That night, my mother-in-law hid a rattlesnake under my pillow after discovering my $25 million life insurance policy. She smiled at me and said, “Go get some rest, I made your bed.” I didn’t argue. I took a blanket and gave the bedroom to my husband. Hours later, her desperate scream woke up the entire house… but the real secret was only beginning to come out.

I unlocked the office.

She was halfway up the staircase.

“Where are you going?”

She stopped.

“Bathroom.”

“There’s one downstairs.”

“I prefer mine.”

I smiled.

“I called animal control.”

Her face went white.

“What?”

“There’s a rattlesnake in our bedroom.”

Silence.

Then she laughed.

A terrible performance.

“A rattlesnake?”

“Yes.”

“How would that happen?”

“I have no idea.”

Her eyes searched my face.

She was trying to decide what I knew.

Then she said.

“Maybe it came through the patio.”

“The upstairs patio door was locked.”

“Oh.”

Her breathing changed.

I continued.

“Strange.”

“Yes.”

“Very.”

She walked back down.

Then sat in the living room.

We waited.

Ten minutes later, a police cruiser arrived.

Then a snake removal specialist.

His name was Caleb Ortiz.

I led him upstairs.

Kristina followed too closely.

A police officer stopped her.