I felt my stomach twist. It was time to check the security cameras. I hadn’t told anyone about them—not even Mom—so whoever was taking things wouldn’t know to hide.

I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop, pulling up the footage. My heart raced as I fast-forwarded through hours of recording.

Then, I saw Jane. She was in Mom’s room, standing by the dresser. I leaned closer, certain I’d caught her.

She opened the jewelry box and looked inside. My anger flared. But then, she closed the box and walked away without taking anything.

Relief turned to dread as the next clip played. A few hours later, Kaden appeared.

I watched in stunned silence as he walked to the jewelry box, took Mom’s gold ring, and slipped it into his pocket before leaving.

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—my partner—was the thief.

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.

“I know everything,” I said, my voice shaking.

He looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I know you’ve been stealing from my mom,” I said, holding up the flash 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.

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 rehab, but I refused. Then she caught me taking your mom’s jewelry.”

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. “I can’t believe this!” I shouted. “Why? Why would you lie to me and steal from my family?”

“I 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,” he confessed, his voice cracking.

“How could you?!” I yelled. “I thought you were spending time with Milo, being the father he needs. Instead, you wasted my money, Jane’s money, and Mom’s things!”

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Kaden said quietly.

“And yet you didn’t stop me from blaming 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 downcast. “I’m ashamed.”

“I want you to leave,” I said firmly.

“Do you want a divorce?” he asked, his voice barely audible.

“I don’t know. What I do know is I can’t look at you right now. Pack your things tomorrow while I’m at work. I’ll text you when I’m ready to talk.”

He nodded slowly, tears 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 pouring down my face. After checking on Milo, who was sound asleep, I drove to Jane’s house.

When she opened the door, I could barely speak. “I’m sorry,” I managed, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Jane pulled me into a hug without hesitation.

“And thank you,” I said through sobs. “For everything. Even for helping Kaden.”

“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 here for you,” Jane said, holding me tightly.

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