\nTaking care of Mom was hard enough without the tension with my sister. Accusations flew when precious things started disappearing. I thought I knew who was to blame, but the truth shattered my world. Betrayal came from where I least expected, leaving me questioning everything\u2014and everyone\u2014I trusted.\n
I was scrubbing the kitchen counter after another exhausting day at work, the faint smell of bleach lingering in the air.\n
The more time I spent cleaning my mother\u2019s house, the angrier I became with my younger sister, Jane. It felt like she\u2019d completely forgotten this was her mother too.\n
\n
This wasn\u2019t unusual for Jane. In school, she was reckless\u2014running away, taking money from Mom\u2019s wallet, skipping classes. Yet, no matter what, she was always forgiven.\n
Jane\u2019s brilliance seemed to excuse her flaws. She graduated with honors, earning a scholarship, and became the family\u2019s golden child.\n
Now, Jane only visited Mom when she wanted something\u2014or maybe to remind Mom of her presence so she\u2019d stay in the will. Meanwhile, I faced the reality of Mom\u2019s illness.\n
I had hired a caregiver, Nancy, but I couldn\u2019t afford her full-time. After long shifts at work, I took care of Mom myself.\n
I had asked Jane to help, but she always brushed me off. \u201cI\u2019m busy with work,\u201d she\u2019d say.\n
But I knew she\u2019d been unemployed for months. I had a job, a husband, and a son who needed me too.\n
\u201cViolet!\u201d Mom called from her room. Her voice sounded sharp, almost panicked. \u201cViolet, come here!\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019m coming, Mom!\u201d I called back, wiping my hands on a dish towel. I walked into her bedroom and saw her standing by her dresser. She was holding her jewelry box.\n
\u201cMy gold earrings are gone,\u201d she said, her voice trembling.\n
\u201cAre you sure you didn\u2019t put them somewhere else?\u201d I asked, stepping closer.\n
\n
\u201cNo. I haven\u2019t touched this box in a long time,\u201d Mom said. \u201cI wanted to give you something special to keep, but when I opened it, the earrings were gone.\u201d\n
\u201cDid anyone visit today?\u201d I asked, frowning.\n
\u201cNo. Nancy had the day off,\u201d Mom said. \u201cOnly Jane came by this morning. She just wanted to check on me.\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019ll ask Jane about it,\u201d I replied.\n
\u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d Mom said firmly. \u201cJane wouldn\u2019t steal. I don\u2019t want you two fighting again.\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be careful,\u201d I promised. \u201cI just need to ask.\u201d\n
After Mom went to bed, I drove to Jane\u2019s place. My frustration had boiled over. I knocked on her door and waited. It took a while, but finally, she opened it.\n
\u201cHi, sis,\u201d Jane said. She stepped aside, letting me in.\n
\u201cHi,\u201d I replied, my voice cold. I glanced around her living room. Empty delivery boxes and tools were scattered everywhere.\n
\u201cWorking on something?\u201d I asked, pointing at the mess.\n
\u201cJust some stuff for work,\u201d Jane replied. \u201cBut you didn\u2019t come here to talk about that, did you?\u201d\n
\u201cMom\u2019s gold earrings are missing,\u201d I said bluntly.\n
Jane folded her arms. \u201cAnd you think I took them. Of course.\u201d\n
\u201cYou were the only one who visited her today,\u201d I said.\n
\u201cWhy would I take her earrings?\u201d Jane asked, her tone sharp.\n
\u201cMaybe because you\u2019re broke. Maybe because you need money for some crazy stuff. Take your pick,\u201d I snapped.\n
\n
\u201cI have a job now! Do you even know how much I\u2019ve done for this family?\u201d Jane fired back.\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve done nothing! I\u2019m the one taking care of everything!\u201d I shouted.\n
\u201cI told you to hire someone full-time for Mom, but you didn\u2019t!\u201d Jane yelled.\n
\u201cBecause I\u2019d be the one paying for it!\u201d I screamed.\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know what\u2019s really going on,\u201d Jane said.\n
\u201cThen tell me!\u201d I demanded.\n
\u201cWhy should I? You\u2019ll just keep blaming me for everything!\u201d Jane said. She turned away. \u201cLeave. I\u2019m done with this.\u201d\n
\u201cFine,\u201d I said, slamming the door as I left.\n
When I got home, Kaden was putting on his coat.\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d I asked.\n
\u201cJust out for a walk,\u201d my husband said, kissing my cheek. \u201cMilo is asleep. Dinner\u2019s in the fridge.\u201d Then he walked out, leaving me in silence.\n
Kaden was a stay-at-home dad. We had agreed this was the best choice for our family. I spent most of my time either at work or taking care of Mom, leaving little time for anything else.\n
Milo needed stability, and having Kaden at home gave him that. Even with his hands full, Kaden often stepped in to help with Mom. He never complained, and for that, I was deeply thankful.\n
Over the next few weeks, Mom kept complaining that things were missing.\n
\n
At first, I thought she was just confused, but then I started noticing it too. Little items\u2014jewelry, keepsakes\u2014were gone.\n
It always happened on the days Jane visited. My frustration turned into anger. How could she be so selfish?\n
I couldn\u2019t ignore it anymore. I drove to Jane\u2019s house, determined to confront her face-to-face.\n
Jane opened the door and stepped aside, crossing her arms. \u201cHere to accuse me of stealing again?\u201d she asked, her voice sharp.\n
\u201cMom has lost more things,\u201d I said, trying to keep my voice steady.\n
Jane raised an eyebrow. \u201cAnd you think I took them? Why would I?\u201d\n
\u201cBecause this is how you\u2019ve always been! You\u2019ve done this before, and I know you need money!\u201d I snapped.\n
Jane\u2019s face hardened. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you ask your husband what it\u2019s like to need money?\u201d\n
