A month after my husband Alden, 42, died, his phone chimed with a hotel charge notification. Confused, I drove to the hotel, where a teen maid revealed Alden had been there recently with another woman, despite being “dead.” His phone’s browser history showed a search: “What happens if you fake your death?” I realized Alden had faked his heart attack, staged an empty casket burial, and planned to flee with life insurance money, leaving
me and our son nothing. The hotel confirmed he’d checked in as “Carter Verner,” his middle name. I reported the fraud, and police arrested him days later with a former coworker in another hotel. He faced charges for fraud and conspiracy. In court, he claimed it was about “starting over,” not leaving me. I felt betrayed but liberated. I sold our house, moved near my sister, and started fresh with my son, who’s thriving. The truth shattered me but set me free for a better life.
