When I found out my grandson Timmy hadn’t been getting the $300 I sent him each month, I knew something was seriously wrong. My suspicion fell on my daughter-in-law, Susan. Determined to uncover the truth, I came up with a clever plan to catch her in the act.
For months, I’d been sending $300 to Susan each month, asking her to give it to Timmy. We agreed that she wouldn’t tell Timmy where the money came from—I didn’t want him thinking I was trying to buy his affection. The money was supposed to help him learn about managing finances, not spoil him.
Susan and my son were doing well financially, but I wanted Timmy to have a bit of pocket money to practice handling it. Everything seemed fine—until one day, Timmy called me asking for money.
“Grandma, can you send me some money? I really want to buy this toy I’ve been dreaming about,” he said, his voice full of excitement.
I was puzzled. “But Timmy, didn’t your mom give you pocket money last week?”
“No,” he replied, sounding disappointed. “I’ve been asking for pocket money, but she says I’m too young.”
My jaw dropped. I could feel my blood boiling. Something was seriously off. I decided to investigate further.
“But what about the toys you already have?” I asked. “Where did you get the money for those?”
“Dad sometimes gives me money for chores, but it’s not enough to buy the toy I want. Mom says I shouldn’t ask you for money, but please, Grandma, just this once?”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been willing to trust Susan, but now I couldn’t ignore the growing suspicion that she might be keeping the money for herself.
Fueled by anger, I knew I had to get to the bottom of this. I devised a plan to catch Susan red-handed.
The next day, I called Susan. “Hey Susan, it’s been a while since we’ve had some girl time. How about a little shopping trip?” I said, keeping my voice light and friendly, though I was fuming inside.
Susan agreed eagerly, completely unaware of my suspicion. We met up and went to an antique store owned by my friend Helen. Susan had no idea I had arranged everything with Helen beforehand.
When we arrived, Helen greeted us warmly, pretending not to know me. “Welcome! Anything catch your eye?” she asked, playing her part perfectly.
I made small talk and casually asked to see some jewelry. Helen showed us a beautiful necklace, and Susan’s eyes lit up.
“Oh, it’s stunning!” she exclaimed. “How much?”
“Five hundred dollars,” Helen replied with a smile.
Susan’s face fell. I watched her closely, seeing her mind working as she calculated how she might get the money. This was the moment I had been waiting for.
As we left the store, I brought up Timmy. “You know, Susan, I’ve been thinking about sending Timmy an extra $500 so he can buy that toy he really wants.”
Susan’s eyes widened with barely contained excitement. “That’s so generous of you, Mary!” she gushed.
Later that evening, I prepared an envelope with fake money—play money from an old board game. I sealed it with a note that read, “For Timmy, love Grandma,” and waited.
The next day, Susan went straight to the antique store. Helen called me as soon as Susan arrived. “She’s here,” Helen whispered. “She’s asking to see the necklace again.”
Perfect. I rushed to the store, my heart pounding with adrenaline.
When I arrived, I saw Susan at the counter, handing Helen the envelope. Helen took one look at the money and her face darkened.
“This is fake money,” Helen said, holding up one of the counterfeit bills.
Susan’s face went white. “What? No! That’s impossible!” she stammered.
Helen stood firm. “This is clearly fake. I’ll have to call the police.”
At that moment, I stepped forward. “Susan, what’s going on?”
“Mary, please help me!” she cried, her voice frantic. “She says the money is fake!”
I looked her straight in the eye. “That’s because it is, Susan.”
Her eyes widened as the realization hit. “You’ve been stealing the money I sent for Timmy, haven’t you?”
Susan broke down, falling to her knees. “I’m so sorry, Mary. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I was just so tempted.”
I stayed calm but firm. “From now on, I’ll be giving Timmy the money directly. You’ve lost my trust, Susan.”
She nodded, still sobbing. Helen, understanding the seriousness of the situation, decided not to call the police, but the lesson was clear.
And that’s how I uncovered my daughter-in-law’s deception. It wasn’t easy, but sometimes tough love is necessary to set things right.