\u201cDon\u2019t bring Kaden into this!\u201d I shouted. \u201cHe\u2019s the only one who actually helps me!\u201d\n
Jane scoffed. \u201cIf you\u2019re so sure, call the police. Go ahead. Do it.\u201d\n
\u201cMaybe I will!\u201d I yelled. Without waiting for a response, I stormed out, slamming the door behind me.\n
Instead of calling the police, I made up my mind to install security cameras at Mom\u2019s house.\n
I went to the store, picked out a set of cameras, and drove back, determined to catch whoever was taking her things.\n
When I walked into the house, I was surprised to see Nancy. Her shift was over hours ago.\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d I asked, setting the box of cameras on the table.\n
\u201cJane said she\u2019d pay me to work more hours so you could get some rest,\u201d Nancy replied, wiping her hands on a dish towel.\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound like her,\u201d I said, narrowing my eyes.\n
\u201cWhy not? She\u2019s done it before,\u201d Nancy said, looking puzzled. \u201cShe just asked me not to tell you.\u201d\n
I stared at her, unsure what to say. It didn\u2019t fit the picture I had of Jane, but I couldn\u2019t argue with Nancy\u2019s words.\n
I grabbed the cameras and began setting them up in the living room and Mom\u2019s bedroom.\n
When I finished, I noticed a pile of new medical bills on the kitchen counter. I flipped through them and felt a lump in my throat. The amounts were enormous.\n
\u201cNancy!\u201d I called out. \u201cDo you know anything about these bills? They weren\u2019t here before.\u201d\n
Nancy walked over and glanced at the papers. \u201cOh, they come every month. Jane usually pays them.\u201d\n
Her words left me stunned. I was starting to think this was all some kind of prank.\n
A few days later, Mom called me from her room, her voice anxious. \u201cMy gold ring is gone,\u201d she said.\n
I felt my stomach twist. It was time to check the security cameras. I hadn\u2019t told anyone about them\u2014not even Mom\u2014so whoever was taking things wouldn\u2019t know to hide.\n
I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop, pulling up the footage. My heart raced as I fast-forwarded through hours of recording.\n
Then, I saw Jane. She was in Mom\u2019s room, standing by the dresser. I leaned closer, certain I\u2019d caught her.\n
She opened the jewelry box and looked inside. My anger flared. But then, she closed the box and walked away without taking anything.\n
Relief turned to dread as the next clip played. A few hours later, Kaden appeared.\n
\n
I watched in stunned silence as he walked to the jewelry box, took Mom\u2019s gold ring, and slipped it into his pocket before leaving.\n
I froze, unable to process what I was seeing. I had spent weeks blaming Jane, only to find out I had been wrong all along. My husband\u2014my partner\u2014was the thief.\n
I took the footage and drove home, my mind spinning. When I arrived, Kaden was putting on his coat, ready to leave again. I stepped in front of him, blocking the door.\n
\u201cI know everything,\u201d I said, my voice shaking.\n
He looked confused. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d\n
\u201cI know you\u2019ve been stealing from my mom,\u201d I said, holding up the flash drive.\n
His face went pale. \u201cDid Jane tell you?\u201d he asked, his voice trembling.\n
\u201cWhat? No! Why would Jane tell me?\u201d I asked, anger and confusion swirling.\n
Kaden sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. \u201cBecause I borrowed money from her. When she found out why, she stopped lending me more. She even offered to pay for rehab, but I refused. Then she caught me taking your mom\u2019s jewelry.\u201d\n
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. \u201cI can\u2019t believe this!\u201d I shouted. \u201cWhy? Why would you lie to me and steal from my family?\u201d\n
\u201cI started gambling. I thought I could win it back, but I kept losing. The debts grew faster than I could handle. I borrowed more to cover the old ones,\u201d he confessed, his voice cracking.\n
\u201cHow could you?!\u201d I yelled. \u201cI thought you were spending time with Milo, being the father he needs. Instead, you wasted my money, Jane\u2019s money, and Mom\u2019s things!\u201d\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to hurt anyone,\u201d Kaden said quietly.\n
\u201cAnd yet you didn\u2019t stop me from blaming Jane,\u201d I said, my anger boiling over. \u201cYou let me attack her while you hid.\u201d\n
\u201cI know. I hate myself for it,\u201d Kaden said, his eyes downcast. \u201cI\u2019m ashamed.\u201d\n
\u201cI want you to leave,\u201d I said firmly.\n
\u201cDo you want a divorce?\u201d he asked, his voice barely audible.\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. What I do know is I can\u2019t look at you right now. Pack your things tomorrow while I\u2019m at work. I\u2019ll text you when I\u2019m ready to talk.\u201d\n
He nodded slowly, tears in his eyes. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, Violet. I love you and Milo so much,\u201d he whispered before leaving.\n
As soon as the door closed, I broke down, tears pouring down my face. After checking on Milo, who was sound asleep, I drove to Jane\u2019s house.\n
When she opened the door, I could barely speak. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I managed, tears streaming down my cheeks.\n
Jane pulled me into a hug without hesitation.\n
\u201cAnd thank you,\u201d I said through sobs. \u201cFor everything. Even for helping Kaden.\u201d\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do it for him,\u201d Jane said softly. \u201cI did it for you, Violet.\u201d\n
\u201cPlease forgive me, please,\u201d I begged.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay. I\u2019ll always be here for you,\u201d Jane said, holding me tightly.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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