Instead of calling the police, I decided to install surveillance cameras at Mom’s house.
When I entered the house, I was shocked to see Nancy. Her shift had ended hours ago.
“Jane said she would pay me to work more hours so you could get some rest,” Nancy replied, wiping her hands with a dish towel.
“Nancy said, looking puzzled. “She just asked me not to tell you.”
I took the cameras and started placing them in Mom’s living room and bedroom.
When I finished, I saw a pile of new medical bills on the kitchen counter. As I flipped through them, I felt a lump in my throat. The amounts were huge.
Nancy walked over and looked at the papers. “Oh, they come every month. Jane usually pays them.”
A few days later, my mother called me from her room, her voice filled with worry. “My gold ring is gone,” she explained.
It was time to check the security cameras. I hadn’t told anyone about them, not even my mom, so whoever took them wouldn’t have any idea where to hide them.
I saw Jane. She was in Mom’s room, standing near the dresser. I leaned over, convinced I had her.
She opened the jewelry box and looked inside. But then she closed the box and left without taking anything.
A few hours later, Caden showed up.
I watched in stunned silence as he walked over to the jewelry box, took off Mom’s gold ring, and put it in his pocket before walking away.
My husband, my partner, was the thief.
“I know you stole from my mother,” I said, picking up the flash drive.
His face turned pale. “Did Jane tell you?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“What? No! Why would Jane tell me?” I asked, angry and confused.
Caden sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. “Because I borrowed money from her. When she found out why, she stopped lending me any more. She even offered to pay for rehab, but I refused. Then she caught me taking your mother’s jewelry.
“I started gambling. I thought I could get it back, but I kept losing. The debts were growing faster than I could handle. I borrowed more to cover the old ones,” he admitted in a shaky voice.
“Do you want a divorce?” he asked in a barely audible voice.
