I exclaimed, “Oh no!” as the ceramic smashed into bits. As I knelt to pick up the fragments, I saw something peculiar. Several hundred-dollar bills could be found among the fragmented bits. My eyes widened in sh*ck. “Where did this come from?” I whispered.
I carefully gathered the money, which totaled at least a thousand dollars. My mind raced with questions. Jake never had this much money, and we didn’t give it to him. As I started to collect the cash, I discovered something else: a little stack of photos.
I took up the images and flipped through them. Each one depicted David with different women in different settings.
My hands trembled, and I experienced a rush of nausea. “What is this?” I mumbled. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. It seemed like my world was collapsing around me.
Right then, I heard the front door open. “Mom, I’m home!” Jake called out. I hurriedly collected the images and money and concealed them under a mound of garments. I needed to talk to Jake, but first I had to gather my thoughts.
I took a big breath and stepped out to welcome him. “Hello, sweetheart.” “How was school?” I inquired, attempting to keep my voice steady.
“Same old, same old,” Jake said, dumping his backpack near the door. He stared at me with a frown. “Are you okay, Mom?” “You look pale.”
I forced a smile. “I’m fine, just a bit tired from all the cleaning.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
I nodded, attempting to appear cool. “Yes, it was a long day.” Why don’t you go and finish your homework? Dinner will be ready shortly.
Jake shrugged and went to his room. I watched him leave, my head still reeling from what I’d discovered. I realized I couldn’t keep this to myself. I needed to find out the truth. But first, I had to find out how to confront Jake with what I had discovered in his piggy bank.
