The dude played down his attempts at suicide but his wife subtly explained to the ex that he actually kept trying it, not to mention being a dead husk most of the time that she had to constantly look after him. This caused the ex to reconsider her jealousy and realized that the wife did much more for the man than she ever did. Her letting go was symbolized by dropping that comb into the bottom of the river, which of course the man also does next as he finally crosses to the afterlife with the wife. At the same time, the pieces of the comb left in Limbo now serve as an eternal memorial of the man and the ex's young love. This story is definitely one of the saddest I have ever seen.