“My name is not Lauren. You have the wrong person, ma’am!” A woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Marjorie’s late son’s wife appeared and crossed paths with her. During her visit to the cemetery, Marjorie went to honor the resting place of her son. However, her visit was complicated when she noticed the grave of her daughter-in-law nearby. Seeking answers, Marjorie turned to Liam, her son’s closest friend. But when his behavior began to seem suspicious, Marjorie devised a plan to unravel the mystery.
“My beloved son… I am finally coming to see you, my darling,” whispered sixty-year-old Marjorie, clutching a framed photograph of her late son Calvin, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Every moment of Marjorie’s life had been haunted by the memory of her precious son, who had died tragically a year prior. The absence of her only child brought her immense sorrow.
As she prepared to disembark at the metro station in the unfamiliar city, a heavy weight of grief pressed upon her, words unable to capture the depth of her anguish. On that day, she had driven hundreds of miles alone to pay her respects at Calvin’s grave.
Calvin had only been twenty-seven at the time of his passing, leaving Marjorie trapped in a seemingly endless pit of grief. The world felt darker without him, and her own health began to decline.
She was rushed to the hospital to receive proper care and therapy. Finally, after twelve long months of recovery, she arrived in the city where Calvin had lived, died, and been laid to rest.
Wiping away her tears, Marjorie stepped off the tube onto the platform. A modest flower kiosk tucked within the busy station caught her eye.
Marjorie approached the stand and selected a bouquet of white lilies to lay on Calvin’s grave.
“Dear, thank you! Don’t let this moment slip away,” she murmured with a small smile as she held the flowers.
As she moved toward the exit, a figure she recognized suddenly blocked her path. It was a young woman who looked strikingly like Lauren, her daughter-in-law, who had recently lost her husband. Marjorie intended to meet Lauren after visiting the cemetery.
Squinting closely, Marjorie was certain it was Lauren leaving the station in some direction. In a rush, she chased after her.
“Lauren! My dear Lauren… wait! Hello, my name is Marjorie!” Marjorie waved, moving as fast as she could. “Lauren, please! Don’t go!” She gasped, touching the woman’s shoulder.
The young woman spun in surprise. “Lauren? Not Lauren. You’ve got the wrong person, ma’am!” she said abruptly, brushing Marjorie’s hand off and moving away.
“You’re not Lauren? How can that be?” Marjorie asked, her voice heavy with confusion. “You look exactly like my son’s wife.”
“I’ve had enough, ma’am. Not Lauren, I am not. I must leave…” Before Marjorie could respond, the woman vanished into the crowd.
Marjorie found it odd. Could her eyes truly deceive her? Who was this person? She had the same eyes, hair, and voice.
“Hey, wait! Lauren! We need to talk…”
But the woman had disappeared. At the taxi stand outside, Marjorie exhaled deeply and hailed a cab to the cemetery.
“Does she dislike me so much?” Marjorie wondered, settling into the backseat. “Why is Lauren avoiding me… pretending she doesn’t know me? What did I do wrong?” The question haunted her for the duration of the ride.
Pulling up to the cemetery gate, the driver said, “Ma’am, we’re here,” snapping her from her thoughts.
Eyes fixed on the gate, she stepped out. “Wait here… I won’t be long,” she murmured, entering the cemetery with the lilies, her heart heavy with grief.
Wandering among rows of graves, the silence was eerie. Kneeling before Calvin’s resting place, Marjorie was overwhelmed by emotion.
“My little one… my dear Calvin… Mama’s here… so glad to see you…” She brushed her trembling hands across his tombstone. Her eyes then fell on a grave beside his, and she was stunned.
She read the inscription:
As a tribute to the memory of
By Lauren T.
To the date of December 3, 2020, January 8, 1995
Never to be forgotten, always treasured.
Do not be disturbed.
“Oh my… Lauren, my Calvin’s wife, passed away a week ago. Why wasn’t I told?” Marjorie gasped.
“If Lauren is dead, then who was the woman at the subway?” she thought, perplexed.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of raked leaves. It was the groundskeeper. She approached him, hoping for answers.
“Excuse me,” Marjorie called. “Do you know anything about the funeral of the woman buried here?” She gestured toward Lauren’s grave.
He raised an eyebrow. “The grave next to the large cross?”
“Yes! Do you know how she died? What was the funeral like?”
The man exhaled smoke from his cigarette. “Yes, I know. The funeral was a week ago. It was… odd.”
“Odd?” Marjorie frowned.
“Yes. Few people attended. Just the funeral staff. They buried her, placed a simple headstone, and left. It was not the kind of ceremony one would expect.”
“That’s strange…” Marjorie murmured. “Has anyone visited her grave since?”
“No, ma’am… not that I’ve seen. I watch the cemetery all day. Nobody goes there.”
Marjorie thanked him and continued to ponder.
Seeking clarity about her daughter-in-law, Marjorie decided to visit Liam, Calvin’s best friend and business partner. She took a taxi to Liam’s home after leaving the cemetery.
When she rang the doorbell, a soft voice called, “Coming… One second!” Marjorie waited apprehensively on the doorstep.
