Caring for my mother was difficult enough without the tension with my sister. Accusations flew when precious items started going missing. I thought I knew who was to blame, but the truth rocked my world. Betrayal came from where I least expected it, making me question everything and everyone I trusted.
I was scrubbing the kitchen counter after another exhausting day at work, the faint smell of bleach lingering in the air.
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The more time I spent cleaning my mother’s house, the angrier I became at my younger sister, Jane. I felt like she’d completely forgotten that she was her mother too.
This wasn’t unusual for Jane. At school, she was reckless—she ran away, took money from her mother’s wallet, skipped classes. Yet, no matter what, she was always forgiven.
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Jane’s intelligence seemed to excuse her flaws. She graduated with honors and a scholarship, and became the family’s darling.
Now, Jane only visited Mom when she wanted something—or perhaps to remind Mom of her presence so that her name would be in the will. Meanwhile, I faced the reality of Mom’s illness.
I had hired a caregiver, Nancy, but I couldn’t afford her full-time salary. After working long hours, I took care of Mom myself.
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I asked Jane to help me, but she always refused. “I’m busy with my work,” she said.
But I knew she’d been unemployed for months. I had a job, a husband, and a son who needed me too.
“Violet!” Mom called from her room. Her voice was high-pitched, almost panicked. “Violet, come here!”
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“I’m coming, Mom!” I replied, wiping my hands on a dishcloth. I walked into her room and saw her standing by her dresser. She was holding her jewelry box.
“My gold earrings are gone,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Are you sure you didn’t put them somewhere else?” I asked, approaching.
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“No. I haven’t touched this box in a long time,” Mom said. “I wanted to give you something special to keep, but when I opened it, the earrings were gone.”
“Did anyone visit you today?” I asked, frowning.
“No. Nancy was on leave,” Mom said. “Only Jane came by this morning. She just wanted to check on me.”
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“I’ll ask Jane,” I replied.
“Don’t,” Mom said firmly. “Jane wouldn’t steal. I don’t want you two fighting again.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised. “I just need to ask.”
After Mom went to bed, I drove to Jane’s apartment. My frustration was at its peak. I knocked on her door and waited. It took a while, but finally, she opened it.
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“Hello, sister,” said Jane. She stepped aside to let me in.
“Hello,” I replied, my voice cold. I glanced into his living room. Empty delivery boxes and tools were scattered everywhere.
“Are you working on something?” I asked, pointing at the mess.
“Just a few things for work,” Jane replied. “But you didn’t come here to talk about that, did you?”
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“Mom’s gold earrings are missing,” I said bluntly.
Jane crossed her arms. “And you think I took them. Of course.”
“You’re the only one who visited him today,” I said.
“Why would I take her earrings?” Jane asked sharply.
“Maybe because you’re broke. Maybe because you need money for stupid things,” I snapped.
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“I have a job now! Do you even know how much I’ve done for this family?” Jane retorted.
“You didn’t do anything! I’m the one who takes care of everything!” I shouted.
“I told you to hire someone full-time for Mom, but you didn’t!” Jane yelled.
“Because I’ll be the one paying!” I shouted.
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“You don’t know what’s really going on,” Jane said.
“Then tell me!” I demanded.
“Why should I? You’ll keep blaming me for everything!” Jane said. She turned away. “Leave. I’m done with this.”
“All right,” I said, slamming the door as I left.
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When I got home, Kaden was putting on his coat.
“Where are you going?” I asked him.
“I’m just going out for a walk,” my husband said, kissing me on the cheek. “Milo is asleep. Dinner is in the fridge.” Then he left, leaving me in silence.
Kaden was a stay-at-home dad. We agreed it was the best choice for our family. I spent most of my time either at work or taking care of Mom, which left me little time for anything else.
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Milo needed stability, and having Kaden at home provided it. Even though he had his hands full, Kaden often stepped in to help Mom. He never complained, and for that, I am deeply grateful.
Over the next few weeks, Mom kept complaining that she was missing things.
At first, I thought she was simply disoriented, but then I began to notice it too. Small objects—jewelry, keepsakes—were missing.
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This always happened on Jane’s visiting days. My frustration turned to anger. How could she be so selfish?
I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I drove to Jane’s house, determined to confront her face to face.
Jane opened the door and stepped back, crossing her arms. “Are you here to accuse me of stealing again?” she asked, her voice sharp.
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“Mom lost more things,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Jane raised an eyebrow. “And you think I took them? Why would I?”
