My mother-in-law Cynthia came in, and my daughter Lisa started acting strangely. She was no longer cheery, which troubled me tremendously. One night, I noticed her sleepwalking through the house, clutching her teddy bear. I quietly followed her, and what I discovered that night astonished me, revealing a larger riddle that I needed to unravel.
We were a lovely family, living in harmony. Our days were full with laughing, fun times with our daughter Lisa, and nice family dinners.
Tony worked as a financial analyst, dreaming of launching his own firm, while I managed my employment and cared for our home.
Tony returned home one evening with some exciting news.
“Amelie, I found partners, and I can finally start my own business, just like I’ve always dreamed!” he announced, grinning from ear to ear.
“That’s amazing, Tony!” I hugged him and felt proud. “You’ve worked so hard for this.”
“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” he continued, hesitantly.
“With our new jobs, we’ll be even busier. Mom has been complaining about her health and suggested moving in with us. She wants to help with taking care of Lisa.”
I frowned.
“Tony, you know how Cynthia feels about our marriage. She never really accepted me.”
“I know, but she insisted,” Tony replied. “And we really could use the help right now.”
I sighed, unsure.
“Alright, but only because we need the help. And of course, she wants to move in now that things are looking up for us.”
Cynthia moved in just a few days later. She walked into the house with a bright smile, her hands in front of her, holding a gift for Lisa.
“Hello, Lisa! Look what Grandma brought you,” she said, passing Lisa a fluffy teddy bear.
“Thank you, Grandma!” Lisa clutched the teddy closely, her eyes full of joy.
Tony gazed at me, expecting that I’d make an effort. “Thanks, Cynthia. I’m sure Lisa will love it,” I answered, trying a smile.
“Amelie, I know we’ve had our differences,” Cynthia began. “But I want to make this work for Tony and Lisa.”
“I hope so,” I replied cautiously.
Days passed into weeks, and I observed changes in Lisa. She felt irritable and drowsy during the day. She wasn’t her normal happy self, which concerned me.
“Lisa, honey, why are you so tired?” I asked one afternoon as she rubbed her eyes.
“I don’t know, Mommy. I just feel sleepy,” she replied, yawning.
That night, when checking on her, I noticed her strolling around. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be in a daze.
“Lisa, sweetie, what are you doing?” I whispered, gently taking her by the hand.
She didn’t answer, instead grasping the teddy bear. I gently took her back to bed and tucked her in, a knot of worry in my stomach.
The next morning, during breakfast, I decided to discuss it with Tony.
“Tony, I saw Lisa sleepwalking last night,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “She was wandering around with that teddy bear your mom gave her.”
Tony looked surprised. “Really? That’s strange.”
Cynthia, who was walking nearby, interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.
“Oh, that’s perfectly normal. Tony used to sleepwalk as a child too. There’s nothing to worry about,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“Are you sure?” I asked, looking at her thoughtfully.
“Absolutely. It’s just a phase,” Cynthia insisted, her tone final.
I nodded, but the worry stayed with me. Later next morning, as Tony was getting ready for work, he grimaced and looked at his wallet.
“Amelie, have you seen some money I left in my wallet? It’s missing,” he said, looking puzzled.
“No, I haven’t touched your wallet,” I replied honestly.
Tony sighed. “Maybe I misplaced it. It’s probably just somewhere around.”
I decided to retrieve my handbag and give my hubby some money. However, I was surprised to find a significantly higher quantity than I had yesterday.
“Tony, look at this. Is this the amount you were missing?” I said, showing him the money.
Tony peered into the purse and nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly how I tied and stored the amount in my wallet yesterday. That’s strange. Maybe you took it by mistake?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m sure I didn’t. It’s really odd.”
How did it get there?
Tony shrugged, trying to brush it off. “Let’s not worry about it.”
However, I couldn’t shake the unpleasant feeling. Something was clearly wrong, and I wanted to figure out what was going on. I couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about Lisa and the unusual events.
Over the next three days, I paid closer attention to Lisa. She remained unhappy and exhausted throughout the day, and I noticed she clung to the teddy bear more than normal.
