At My Grandma’s Funeral, I Saw My Mom Hide Something in the Coffin—What I Found Shocked Me

She was sporting her beloved red jacket, the one she usually wore to crucial conferences.

She took a seat and reached for my hand across the old hardwood floor. You seem worn out, dear. On you, this has all been rather difficult. Has it not? You and your grandmother were quite close.

I merely nodded and laid a wrapped item on the table. Inside were blank papers with simply two letters on top: one Grandma’s “I know what you did,” one I had penned myself. Her immaculate nails breaking the seal on the first envelope, she said, “What’s this?” When she opened the second one, I saw the color totally go from her face as her fingers gripped the paper so tightly it crumpled at the margins.

In my letter, I was straightforward:

mother,

I have the remainder of the letters. Everyone will know the truth if you ever try to control me or pursue what Grandma left behind. In all of it.

Emerald: “Emerald, honey, I—\”

Rising before her to see years of lies crumble in her tears, I watched. ” Mom, I love you. That does not imply you are able to control me though. You turned me off. always.

I turned around and rushed out, leaving her alone bearing the weight of her falsehoods and the ghost of Grandma’s truth. No matter how hard you try, I came to see certain falsehoods cannot remain buried permanently.

Though it has been dramatized for artistic goals, this work is motivated by actual events and individuals. Names, personalities, and specifics have been altered to honor privacy and strengthen the story. Any likeness to real people, alive or dead, or genuine events is entirely accidental and not meant by the author.