On her screen was security footage. A hooded figure entered my bedroom, walked straight to my dresser, and opened the bottom drawer. That’s where I kept my safe. It held emergency cash and Avery’s college fund paperwork.

On her screen was security footage.

The figure crouched down, fiddled with the safe for maybe 30 seconds, and the door swung open. Then, the person reached inside and pulled out a stack of bills.

My stomach dropped so fast I felt lightheaded. Marisa swiped to another clip. Same hoodie. Same build.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” she said, her voice soft but pointed. “But your daughter’s been acting weird lately. And now this.”

Then, the person reached inside and pulled out a stack of bills.

I couldn’t speak. My brain was scrambling, trying to find an explanation that made sense.

“Avery wouldn’t do this,” I whispered.

Marisa’s expression tightened. “You say that because you’re blind where she’s concerned.”

That sentence landed wrong. I stood up so fast my chair scraped against the floor. “I need to talk to her.”

Marisa grabbed my wrist. “Don’t. Not yet. If you confront her now, she’ll just deny it or run. You need to be smart about this.”

“Avery wouldn’t do this.”

“This is my daughter.”

“And I’m trying to protect you,” Marisa said sharply. “She’s 16. You can’t keep pretending she’s perfect.”

I pulled my wrist free and went upstairs. Avery was in her room, headphones on, bent over her homework. She looked up when I opened the door and smiled like everything was normal.

“Hey, Dad. You okay? You look pale.”

I couldn’t speak for a second. I just stood there, trying to reconcile the girl in front of me with the figure in that video.

“She’s 16.

You can’t keep pretending she’s perfect.”

Finally, I managed, “Avery, have you been in my room when I wasn’t home?”

Her smile faded. “What?”

“Just answer me.”

She sat up straighter, defensive now. “No. Why would I?”

My hands were shaking. “Something’s missing from my safe.”

Her face shifted… first confusion , then fear, then anger. And that anger was so quintessentially Avery it almost broke me.

“Something’s missing from my safe.”

“Wait… are you accusing me, Dad?” she retorted.

“I don’t want to,” I said honestly. “I just need an explanation. Because I saw someone in a gray hoodie go into my room on the security footage.”

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