I resolved to follow her if she sleepwalked again, hoping to find some answers.
That night, it occurred again. Lisa stood up from her bed, holding the teddy bear tightly in her arms. This time, her eyes were wide open, but she did not appear to notice me.
She stepped out of her room and down the corridor. I quietly followed her, taking care not to wake her. My pulse raced as I watched her little form pass through the dimly illuminated house.
This time, she went directly to Cynthia’s room. I paused outside the door, straining to listen. Cynthia’s voice sounded low and urgent.
“Take the money from the safe, Lisa. Remember, it’s our little secret.”
My blood became chilly. I couldn’t believe what I heard. I stood stunned for a time before hurrying back to my room to wake Tony.
“Tony, wake up! You have to see this,” I said urgently, shaking him awake.
Tony groggily opened his eyes. “What’s going on, Amelie?”
“It’s Lisa. She’s in your mom’s room. I heard Cynthia giving her instructions to take money from the safe,” I continued, my voice quivering.
Tony sat up, looking frustrated. “Amelie, you’re overreacting. Mom wouldn’t do that.”
“Please, Tony, just come and see,” I implored.
He reluctantly got out of bed and followed me into Cynthia’s room. We opened the door carefully, and Cynthia and Lisa appeared to be asleep. Tony sighed, exasperated.
“See, they’re both asleep. You’re making a big deal out of nothing,” he murmured, scratching his temples.
“No, Tony, I know what I heard,” I insisted.
Frustrated, Tony stomped straight 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 turned 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 noise jolted everyone awake. Cynthia entered the room, looking defensive.
“What’s all this noise about?”
Tony looked to her with rage in his eyes. “Mom, did you ask Lisa to steal money from the safe?”
Cynthia’s eyes grew wider, and she began to deny it. “Of course not! How could you even think that?”
Lisa began to cry, afraid and puzzled by the shouts. I knelt down and softly took her hand.
“Lisa, sweetie, can you tell us what happened? It’s important.”
Lisa sniffed and nodded. She stepped over to my purse and pointed.
Tony glanced into my purse and discovered the missing money. His face distorted with anger 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 enraged 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 satisfied expression 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 keep my family safe.
Tony left for work in the morning, leaving me to begin collecting my belongings. My heart felt heavy with sadness and frustration.
As I grabbed my belongings, I entered Lisa’s room and saw her seated on the bed, chatting to the teddy bear.
“Lisa, sweetie, who are you talking to?” I asked gently, trying not to startle her.
She glanced up at me with large, innocent eyes.
“The teddy bear, Mommy. But it doesn’t want to talk anymore.”
I grimaced, feeling a knot of anxiety. “What do you mean, it doesn’t want to talk anymore?”
Lisa clutched the teddy tight.
“It used to talk to me before bedtime. Grandma said it was our little secret.”
My heart fell. This was worse than I had expected.
“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 did not leave the house. I was waiting till the evening to put everything back in its proper place. I had a suspicion about what was going on and who was behind it all.
Cynthia entered the kitchen that evening, while dinner was being prepared. She stood there, arms crossed, looking arrogant.
“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 returned home, I was prepared.
“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 took out the teddy bear and gently opened it, revealing a small talking gadget within.
“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 through it. At that point, we could hear my voice rebounding from Cynthia’s room.
Tony ran in and discovered the other device placed beneath Cynthia’s pillow.
Lisa peered into the room after hearing the commotion. “Grandma, are we playing a new game since our secret is out?”
Tony appeared 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.
Cynthia burst into tears.
“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, angry and disappointed, 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.”
Cynthia nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she realized her mistakes.
“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 and tried to hold back 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 and wiped her eyes.
“I understand. I’ll respect your family’s peace and unity.”
I smiled softly, gazing at my sleeping daughter and felt a glimpse of optimism.
“Let’s take it one step at a time and work together to create a loving environment for Lisa.”
Cynthia stretched out to take my hand.
“Thank you, Amelie. I promise I’ll make it right.”
The truth was finally revealed, and we could begin the process of rebuilding trust and unity. It would not be easy, but with love and understanding, we could face this obstacle together.
