So I waited, and I let it unfold exactly the way Brandon wanted it to, which was the only part of my plan that hurt.

I let the search-and-rescue crews officially call off the search, concluding that my body and my baby’s were buried under the avalanche snow.

I let Brandon go on television, red-eyed, and describe the tragedy of losing his beautiful wife and unborn son to the cruel wilderness.

I let the insurance company begin processing the fifty-million-dollar claim.

I let my own family friends grieve me, which was the hardest part, because they were grieving honestly, and I could not yet tell them the truth.

Douglas and I decided, together, that the deception had to be complete, right up until the last possible moment, because a lie only fully exposes itself when the person telling it is at the very peak of believing it has worked.