Ethan nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “I understand that. But she cannot get away with it.”

The following days were tense. Every time I saw Lily, my heart ached with betrayal. Despite our reservations about their marriage, we had no ill intentions toward her.

She chatted and laughed with us over dinner as if she hadn’t been stealing from us all along. And still, I helped my son sort out the final details for Lily’s birthday party.

One day, I confided in Josh, without revealing the real culprit, about the missing money.

“Josh, do you think that there’s any chance Emma could be involved?” I asked cautiously as we did the dinner dishes together.

Josh frowned, shaking his head.

“Em? No way, Mom. She’s got a part-time job, and she’s saving up for college. She wouldn’t steal from us. If she were really strapped for cash, she could just ask us.”

I nodded, relieved that he trusted his sister as much as I did.

“You’re right. It’s just that money keeps disappearing. And I don’t understand it. I don’t know who else it could be.”

Josh sighed deeply.

“I don’t know either, Mom,” he said. “But I’ll keep an eye out.”

Two weeks later, it was Lily’s birthday, and we had an entire outdoor event planned in our backyard.

“This is amazing, Mom,” Josh said, looking around at the setup. “Lily is going to love this. And the food! You ordered all of her favorites.”

I smiled at Josh. He had worked so hard to do this special thing for his wife. The least I could have done was support him throughout and help whenever he needed me.

“Thank you, Judy,” Lily said just before we all sat down to eat. “I can tell that you had a big part to play in this entire thing!”

After the cake was served and Lily had opened her birthday presents, I stood up, holding my glass of champagne.

“I’d like to make a toast,” I announced, smiling as everyone gathered around.

“I’ve prepared a little video as a special surprise for the birthday girl,” I said, clicking play on the projector’s remote.

The screen lit up with the words: Happy Birthday, Thief!

Gasps filled the air as the footage played, showing Lily sneaking into the living room and taking the money. The shock on her face mirrored the disbelief in the room.

“Lily, is this true?” Josh asked, his eyes wide.

“I can explain!” she said. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far!”

“How could you?” Josh asked. “And I saw you place those hairpins, trying to frame Emma. How could you stoop so low?”

“Why, Lily?” Emma asked from her seat. “What did I ever do to you?”

Lily sobbed, unable to answer. The room was heavy with tension.

Ethan stepped forward, his voice firm.

“Lily, you’ve broken our trust. We welcomed you into our family, and this is how you repay us?”

Lily looked around, her eyes glazing over.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“What did you use the money for?” Ethan demanded.

Slowly, Lily held up her hands.

“My nails,” she said. “And to get coffee and food…”

I couldn’t believe what I had heard.

“I can’t stay married to someone I no longer trust,” Josh told Lily, who burst into a fresh set of tears.

The fallout was intense, but it brought our family closer than before.

What would you have done?