and I have my two beautiful daughters. I'm going to live a good life. I'm not just saying that to comfort you—I really will be okay."

She stood up, wiping her eyes fiercely before turning to face the mourners.

"Thank you all for being here today to say a final goodbye to my father. He spent his entire life hating to inconvenience anyone. If he knew so many of you made the trip just for him, he would definitely be grumbling about it."

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