Liam was surprised to see his best friend’s mother smiling at him. “Mrs. Pierce?!”
Smiling warmly, Marjorie nodded. “Hello, dear! I hope you’re well. I arrived this morning and visited Calvin’s grave. I thought I’d surprise you with a visit!”
“I’m fine… Please come in,” Liam said, stepping aside. Despite his apparent unease, Marjorie noticed the tension in his demeanor.
Inside, she saw luggage in the living room, only partially packed.
“Mrs. Pierce! I’m glad you came. I was just finishing packing.”
“Packing? Where are you headed?” Marjorie asked.
“Uh, yes… I’m relocating to another state, Mrs. Pierce. The past year since Calvin passed has been difficult,” Liam said, with a mix of concern and frustration.
“There’s no business left. Nothing for me here. I’ve decided to sell the house and move far away from all this chaos.”
“Bankrupt? What do you mean, Liam?” Marjorie’s brow furrowed. “I visited Lauren’s grave next to Calvin’s. I had no idea she had died. Did no one inform me? What happened to her? How did she pass?”
Liam sighed. “Mrs. Pierce… I didn’t want to upset you. After Calvin’s death, you were so distraught and in the hospital for a year. I feared that telling you about the company’s troubles or Lauren’s actions might worsen your condition.”
Marjorie pressed, “Liam, tell me. What did she do?”
Taking a deep breath, Liam explained. “After Calvin died, Lauren inherited the company. She initially refused to manage it due to inexperience. As I was already a partner, we agreed I would oversee operations.”
“Honestly, the company fell to its lowest point. We were on the brink of collapse. Lauren suggested seeking investors and loans to save it,” Liam continued.
“But you said Lauren wanted nothing to do with the company,” Marjorie reminded him.
“Yes, Mrs. Pierce. But desperate times called for desperate measures. We followed her advice to save it. Then, a week ago, everything fell apart. Lauren disappeared with five million dollars from the loan. Authorities are searching for her.”
Marjorie gasped in disbelief. “Lauren stole the money?” Rage boiled within her. Calvin’s wife had erased everything he had worked for.
“Yes, Mrs. Pierce. Her betrayal was unexpected. But she paid the price,” Liam said.
“What do you mean?” Marjorie asked, uneasy.
Liam poured coffee and continued. “A week ago, the authorities found a burned car off a cliff, Lauren’s vehicle. Inside was a burnt body with her gold pendant marked ‘L’ and remnants of burned cash. It was made to look like an accident.”
Marjorie’s mind raced. “Jesus… Lauren ruined everything. But what about Calvin’s business? Surely it didn’t collapse entirely…”
“I understand your frustration, Mrs. Pierce,” Liam said. “Calvin’s work was valuable, but Lauren’s actions caused chaos. However, she met a tragic end. A proper funeral was held with friends and family present. Everyone mourned her untimely death despite her deeds.”
Marjorie remembered the groundskeeper saying no one attended Lauren’s funeral. Liam’s anxiety and sudden departure reinforced her doubts.
“When is your flight?” Marjorie asked.
“Early tomorrow, six o’clock,” Liam replied.
Marjorie nodded, formulating a plan. “May I stay here tonight? I don’t know the city, and it’s risky for me to be alone in a motel.”
“Yes, Mrs. Pierce. The guest room is ready. Make yourself at home,” Liam said.
Exhausted, Marjorie went to the room, turned off the lights, and waited, alert, for clues to unravel the mystery.
Later, she snuck into Liam’s room and found him asleep. She sighed, then searched his luggage in the living room. Hands trembling, she discovered two counterfeit passports.
“Anna?” she whispered. Lauren had assumed a new identity. Seeing the second passport confirmed her suspicions.
“Mark?” she muttered. Liam’s photo appeared on a fake passport as well. Two plane tickets to London under fake names were also found.
A chill ran through Marjorie. A sinister plot involving Liam and Anna (Lauren) was unfolding. She had to act.
She carefully returned the bags and hurried to a nearby pharmacy.
“My apologies! May I have some sleeping pills?” she asked, returning to Liam’s residence with the tablets.
By 5 a.m., Liam descended for his flight. Marjorie greeted him cheerfully. “Good morning, Liam! I’ve prepared your breakfast. Enjoy it before you leave!”
“Thanks… my head’s been pounding since last night,” Liam muttered, sipping the juice Marjorie had spiked with sleeping pills.
“Feeling dizzy? Take a short nap,” she suggested. Ten minutes later, Liam lay unconscious on the couch.
Marjorie checked Liam’s phone and the ringing from his rucksack showed the name “Anna.” She knew Lauren would appear soon.
Thirty minutes later, a taxi arrived. Marjorie called the police.
“Hello, I’m reporting a robbery,” she explained, giving Liam’s address.
Lauren entered, alive, startling Marjorie. “Liam! We’re late, wake up!” she yelled, but Marjorie struck her unconscious with a vase.
Police arrived, retrieving the fake passports and tickets. Liam initially denied knowledge of the stolen $5 million, but Lauren confessed, revealing the body swap and staged car accident to cover up the theft.