Chapter 27
Chapter 27: The Passing
Janet passed away quietly in her sleep in late February.
There was no grand funeral. There was no gathering of wealthy friends or society figures. The state handled the burial in a public cemetery because neither Sabrina nor Carter had the funds to pay for a plot, and I refused to spend a single dime on her.
I attended the burial from a distance, standing by a large oak tree at the edge of the cemetery. I didn't hate her anymore. As I watched the plain wooden casket being lowered into the damp earth, all I felt was a profound sense of closure.
A figure walked up to stand beside me. It was Carter. He was wearing his work clothes, a black armband tied around his sleeve.
"Are you okay, Aunt Claire?" he asked quietly.
"I am," I said, looking at him. "Are you?"
"Yeah," he sighed, looking at the grave. "It's just sad. They had a good life, you know? Papa’s business was making honest money at the start. They had a beautiful house. They had everything they needed. But it was never enough. They always wanted more, and they didn't care who they stepped on to get it."
"Greed is a disease, Carter," I said.
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"I’m glad I cured myself," he said, offering me a genuine, warm smile. "I’m moving to Chicago next month. Got a job at a larger design agency. Starting fresh. No Davis baggage."
"I'm proud of you, Carter," I said, and for the first time, I meant it. We shook hands, and he walked away into his own bright future, leaving the ghosts of his parents behind.
