After a year abroad, I returned home excited to see my mom and enjoy her cooking. Instead, I found a chaotic kitchen with a clogged sink. When I offered to fix it, Mom panicked and begged me not to touch it.
Her fear stayed with me for days until, while she was out, I decided to take a look. As I dismantled the pipes, I discovered a waterproof bag containing an old phone and bundles of cash — over thirty thousand dollars. Before I could process it, Mom walked in, terrified, and revealed a secret she had kept for decades: I had an older brother named Gerard whom she gave up for adoption when she was very young.
She explained that Gerard had recently found her but soon began asking for money. Strange things went missing from the house, and then one night he arrived with the bag, frantic and afraid, insisting she hide it.
Since then, she had been living in fear, unsure of who might come looking for it. Desperate to understand, I charged the phone and called the main number saved inside. To my shock, the man who answered was Gerard. We arranged to meet, and when we did, he revealed the truth: he wasn’t a criminal, but an undercover cop who had been infiltrating a dangerous operation. The cash was evidence, and he kept Mom in the dark to protect her.
