Loyalty and Lies

Caught!?

I couldn't concentrate. First, I was late for work, which has never happened before. Addie is usually the one running late. Then, I gave a customer the wrong change, and to top it off, I spilled coffee all over a spoiled girl's expensive Versace sweater. Why do I keep ruining expensive things?

Eventually, my boss couldn't stand my misery any longer and sent me home. I should be grateful he didn't fire me. But no matter how hard I try, there's always one thing I can't stop thinking about. The money.

I stashed the money in my closet for now. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would have to do until I figured out my next move. The better part of me wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, yet a small part of me wanted to keep it.

It could solve all our problems, or it could be our downfall. That money could mean a fresh start, a way out of the mess we were drowning in. But it could also mean consequences, ones that I wasn't sure I was ready to face. Who did it belong to, and what would they do to get it back?

Questions like that kept swirling in my mind, never allowing me a moment of peace.

When I finally stood in front of our apartment, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Closing it behind me with a nudge of my foot, I headed straight to my room, needing to confirm that the money was still there.

I pushed open the door to my room, and my heart skipped a beat. Addie was there, sitting in the armchair by the window, her silhouette framed by the fading light outside. Her head rested in her hands, but she looked up as the door creaked open, her eyes narrowing at the sight of me.

My gaze shifted to the bed, and my stomach dropped. The bag with the money lay wide open, and the cash was scattered across my bed. Bundles and loose bills spread in disarray, half a million dollars strewn over my sheets. My breath caught in my throat, a mix of panic and dread flooding me.

That was not supposed to happen.

"You wanna explain this to me?"

Addie's voice was calm, almost eerily so, but I could hear the edge beneath her words. The kind of edge that came from disbelief mixed with a hint of betrayal. I opened my mouth, but no words came. My throat felt tight, and my mind scrambled, but all I could do was stare at the money spread across my bed.

"Lea," she pressed, her tone growing sharper, "where did all this come from?"

I forced myself to look at her, her eyes drilling into mine, a mix of anger and worry. My legs felt shaky as I stepped into the room, slowly closing the door behind me, hoping somehow that shutting it would keep this situation from spinning further out of control.

"It's not what you think," I finally managed to say, though even to my own ears, it sounded hollow.

"Not what I think?" Addie let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. She gestured at the money. "It looks like exactly what I think, Lea. This is dangerous! Do you even understand what kind of trouble you could be in?"

"It's really not what you think! Please, Addie, just listen to me," I said, my voice filled with annoyance at the situation. "I didn't steal the money."

Addie crossed her arms, her expression a mixture of disbelief and concern. "Then what is it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like a massive pile of cash that you have no business with."

I took a deep breath, attempting to organize my jumbled thoughts. I knew I had to come clean to Addie. I couldn't lie to her any longer. Even if it meant confessing to a deception I had shared with her before.

"I got the money from my mom," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "She asked me to get rid of it."

Addie's eyes widened in shock. "You went to your mum!? Are you serious! Why didn't you tell me?!"

I turned my head, unable to meet her eyes as a sense of guilt washed over me. "I didn't want to drag you into this. I thought I could handle it on my own. She just called me out of the blue, said she was in trouble and needed my help. You know I had no other choice."

Addie shook her head, her frustration evident. "Lea, your mom has always been involved in shady stuff. Do you even realize how risky this is?", she hissed at me.

"I know." , I hissed back.

"Clearly, you don't. Do you remember everything we went through to get away from her? And now you're actually stupid enough to go back?"

My heart raced, anger bubbling inside me. How could she think I hadn't weighed the risks. I had no choice but to help her. I knew it, my mom knew it, and deep down, Addie knew it too.

"Don't you think I know how risky this is?" I shot back, my voice rising. "I'm not blind to the dangers, Addie! But what was I supposed to do? Just ignore her?"

Addie crossed her arms, her expression switching to a mix of disbelief and concern. "You know what she's capable of, right? This isn't just about you anymore. It's about us, and everything we've worked for."

"I get that!" I snapped, frustration spilling over.

Addie sighed, searching my face as she tried to calm down. "Did she say anything else?"

I shot her a tired, incredulous look. "It's my mom we are talking about. Do you really think she gave me anything useful?"

"Does anyone else know about the money?"

"I don't think so. I haven't told anyone, and while my mom likes to play a dangerous game, she's not naive."

Addie let out another sigh, resting her head in her hands once more, probably trying to piece things together.

"Shit."

Addie lifted her head, her eyes meeting mine with a mix of fear and determination. "Okay, listen. We need to be smart about this. We can't just sit here and hope it'll work out. We need a plan."

"A plan?" I echoed her words, skepticism creeping into my tone. "We only have two options, Addie. We can keep the money and pray no one finds out we have it, or we get rid of it."

Addie was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the floor. I could almost see her mind racing, weighing the options I had laid out. Meanwhile, I moved to my bed, carefully putting the money back into the bag. The weight of it felt heavier somehow, as if it held all our fears and uncertainty.

"Maybe..." Addie started, her voice barely above a whisper, "maybe we should keep a part of the money." She looked up, her eyes locking with mine.

I paused, my hand resting on the bag. "Keep part of it?" I repeated, surprised by her words. I had mentioned it as an option, but I never actually thought Addie would consider keeping any of the money. Yet, a part of me, small but undeniable, was happy about it. Maybe keeping some of it could actually be our way out.

Yet, on the other hand, we still don't know where my mother got the money. She could have stolen it or possibly even robbed a bank, though that seems unlikely even for her. It must have been obtained illegally though. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so terrified and insisted that I get rid of it.

If we decide to keep the money, we would be unwittingly gambling with our future. But if Addie is ready to take that risk, then so am I.

Ugh, my head started to hurt from all that thinking.

"Okay, we can keep part of the money. Not all of it, though. It would draw too much attention." I concluded.

Addie nodded, her expression unreadable. She didn't argue, didn't even blink. Just nodded. It was unsettling how calm she looked. Or maybe she was just as lost in thought as I was.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy. The kind that made your skin itch.

I cleared my throat. "Soo... what do we do with the rest?"

She hesitated, chewing on her lip. "We could... hide it? Somewhere safe. Somewhere no one would think to look."

If it would just be that easy.