For twelve years, I cared for my father-in-law, Samuel. He was a good man, but life didn’t go well for him. He had no pension, no savings — just a small, modest life that was slowly fading away. My husband and I took him in after his health began to decline, and I did my best to take care of him.
I don’t care. At first, I thought that was just part of what a good daughter-in-law should do. But as time went on, I began to feel uncomfortable. Taking care of her took up a large part of my time. The doctor’s appointments, the night meds, the constant need for help with everything from food to dressing.
When he passed away, I felt a mixture of relief and guilt. I had given so much to myself, and in return, all I had was a poor man and his belongings.
On the day he died, I didn’t expect much. I knew there was no inheritance, no sudden luck to be had. But what he would leave behind was something I never imagined.
Before he died, Samuel called me to his side. His hands were shaking, his voice was weak, but his eyes were still sharp.
“I’m going to make you do something,” he said, holding out an old, lumpy pillow to me . It was old, broken, and it was obvious that he had been using it for a long time.
I was confused. Why?
“You’ve taken care of me this whole time, and I want to have it with you,” she whispered.
I nodded, not sure what else to say. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but honestly, the pillow seemed like a silly, sentimental thing.
When the funeral was over and everything was packed, I found the pillow still resting on the chair near the window. It seemed out of place in the middle of the clean, empty space it once belonged to.
Frustrated and tired, I grabbed the pillow, intending to throw it away with his other old things. But just as I was about to tear the cloth up, something caught my attention.
I paused for a moment.
A small corner of the pillow didn’t sew. I didn’t notice it at the time.
I pulled on the cloth, and suddenly a small piece of paper fell off. I was stunned.
On the paper was an address and a name — James Ashton. My heart beat fast. Who was this man? And why was it hidden in a pillow?
I turned the pillow upside down, and the fabric tore even more. I was shocked by what I saw inside.
Piles of money.
Bundles of it, all tightly wrapped in plastic. A huge amount of money—hundreds of thousands of dollars—all neatly tucked away inside a pillow I’d carried with me for years without realizing it.
I could barely breathe.
Who was James Ashton, and why did my father-in-law keep all this money in a pillow? And how did he keep it a secret from everyone, including his own family?
I could feel my heart beating faster as I tried to put it all together. Samuel, the man who had been so ill and dependent on me for twelve years, was secretly rich. But why? Why was he hiding it from everyone? Why was he giving me this pillow now?
As the truth slowly deepened, I knew I had to learn more.
I can’t ignore it. I need to know what’s behind it. What could Samuel have been hiding?
But as I looked at the address and the name on the paper — something stiffened inside me.
What if I’m stuck in a rut that I shouldn’t be able to find?
Shaking my hands, I picked up the phone and dialed the number on the paper.
The line rang once, twice. And then a harsh voice answered.
” From Kumu? ”
“Is this James Ashton?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“Yes,” was the answer. “Who is this?”
I hesitated before answering, along with a loud pounding in my chest.
My name is Emily Brooks. “I think my father-in-law, Samuel, knows you.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then, the voice answered, almost in a very quiet way.
“It’s not something you should be involved in. “That is why
Her tone became cold. “You don’t know what you’re going through.”
Suddenly, the pieces began to fit into place.
The Money. The pillow. The secrecy.
I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the beginning of a journey into a world full of secrets, lies, and a hidden past that would change my life forever.
Ang Pag-ikot
As soon as I hung up the phone, the situation became even more difficult for me. What did Samuel have to say? Why did he keep it from his own family for so long?
The answer was right in front of me, hidden in a pillow.
And I’ll soon discover just how deep the secret is — and how much danger it poses to me.