our mom’s room.

I heard Cynthia giving her instructions to take money from the safe,” I said, my voice trembling.

Tony sat up, looking frustrated. “Amelie, you’re overreacting. Mom wouldn’t do that.”

“Please, Tony, just come and see,” I begged.

Reluctantly, he got out of bed and followed me to Cynthia’s room.

We quietly opened the door and saw both Cynthia and Lisa seemingly asleep. Tony sighed in exasperation.

“See, they’re both asleep. You’re making a big deal out of nothing,” he said, rubbing his temples.

“No, Tony, I know what I heard,” I insisted.

Frustrated, Tony stomped over to the safe.

“I’ll prove to you that this is all a misunderstanding.

The money should be right here. I was going to invest it in my project tomorrow.”

Then Tony’s face went pale.

“What? No, this has to be a joke.

The money was here this morning!” he shouted, his voice filled with anger.

“Tony, it’s not a joke. Your mother is responsible for this,” I said firmly.

The commotion woke everyone up. Cynthia came into the room, looking defensive.

“What’s all this noise about?”

Tony turned to her, fury in his eyes.

“Mom, did you ask Lisa to steal money from the safe?”

Cynthia’s eyes widened, and she started to deny it. “Of course not! How could you even think that?”

Just then, Lisa started to cry, scared and confused by the shouting.

I knelt down and gently took her hand.

“Lisa, sweetie, can you tell us what happened? It’s important.”

Lisa sniffled and nodded. She walked over to my purse and pointed.

Tony looked inside my purse and found the missing money.

His face contorted with rage and disbelief.

“Amelie, how could you? Were you trying to frame my mother?”

“No, Tony! I didn’t know the money was there!

It was your mother’s doing!” I protested.

But Tony was too angry to listen.

“This is too much. I can’t deal with this right now. Amelie, I think it’s best if you stay somewhere else for a while.

Mom will watch over Lisa.”

“Tony, please, you have to believe me. I’m not the one at fault here!” I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.

Cynthia stood behind Tony, a look of satisfaction hidden in her eyes.

“It’s for the best, Amelie. We need some time to sort this out.”

My heart was breaking, but I knew I had to find a way to prove the truth and protect my family.

***

In the morning, Tony left for work while I started packing my things.

My heart was heavy with sadness and frustration.

As I gathered my belongings, I went into Lisa’s room and noticed her sitting on the bed, talking to the teddy bear.

“Lisa, sweetie, who are you talking to?” I asked gently, trying not to startle her.

She looked up at me with big, innocent eyes.

“The teddy bear, Mommy. But it doesn’t want to talk anymore.”

I frowned, feeling a knot of worry. “What do you mean, it doesn’t want to talk anymore?”

Lisa hugged the bear tightly.

“It used to talk to me before bedtime.

Grandma said it was our little secret.”

My heart sank. This was worse than I had imagined.

“Lisa, can I borrow the teddy bear for a bit? I need to wash it,” I said, trying to sound casual.

She hesitated, then answered, “Okay, Mommy.

Just be careful with him.”

I didn’t leave the house. I was waiting for the evening to put everything in its place. I had a hunch about what was happening and who was behind it all.

***

That evening, while preparing dinner, Cynthia entered the kitchen.

She stood there with her arms crossed, looking smug.

“Why haven’t you left yet, Amelie? Tony doesn’t want a thief in his house.”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “I have some unfinished business, Cynthia.

Everything will be resolved when Tony returns.”

Cynthia’s eyes narrowed. “What are you planning?”

“You’ll see,” I replied, turning back to the stove.

When Tony came home, I was ready.

“Tony, I need to show you something,” I said, holding the teddy bear.

He looked weary. “What is it now, Amelie?”

“Please, just trust me,” I urged.

I brought out the teddy bear and carefully opened it, revealing a small talking device inside.

“Tony, Lisa wasn’t sleepwalking.

She was being manipulated by this device. Cynthia has been using it to give her instructions.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Cynthia shouted, her face turning red. “You’re making this up!”

“Let’s check Cynthia’s room for the other half of the device,” I suggested, keeping my voice steady.

Cynthia backed away, her eyes wide with fear.

“No, you can’t go in there!”

Tony, now suspicious, insisted, “Mom, we need to see.”

I pressed the button on the bear’s device and spoke into it. At that moment, we heard my voice echoing from Cynthia’s room.

Tony rushed in and found the other device hidden under Cynthia’s pillow.

Lisa, hearing the commotion, peeked into the room. “Grandma, are we playing a new game since our secret is out?”

Tony looked puzzled.

“Mom, how did you use the bear to control her?”

Cynthia sighed, wiping her tears. “I put a walkie-talkie inside the teddy bear and another one under my pillow. When Lisa would start sleepwalking, I would whisper instructions to her through the bear.

I would tell her to come to my room, and we would play a game. She would take money from your wallet and put it in her mom’s purse, and then back again.”

“Mom, why? Why would you do this?” Tony exclaimed.

In tears, Cynthia finally broke down.

“At first, it was just to see if it would work.

Then it became a way for me to feel in control, to have a role in the family. I didn’t realize how much it would hurt everyone.”

Tony, filled with anger and disappointment, shook his head.

“Mom, this is wrong. You can’t use Lisa like that.

If you want to be part of this family, you have to stop these manipulations and respect our lives.”

Realizing her mistakes, Cynthia nodded, her face wet with tears.

“I’m sorry, Tony,” Cynthia said, her voice trembling with emotion.

“I just wanted to feel needed. I promise I’ll do better. I’ll only visit on weekends and spend time with Lisa occasionally.”

Tony looked at me.

“Amelie, what do you think?” he asked softly.

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my tears.

“Cynthia, we all make mistakes. But if you truly want to be part of this family, you need to accept us and respect our boundaries. I think it would be good for Lisa to spend time with her grandmother.”

Cynthia nodded, wiping her tears.

“I understand.

I’ll respect your family’s peace and unity.”

I smiled faintly, looking at my sleepy daughter and feeling a glimmer of hope.

“Let’s take it one step at a time and work together to create a loving environment for Lisa.”

Cynthia reached out and took my hand.

“Thank you, Amelie. I promise I’ll make it right.”

The truth was finally out, and now we could begin the process of rebuilding our trust and unity. It wouldn’t be easy, but with love and understanding, we could overcome this challenge together.

Source: amomama