Found out my husband’s teenage brother set hidden camera in my bedroom. So, I called the police. But months later, it turns out his mother made him order it and let him take the blame while she pretended to comfort me.

I swear my heart jumped out of my chest. I stood there frozen for a good 10 seconds, just staring at it like it was about to sprout legs and attack me. Once the initial shock wore off, I grabbed it and started freaking out.

Like, who put this here? How long has it been here? Why is it here? I live alone. So, my brain went to the darkest corners of paranoia. Was someone watching me sleep, watching me change? Did someone have access to my private moments? It felt like my safe space was totally invaded.

I didn’t know what else to do. So, I grabbed my phone and immediately Googled what to do if you find a hidden camera. The first thing I read was to get out of the house, and I didn’t need to be told twice. I grabbed my essentials and bolted out of there like my life depended on it.

I drove straight to the police station. Let me tell you, explaining to the officer on duty that I found a hidden camera in my bedroom was one of the weirdest conversations I’ve ever had. The officer was professional, of course, but I couldn’t help feeling like I was in some bad Lifetime movie.

They took my complaint seriously, though, which was a relief. An officer even came back to my apartment with me to check if there were any other cameras or suspicious things. When they told me everything else seemed fine, I didn’t feel fine.

I mean, sure, there wasn’t anything else obvious, but the idea that someone had been in my apartment without me knowing was enough to make my skin crawl. I was so on edge that I didn’t even want to grab clothes or anything. I just wanted to leave.

So, I called my best friend, Mia, and asked if I could crash at her place. She told me to come over immediately, and I practically ran to my car.

The next day, I called my husband, