“Your mother is gone. Tears won’t bring her back—so wipe your face, make dinner, and don’t look like a grieving child when my guests arrive.” That was what my husband said.

They had been eating and laughing in a house of mourning on the day of the funeral. Guilt began to appear on the faces of Mark’s colleagues. They felt deceived as Mark had not informed them of my mother’s death. Jessica seemed the most uneasy. She slowly backed away trying to get out of the spotlight. Her face was pale. Realizing the social impact of the event, I continued my story without paying attention to their reactions. While I still had the courage, my husband Mark forced me to go ahead with this party. He said my mother’s death was not important, that life must go on, and that his promotion was more valuable than my period of mourning.