Dead Husband Cradling My Best Friend’s Child

Five years after my firefighter husband supposedly died saving me from a burning building, I accidentally walked in on him celebrating his child’s birthday party with his childhood sweetheart.

Daniel froze when he saw me. His friends immediately crowded in front of him like a human shield.

“Clara, don’t do anything crazy. Daniel had his reasons for faking his death.”

His childhood friend Summer begged through tears:

“I’m sorry, Clara. The baby needs his father. Please, just let us be together. I love him too much.”

July 23rd, 2019.

Seven days after the fire that supposedly killed Daniel.

That day, everyone who knew us said I was the one who killed him.

The fire department’s investigation report stated: Due to family member’s emotional breakdown and unauthorized entry into the fire scene, rescue team member Daniel sacrificed his life protecting her.

His parents collapsed at the funeral, cursing me:

“Why aren’t you dead? Why wasn’t it you instead?”

I thought I truly deserved to die.

So after Daniel’s funeral, I swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills.

But my neighbor found me and called 911. As they pumped my stomach in the ER, I heard the nurses whispering:

“That’s her… the one who got her husband killed…”

No one knew why I suddenly ran into that fire.

That day, I received a call from an unknown number saying Daniel was trapped on the second floor of the warehouse and running out of time.

I rushed in like a madwoman, only to see a burning beam crash down.

The fire was too intense. The fire department said nothing was left of his body.

But what I didn’t know was that at that exact moment, Daniel was at the hospital with Summer for her prenatal checkup, taking this photo together.

I took a glass of champagne from the server and walked straight toward the main table, meeting everyone’s shocked stares.

Summer instinctively pulled the baby closer to her chest.

Daniel practically jumped up to block her:

“Clara, let me explain…”

Those friends who once comforted me now stood up in unison, forming a wall between us.

“Clara, calm down. Daniel had no choice back then. That fire was suspicious. Someone was after him… He faked his death to protect you, really!”

I laughed.

Did they actually think I was going to throw champagne in a baby’s face?

How amusing.

I casually picked an empty seat at the next table and raised my glass toward Summer and Daniel:

“The baby’s adorable. I wish him a healthy life.”

I downed the champagne in one gulp. The cheap alcohol burned my throat, making me cough until my eyes watered.

“Enough! Clara, if you have a problem, take it up with me. Don’t make a scene here!”

Daniel pushed through the people blocking him and strode over, his brows knitted tight.

“Five years, and you’re still the same. Do you have to embarrass people at an event like this?”

He thought I was here to cause trouble. The disgust in his eyes was practically overflowing.

I didn’t know how to explain. I really had just walked into the wrong room. I was here for my company’s year-end dinner in the hall next door.

I could only helplessly point at my business suit:

“I was at a meeting next door. Wrong room.”

But Daniel didn’t believe me. He grabbed my wrist, so hard my bones ached.

“Stop being stubborn. About what happened back then… I wronged you. After the party ends, I’ll take you home.”

Summer’s face went pale. She stood up holding the baby:

“Daniel…”

Daniel turned back, his tone softening:

“Summer, I just don’t want her emotional state to affect the baby. Don’t worry.”

But his grip on my hand didn’t loosen.

I pulled free forcefully and stepped back, forcing an ugly smile:

“That wouldn’t be appropriate, Mr. Hayes. Your wife and child are watching.”

He acted like he didn’t hear me and reached for me again.

I found it absurd. Five years apart, and he’d changed this much?