I’ll never forget when I found out that Susan, my daughter-in-law, had been keeping the money I sent every month to my grandson Timmy. I was angry and hurt, and I was going to show her a lesson she would never forget.
Every month, I sent $300 to Timmy, but he told me he hadn’t gotten the money when I asked him. I thought Susan might have done it, but I needed to be sure. I came up with a smart way to catch her in the act.
To begin, I asked Susan to join me on a walk and some window shopping. The two of us went to an antique shop owned by my friend Helen after she agreed. What Susan didn’t know was that Helen and I had planned the whole thing ahead of time.
Helen showed us some lovely jewellery. Susan was especially impressed by a necklace that was so pretty. Sue’s face fell when Helen told her that the necklace cost $500. After that, I dropped a bomb. I told Susan I was going to send Timmy an extra $500 so he could buy a toy he had been keen on.
Susan tried to hide how happy she was, but her eyes lit up. But I was sure I knew what she was thinking. She believed she could get the money and spend it on herself.
I sent Susan a letter with $500 in fake money inside. I kept some bills from an old board game that looked like real money, and they were great for the job.
Susan did, in fact, bite the bullet. She thought the money would help her buy the necklace, so she went to the antique shop. But Helen was ready for her, and as soon as Susan got there, she called me.
I just got to the store in time to see Susan use the fake money. When Helen spoke to her, Susan broke down in tears. Her words were, “Please don’t call the police.” She promised she would never do something like that again.
I chose not to press charges in the end. But I told Susan she had to prove herself again before I would trust her again. I would be taking care of Timmy’s money directly from now on. Even though it was tough, sometimes the only way to fix a problem is with strong love.
