A sharp pain stabbed through my heart, but I didn’t expose his lies.
My eyes drifted to the bedside table, where a delicate box lay. Inside it was a long-life lock.
"Willy, today is Liam's birthday. We haven't bought him a present yet. Let this long-life lock accompany him. I hope he finds longevity and peace in the afterlife, okay?"
Willy’s brows twitched slightly, but he quickly masked his unease with a gentle smile. "Carol, a friend asked me to buy this for his child. How can we take it away from him?"
"It's meant for the living and Liam... he can’t wear it anymore. Besides, this material isn’t worth much. It doesn’t suit our Liam. I’ve already arranged for something more appropriate from the funeral store. Everything will be burned for him—he won’t feel shortchanged in the afterlife."
I didn’t argue, but my heart sank further. Willy had long forgotten that before becoming a housewife, I was a skilled jewelry appraiser. The long-life lock was made of the highest quality jadeite—worth a fortune. Its intricate design was engraved with the words "peace year after year," a symbol of a parent's deepest love.