The coffin was open now, but instead of chaos, a hush fell over everyone present. There, lying among the satin lining, was not the body of my husband as we had all expected, but an empty space. The shock rippled through the crowd like a wave, faces turning pale and eyes widening in disbelief.

How could this be? I felt the blood drain from my face as I staggered forward, peering into the coffin as if the truth would somehow change. But it was still empty, a haunting void that offered no answers. How could he be gone? Where was his body?