I planned to wait until my wife’s 100 days were up before remarrying, but after only 49 days, the photo on the altar suddenly fell over. I was about to go over and set it up when I was shocked to discover that in the corner was…

My wife died of a serious illness, leaving behind a 4-year-old son. The whole family had not yet recovered from their grief when I, a lonely man, secretly planned to remarry a girl nearly ten years younger than me. I intended to wait for my wife’s 100 days to avoid gossip, but honestly, my heart was already set on someone new.

That night, exactly 49 days, it was drizzling. The whole family had just finished burning incense when suddenly  the photo of my wife on the altar tilted . Thinking it was due to the wind, I went closer to set it up. But when I lifted the photo frame, I  was startled  – behind the photo, stuck between the wooden frame and the glass, was  a black USB .

Curious, I opened my laptop to check. Inside the USB were dozens of videos taken by a secret camera placed right in my bedroom… and the image sent a chill down my spine:  my wife, while still alive, had repeatedly secretly opened the cupboard to take out a wooden box, inside were a stack of cash and real estate documents .

But more shockingly, in the last video, just a week before she passed away, my wife sat in front of the camera, her face haggard, saying:

“If you’re watching this clip… it means I’m gone. You must know, in the bottom drawer, under the bottom board, is the 5 billion I saved up for the two of us. But… you must be careful with that girl named N., she’s not who you think she is.”

I was stunned. That girl N.… was the one I was planning to marry.

The next day, I pretended to invite N. to move in and secretly installed a camera. The result was exactly as my wife had said: she groped her way to the right place to hide the money that very night.

I sat in the corner of the room, eyes glued to the laptop screen, my heart pounding. Sure enough, N. – the person I thought would be my “new destination” – was hunched over the wardrobe. In less than 10 minutes, she found the bottom drawer, lifted the fake wood and reached in.

In the dim light, N.’s eyes lit up as she pulled out the tightly tied bundles of money. A half-smile flashed across her face, both greedy and sinister. I felt cold all over, my hands clenched until they trembled.

Everything my wife warned me about in the video… was true.

I was numb, angry and hurt. All this time, I had been so stupid that I had been blind, thinking I had found new love, but instead I had brought a wolf home.

The next morning, I pretended not to know anything. Still smiling, still caring. N. felt more secure, and played the role of a sweet lover even better. But in my heart, I had already made a decision: I had to expose the truth.

I showed the video to my brother and a close friend who is a lawyer. They were stunned, then nodded:
– Enough evidence. If you want, we will help.

And so, that night, I invited N. to dinner, hinting at the future, about “getting married early”. Her eyes lit up, but for a moment, I saw a hidden calculation.

As soon as she mentioned “managing the joint finances”, I turned on the TV screen. On it, the entire scene from the night before was clearly shown: N. secretly opened the cabinet, withdrew money, her cunning eyes revealing every detail.

Her face turned pale and she trembled:
– You… you set a trap for me?!

I clenched my fists, my voice choked but firm:
– No, I fell into the trap of greed. Luckily, your wife saw through it all.

N. cried and begged, but it was too late. I called my brother and the lawyer to come out. She was taken away, leaving the room heavy and suffocating.

That night, I sat alone in front of my wife’s altar. The candle flickered, the incense smoke was hazy. I put the USB back under the photo frame, choking up and saying:
– I’m sorry… If it weren’t for you, I would have destroyed this family again. You’re gone, still worrying about me and my children. I promise… to live a decent life, raise our children well, and never let anyone replace you in my heart again.

Tears fell, mingling with the incense. At that moment, I suddenly felt relieved. Even though my wife was no longer there, her love and sacrifice were still like an invisible wall protecting my father and I.

I realized one thing: There are people who, when they are alive, we do not know how to appreciate, but even when they are gone, they are still a solid support, a light that illuminates us for the rest of our lives.