Chapter 3

Mia’s funeral was simple.

She had always been so lively and full of smiles, so I chose a photo of her laughing brightest for her memorial picture. In the picture, she was wearing her hiking gear, a clear blue sky stretching behind her. But as I stared, that blue sky twisted into a brutal, bone-chilling blizzard in my mind’s eye.

Ryan stood beside me, dressed in a black suit, silent as a statue.

He tried to take my hand, but I pulled away.

Those hands that had countless times pulled me into a loving embrace now made my stomach churn with a sickening repulsion.

After the funeral, I held Mia’s urn and returned to the home Ryan and I shared. This place, once filled with laughter, was now terrifyingly quiet.

Ryan followed behind me, cautiously speaking.

“Harper, I know you’re hurting, but the dead can’t be brought back. You need to move forward.”

Move forward?

I turned, looking at him coldly. “Ryan, do you know why Mia went up that snowy mountain?”

He paused, as if he’d never considered the question.

“Didn’t she always love hiking and exploring?”

“Yes, she did,” I forced a bitter smile. “But she loved her sister more. She knew I loved you, so she worshipped you like a hero, too.”

I placed the wooden box the rescue team had retrieved from Mia’s arms onto the coffee table between us.

“She heard me say that years ago, during a rescue mission, you lost a cherished heirloom from your mentor on that mountain.”

“It was your biggest regret, and she wanted to make it right for you before your birthday.”

Ryan’s body stiffened violently. He stared at the box, reaching out a hand but not daring to touch it.

I opened it for him.

Inside lay a brass compass, its needle no longer turning, its casing marked with the scratches of time.

“She braved that storm-ravaged mountain, not for adventure, but for *you*, Ryan.”

“She sacrificed her life for one of your insignificant sentiments.”

“And you, when her life was hanging by a thread, when she needed you most, abandoned her for some woman’s jewelry.”

Ryan’s breathing grew ragged. His tall frame swayed, his face ashen.

“I… I didn’t know…”

He murmured, a flicker of genuine pain and regret finally appearing in his eyes. “I truly didn’t know…”

“Of course, you didn’t.” I looked at him, the last trace of warmth vanishing from my gaze. “Because you never truly cared about my sister and me.”

“In your heart, we were probably less important than Miss Valerie’s bracelet.”

I pulled another document from my bag and placed it beside the wooden box.

“Ryan, we’re getting a divorce.”

His pupils suddenly constricted. He stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Divorce? Harper, do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I know perfectly well.” I stood up, clutching Mia’s urn. “Everything in this house is yours. I don’t want anything. I just want you to sign this.”

With that, I carried Mia’s urn into her room and locked the door.