Chapter 4

4: 4

The man from the organ donation center looked at me and asked.

"Miss Swanson, are you still donating Mr. Simmons's organs? If so, please decide quickly. Any longer and it will affect how viable they are."

Fay and Brooklyn both watched me tensely.

"Mamie, Mervyn only said it in passing once. Are you really going to send him off with his body cut apart?"

"Mamie, Mervyn is my son. I do not agree to donating his organs. If you want to touch him, you'll have to step over my dead body first."

I sighed and turned to the man.

"I'm sorry. My husband's organs won't be donated. Let him leave this world whole."

The man looked disappointed, but he nodded and left with his people.

Fay was still watching me anxiously.

"Mamie, you're not going to donate Mervyn's organs anymore, right?"

I nodded and pointed toward the door.

"Mom, you've made yourself clear. What else can I do? The people from the organ donation center have already gone."

Fay patted her chest and let out a long breath.

"Good."

Just then, several people in suits walked in.

"Hello. Are you Mr. Simmons's family? We're from Atlantic Insurance. We heard Mr. Simmons passed away in an accident, and we're here to discuss the payout."

Fay and Brooklyn both looked at me, confused.

I explained, my face full of grief.

"Mervyn and I bought some accidental-death insurance on a whim six months ago. I think it pays out a few million."

At the words a few million, a flash of delight crossed both Fay's and Brooklyn's eyes.

I pushed down my emotions and spoke in a choked voice.

"Mom, this is money that only comes because Mervyn is gone. I can't accept that he's gone, and I don't want to take it. You and Brooklyn go talk to the insurance company about the claim."

Fay and Brooklyn exchanged a glance. Even as their excitement showed, they still looked uneasily at Mervyn on the bed.

I wiped my tears and said,

"Mom, I'll just stay with Mervyn a little longer. The organ donation people have already left, so there's nothing more I can do here. You go handle the payout first."

Fay and Brooklyn thought it over for a moment, but they couldn't resist the pull of a million-dollar payout.

"Mamie, don't take it too hard. I'll be back soon."

Brooklyn spoke to my son.

"Georgie, take good care of your mom and dad."

Taking care of me was the excuse. Mostly she wanted him to keep an eye on Mervyn.

George thumped his chest.

"Auntie Brooklyn, don't worry. I'll take good care of Mom and watch over Dad."

Fay left with Brooklyn to go meet the insurance people.

Once they were gone, I turned to my classmate.

"Where's Mervyn's death report?"

He handed it to me.

"When your mother-in-law had Mervyn sent for cremation earlier, I took it to have a look."

I read through the death report, then took out my phone and made a call.

A little over ten minutes later, several people came to wheel Mervyn's body away.

My son panicked and tried to stop them. I held him back with one hand.

I drove straight to the crematorium.

Watching Mervyn get pushed into the cremation chamber, I clenched my fists. Didn't Mervyn want to fake his own death? Then I'd give him that. I'd make his fake death real.

Just as I reached for the switch, Brooklyn came running over in a panic and shoved me aside.

Her arm knocked against the switch, the program kicked on, and the cremation began.

Fay rushed in, and the moment she saw the cremation had started, she broke down completely.