The night I followed my sleepwalking daughter, I discovered something horrifying.
Lisa had always been a cheerful, playful little girl. But ever since Cynthia, my mother-in-law, moved in, she had changed.
The laughter? Gone. The spark in her eyes? Diminished.
Then came the sleepwalking.
One night, clutching her new teddy bear, she drifted through the house.
I followed her silently.
And when I saw where she went… and what she did…
My blood ran cold.
We were happy, just the three of us—Tony, Lisa, and me.
Tony worked long hours as a financial analyst, always dreaming of starting his own business.
And then, one day, he came home beaming.
“Amelie, I finally found partners! I can start my own company.”
I hugged him, proud of the man I had married.
But then, his expression shifted.
“There’s… something else. Mom wants to move in.”
My stomach tightened.
Cynthia never liked me.
But Tony was insistent.
“She’s not well,” he said. “And with our busy schedules, she can help with Lisa.”
I swallowed my unease.
“Fine,” I agreed. “But I have a bad feeling about this.”
The day Cynthia moved in, she arrived with a gift.
“A special teddy bear for my favorite granddaughter,” she cooed.
Lisa’s face lit up.
“Thank you, Grandma!”
Cynthia smiled at me.
“I want to make things right between us, Amelie.”
I forced a smile.
But deep down, I didn’t trust her.
At first, everything seemed fine.
But then…
Lisa started changing.
She was exhausted during the day, cranky and withdrawn.
At night, she would mutter in her sleep.
And then, one night, I woke up to find her wandering the house, clutching that teddy bear.
“Lisa?” I whispered.
She didn’t respond.
She drifted down the hall, her tiny feet silent against the floor.
I followed.
She didn’t turn toward the kitchen.
Or the bathroom.
She went straight to Cynthia’s room.
I held my breath and watched.
Lisa opened the door and stepped inside.
Then, I heard Cynthia’s whisper.
“Go to Mommy and Daddy’s room. Take the money from the safe. Remember, this is our little secret.”
My heart stopped.
I barely made it back to bed before Lisa returned.
The next morning, Tony noticed money missing from his wallet.
“Amelie, did you take this?” he asked, frowning.
“No,” I said.
But when I checked my purse…
The missing money was inside.
That night, I stayed awake, waiting.
And when Lisa sleepwalked again, I followed her—with my phone recording.
She went straight to Cynthia’s room.
“Good girl,” Cynthia whispered. “Now go put it in Mommy’s purse, just like last time.”
My hands shook with rage.
The next morning, I confronted Tony.
“Your mother is using Lisa to steal from us.”
Tony stared at me.
“That’s ridiculous.”
I played the recording.
Tony’s face paled.
Without a word, he stormed into Cynthia’s room.
“Mom, what the hell is this?!”
Cynthia’s eyes widened.
“Oh, Tony,” she said sweetly. “Amelie is trying to turn you against me.”
“Mom,” Tony’s voice was dangerous. “You manipulated my daughter.”
Cynthia sighed dramatically.
“I was just… testing her loyalty. A little game.”
Tony’s jaw clenched.
“You need to leave.”
Cynthia packed her things, silent and furious.
Lisa?
She was back to her old self within days.
And that teddy bear?
I burned it.
Some people aren’t meant to be family.
And some secrets?
They’re meant to be exposed.