The air was thick with dust and the acrid stench of decay as I picked my way through the landfill. My mind raced with possibilities, fueled by the image of my husband’s frantic demeanor. Why had he been so desperate for this old, worn-out mattress? The question gnawed at me, pushing me to dig further into the heaps of discarded objects, each one a remnant of someone’s life and story.
![]()

