How Could His Mom Do This?
Ricky can feel his heartbeat in his throat as he looks through his mom’s secret safe. What was in here that she needed to hide away from everyone? He wants to forget about it and carry on with his day but he can’t. Something was telling him to take a closer look. But secrets are supposed to stay hidden, right?
Suddenly, Ricky sees something inside the safe, and straight away he thought it had to be some kind of joke. But the more he looked inside, and the more secrets he uncovered about his mom Martha, the more he realized this was no joke. There was no coming back from this.
A Single Parent
Martha Smith was a devoted single parent to 18’year old Ricky, 14-year-old Natasha, 10-year-old Emily, and their beloved pup Benji. She truly loved her kids and did whatever it took to ensure they were happy.
But this devoted was hiding a harrowing secret that nobody knew about. Until now.
Working Hard
Martha had been a single parent to Ricky, Natasha, and Emily for 10 years. After fleeing from her estranged husband, she, her three kids, and their dog Benji, then settled in a small town, 100 miles away.
But it was hard to make ends meet being a single parent. Despite this, she was determined to provide for her kids. But this devoted mom had no idea what was coming to her.
Many Businesses
In order to put food on the table, Martha ran numerous businesses out to her home, selling house items and baby supplies for first-time moms.
She even at one point opened a dance school, and despite her busy and hectic life, she knew she was doing the right thing. But Martha had another job that nobody knew about. A job that she tried her hardest to keep hidden away.
A Glamorous Mom
Martha always made sure she looked her best; whether that was ensuring she was kitted out in a fashion-forward outfit or lathering her face full of makeup. In fact, she never left the house without her rose pink lipstick.
She never let being a single parent or having numerous jobs, stop her from looking her best. But this glamorous mom’s world was about to be turned upside down. And nothing was ever the same again.
A Devoted Mother
If you’d ask anyone about Martha, they’d say first and foremost she was a devoted mother. She was also a friend and a confidant - she had a cheeky personality and a laugh that could light up a room.
But Martha had a secret; a secret that she hid from everyone. She had tried her utmost hardest to hide the secret and never let anybody know about it. But, the truth comes out in the end, right?
Acting Strange
For a couple of months, Martha had been acting strangely. She would often spend hours in the toilet, but her kids didn’t know what she was up to in there.
She seemed reserved and quiet, withdrawn from reality. Despite this, she made sure she was glammed up every time she left the house. But why? When the kids found out the answer, they were lost for words at their “perfect” mother.
First Date
It was a warm summer's day when Martha decided to go on a date with an ex-boyfriend from high school Howard, 120 miles away. She left the kids with a nanny, and she set off for her journey.
Martha and Howard had planned to rekindle their relationship and see if the spark was still there. The date went well, and soon after Martha left to head back home. But Martha never returned home.
Where Was She?
When Howard tried to ring Martha later on in the evening, to his surprise she didn’t pick up. He called her again and again, and each time it just went to voicemail.
He then rang her 18-year-old son Ricky in hopes he would have spoken to her. But he hadn’t heard from his mother either.
A Terrible Discovery
The following day Martha still had not come back home or even got in touch to say where she was. Howard told Ricky to call the police, so the worried 18-year-old did.
And the next day, after a few hours of searching around town, the police made a truly worrying discovery: Martha’s car had been set on fire and left on the side of a road, a mere three miles away from her home.
Vanished
Everyone was baffled. Where did Martha go? Whatever happened to this devoted mother? The investigation carried on, and while authorities dug a little deeper into Martha’s life, her kids decided they couldn’t wait any longer.
They had to find out the truth for themselves. But they were not prepared for what they would find.
Looking For Answers
Martha’s three kids, led by the eldest Ricky, decided to look around their family home for any clues or secrets their mom might have had.
But these kids were going to regret this decision when they stumbled across something truly unimaginable in the attic.
Looking All Over The House
The three kids knew they had to find out the truth about their mom. Time was running out, so they needed to act fast.
After a day of hard work, looking all over their house, they were going to give it up and call it a day. But then Ricky stumbled across something in the attic. “Come here,” he shouted down to his siblings. “You have to see this!”
Inside The Attic
The three kids huddled together in the attic to see what they had found. While silence lingered in the air, Ricky pulled out his discovery. It was a safe.
The kids looked at each other with confusion and curiosity to see what was inside. But they had no idea what they were about to uncover.
The Safe Was Locked Shut
They tried to open the safe but realized it was locked shut. What was inside that had to be hidden away? The kids racked their brains, trying to think of the code. They inputted their birthdays but that wasn’t a match.
Then Ricky remembered a tattoo his mother had on her hip. It was the numbers 2419. He didn’t know what these numbers meant, but he typed them on the safe and to his surprise, it was a match! The safe was open! The three kids looked inside not knowing what was coming.
Letters And Documents
Inside the safe were hundreds of documents and letters all laying about. Ricky pulled the pile of documents out, eager to see what they said.
Each of the kids picked up a letter and opened it, when they read what was inside they were lost for words.
Serious Debt
You see the documents and letters were addressed to Martha and each one had the word DEBT written on in bold writing.
Ricky’s eyes scanned the letter, then he saw it at the bottom. $100,000 owed. His heart sunk. Was this a joke? The more letters he read from credit card and loan company’s the more he realized this was no joke.
A Gambling Addiction
As the kids looked through the hundreds of debt letters addressed to their mom, they also found hundreds of gambling receipts from casinos all across town. They couldn’t believe it. How did their mom get away with living a double life as a gambler? How long had she been gambling for?
They took this information to the police, hoping it would help them. But it didn’t. If anything, it put a halt on their investigation.
More Secrets?
Now the cops had found out Martha had been a gambler, it seemed like they didn’t care about her whereabouts. That she had herself to blame for her sudden disappearance.
But a month passed, and she still hadn’t shown up. Could it be this part-time mom, part-time gambler had other secrets?
Looking For Himself
Ricky and his siblings knew they had to find out the truth about their mom. But when the days that passed, turned into weeks, they knew they were running out of time.
Ricky decided to check out a few casinos around town. Perhaps his mother was in there? He tried the closest casino and to his disappointment, she wasn’t there. He knew he had to head out further.
Determined
After searching the closest casinos to his town, Ricky knew he had to head further out of town. So one Friday night, he boarded a train and headed to a casino around 100 miles away.
Armed with determination and worry, Ricky set foot into the casino not knowing what he was about to find.
He Wanted His Mom
Ricky looked through the entire casino which was ram-packed with people, gambling away their savings, and hard-earned money.
With his eyes darting around the casino amongst the bright lights, Ricky hoped he would see his mom's face. It was all he wanted - to know she was safe. He wanted her back so much. But he never could have expected what was going to happen next.
A Familiar Laugh
Two hours passed and Ricky hadn’t found her. He would never admit it out loud, but Ricky was giving up all hope on finding his mom.
But then, through the hustle and bustle of the gamblers around him, Ricky heard a laugh that stopped in his tracks. It was a laugh it recognized completely. It couldn’t be, could it?
Was It Her?
A few feet away from Ricky was a woman sitting at a jackpot machine. From behind, her hair was ragged and she had rips on her trouser leg. She definitely looked worse for wear.
Slowly Ricky made his way over to the woman before quietly saying, “mom?” The woman swiftly turned around and Ricky felt sick to his stomach.
Reunited
It was Martha! She was safe and she was alive! Ricky ran into his mother's arms as soon as he saw her, vowing to never let go.
It turns out that because of her gambling problem, she had decided to leave to try and get the money to pay off the debt. Thankfully, Martha was brought home and received the medical attention she deserved, has since vowed to pay back all the debt.