Chapter 4

Lena POV

While Shaun was out, I took the document folder to the old cemetery section.

I wanted to collect the things I'd left at my child's grave over the years before the relocation.

But when I reached the grave, it was already empty.

The handwritten letters I'd left every year, duplicate memorial albums, old toys, keepsakes. All gone. Staff members were putting the last few items into bags.

I hurried over. "Who told you to touch these?"

The staff member looked helplessly toward the distance.

Veronica stood there holding the new headstone draft.

She walked over, her tone so light it sounded apologetic. "Lena, I'm just organizing the cemetery section in advance for the Shaw family. The family elders will all be here for the relocation. It wouldn't look good for them to see these old things."

I looked at her. "Where are the memorial albums and handwritten letters?"

"The staff collected them." Veronica said, "Whether they can be retrieved depends on procedure."

I immediately turned to chase the waste collection truck.

Behind me, Veronica said, "Once the child enters the Shaw family plot, memorial services can't follow just your personal habits anymore."

She held the new headstone draft up to me. "Take another look. The mother's line has been confirmed according to Shaun's wishes."

I didn't take it.

I stopped the waste collection truck and had the staff dig out several creased memorial albums and a stack of handwritten letters.

The albums contained the first version of my child's old headstone photo and the words I'd written each year.

Some pages had torn corners.

I clutched the items to my chest, my fingertips trembling.

Veronica followed. "It's best not to bring these to the new cemetery section in the future. The Shaw family has its rules. You can't just display any old papers and letters."

"Give them back." I looked up at her. "Everything you had removed, give it all back to me."

Veronica didn't return anything.

She only said, "I'll prepare a proper set of keepsakes later. I won't let Shaun and the family lose face."

I stepped closer. "Veronica, touch my son's things again and I won't let you off."

Veronica's eyes immediately reddened.

She stepped back half a step, as if frightened.

That's when Shaun arrived.

He saw me clutching the memorial albums, Veronica standing nearby trembling, the grave site in disarray.

His first words were to Veronica. "Are you alright?"

Veronica shook her head, her voice choking. "I'm fine. Lena probably still can't accept the relocation."

I held the memorial albums up to Shaun. "Look closely. These are what I've written to our child over the years. She had people throw them in the waste collection truck."

Shaun only glanced at them before his frown deepened.

"Clearing old items before relocation was always part of the plan. Veronica was just handling it in advance. Did you really need to make such a scene?"

I looked at him. "The handwritten letters are part of procedure too?"

Shaun fell silent, his tone suppressing impatience. "The child's been gone for so many years. You staying trapped in these things isn't good for anyone."

Veronica stood behind him, saying softly, "Lena, I'll honor him properly for you from now on."

I smiled slightly.

I asked Shaun, "You really want her to do what a mother should do in my place?"

Shaun's expression darkened. "Don't say such ugly things at a cemetery. The service has been announced to the family elders. The roster has been sent out. If you make trouble now, you'll only disturb the child's rest."

I said nothing more.

I put the recovered handwritten letters in my bag and photographed the cleared grave site and the waste truck number.

Before leaving, I looked back at the old headstone.

My name was still on it.

But Shaun was already standing beside Veronica. He didn't follow me.