“Because you’ve always been like this! You’ve done this before, and I know you need the money!” I snapped.
Jane’s face hardened. “Why don’t you ask your husband what it’s like to need money?”
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“Don’t bring Kaden into this!” I shouted. “He’s the only one who really helps me!”
Jane scoffed. “If you’re so sure, call the police. Go ahead. Do it.”
“Maybe I will!” I shouted. Without waiting for an answer, I left, slamming the door behind me.
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Instead of calling the police, I decided to install security cameras at my mom’s house.
I went to the store, picked out a set of cameras, and drove back, determined to catch whoever was taking her stuff.
When I entered the house, I was surprised to see Nancy. Her shift had ended hours ago.
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“What are you doing here?” I asked, placing the box of cameras on the table.
“Jane said she’d pay me to work extra hours so you could rest,” Nancy replied, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.
“That’s not like him,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Why? She’s done it before,” Nancy said, looking puzzled. “She just asked me not to tell you.”
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I stared at her, unsure of what to say. It didn’t fit with my image of Jane, but I couldn’t argue with Nancy’s words.
I grabbed the cameras and started setting them up in the living room and Mom’s bedroom.
When I was finished, I noticed a stack of new medical bills on the kitchen counter. I flipped through them and felt a lump in my throat. The amounts were enormous.
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“Nancy!” I called. “Do you know anything about these bills? They weren’t here before.”
Nancy walked over and glanced at the papers. “Oh, they come every month. Jane usually pays them.”
His words left me stunned. I was beginning to think this was all some kind of joke.
A few days later, Mom called me from her room, her voice anguished. “My gold ring is missing,” she told me.
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I felt my stomach twist. It was time to check the security cameras. I hadn’t told anyone, not even Mom, so whoever was taking things wouldn’t know how to hide.
I sat down at the kitchen table with my laptop and looked through the footage. My heart raced as I scrolled through the hours of footage.
Then I saw Jane. She was in Mom’s room, standing by the dresser. I walked over, sure I’d seen her.
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She opened the jewelry box and looked inside. My anger flared. But she closed the box and walked away without taking anything.
Relief turned to fear when the next video played. A few hours later, Kaden appeared.
I watched in amazement as he walked over to the jewelry box, took Mom’s gold ring, and slipped it into his pocket before leaving.
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I froze, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. I had spent weeks blaming Jane, only to discover I had been wrong all along. My husband—my partner—was the thief.
I took the video and went home, my mind racing. When I arrived, Kaden was putting on his coat, ready to leave. I stepped in front of him, blocking the door.
“I know everything,” I said, my voice trembling.
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He looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I know you stole my mom,” I said, holding out the USB drive.
His face went pale. “Did Jane tell you?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“What? No! Why would Jane tell me?” I asked, anger and confusion swirling.
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Kaden sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “Because I borrowed money from her. When she found out why, she stopped lending me more. She even offered to pay for me to go to rehab, but I refused. Then she caught me taking your mother’s jewelry.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. “I can’t believe this!” I screamed. “Why? Why would you lie to me and steal from my family?”
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“I started gambling. I thought I could win it back, but I kept losing. The debts grew faster than I could handle them. I borrowed more to cover the old ones,” he confessed, his voice cracking.
“How could you?!” I yelled. “I thought you were spending time with Milo, being the father he needed. Instead, you wasted my money, Jane’s money, and Mom’s things!”
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Kaden said calmly.
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“And yet you didn’t stop me from accusing Jane,” I said, my anger boiling over. “You let me attack her while you hid.”
“I know. I hate myself for it,” Kaden said, his eyes lowered. “I’m ashamed.”
“I want you to leave,” I said firmly.
“Do you want a divorce?” he asked, his voice barely audible.
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“I don’t know. What I do know is that I can’t look at you right now. Get your things ready tomorrow while I’m at work. I’ll text you when I’m ready to talk.”
He nodded slowly, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Violet. I love you and Milo so much,” he whispered before leaving.
As soon as the door closed, I broke down, tears streaming down my face. After checking that Milo was asleep, I drove to Jane’s house.
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When she opened the door, I could barely speak. “I’m sorry,” I managed, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Jane hugged me without hesitation.
“And thank you,” I said through sobs. “For everything. Even for helping Kaden.”
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“I didn’t do it for him,” Jane said softly. “I did it for you, Violet.”
“Please forgive me, please,” I begged.
“It’s okay. I’ll always be there for you,” Jane said, hugging me tightly.
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