The hospital chapel had been replaced by a quiet corner of Ben’s room, where a chaplain, a few nurses, and our closest family members watched us exchange vows. We’d loved each other since childhood, and when doctors said his cancer was terminal, we decided not to wait for the future we had always planned. He smiled through his exhaustion, slipping a simple ring onto my finger while promising we’d be together forever. Even with machines beeping around us, it felt like the happiest and saddest day of my life at once.

As guests slowly left the room, a young nurse hurried after me into the hallway. Her face was pale, and she kept looking over her shoulder before whispering, “Please don’t tell anyone I spoke to you, but something isn’t right. Before you leave tonight, check beneath Ben’s mattress.” My heart pounded as I returned to his room and waited for the moment he stepped into the bathroom…