For three months I noticed a sharp and foul odor coming from the side of the bed where my husband Michael slept. The damp and moldy scent clung to our sheets and made sleeping nearly impossible. I tried washing everything in hot water and spraying essential oils but nothing removed the terrible smell. Michael grew increasingly irritated whenever I tried to clean the bed or investigate the mattress. When he finally left for a three day business trip I decided I could no longer ignore the situation. I dragged the mattress to the middle of the room and used a cutter to slice open the fabric. A terrible wave of stench burst out of the mattress the moment I opened it. Instead of finding spoiled food or a dead animal inside the bed I discovered a tightly sealed plastic bag covered in damp mold. My hands shook as I opened the bag and found thick stacks of cash bound with rubber bands. Beneath the damp money I uncovered hidden envelopes with receipts and a small notebook detailing secret financial transactions. I felt completely confused and feared my husband was involved in something illegal or hiding a second family. Then I opened another envelope containing photographs of thin children standing near a small building. The back of the pictures indicated this was the San Pedro Community School in Cebu.
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