5#05

5

I observed him examining my disfigured remains. A sudden, sharp ache pierced my chest, causing me to reflexively shut my eyes.

Denver grasped his head in distress. "This can't be real. That's not Sheila. She wouldn't die in this manner! This individual just bears a slight resemblance to her..."

His response perplexed me. Shouldn't he be relieved at my demise? Why did he appear so distraught when faced with my lifeless body? Why couldn't he accept that I was truly gone?

Chief Calloway exhaled deeply and produced an evidence container. "I know this is difficult, but the identification is conclusive. This is indeed Sheila Rodriguez."

Denver's eyes fixated on the ring within the container. His hands shook as he received it.

It was the very ring he had personally crafted for our wedding. Throughout our three-year marriage, I never once removed it.