My fingers trembled as I reached into the pocket of Mom’s beige coat. The fabric felt unnaturally heavy.
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Chapter 1 / 10
Chapter 1 - THE WEIGHT OF VELVETMy fingers trembled as I reached into the pocket of Mom’s beige coat. The fabric felt unnaturally heavy. When I pulled the velvet pouch out, I didn't open it. I knew that whatever was inside—stolen jewelry, drugs, or perhaps something even more incriminating—would destroy my mother’s life the second a store security guard or police officer found it.
I heard the front door handle jiggle. My stomach dropped. I shoved the pouch into the bottom of my laundry basket, hid the basket under the bed, and sprinted back to the couch, pulling the throw blanket over my head just as the door opened.
"I’m home early, honey! The store was dead!" Mom called out, her voice tired but kind. I had never felt more like a fraud. She was the woman who worked double shifts so I could have a future, and here I was, keeping a secret that could see her locked away for years.
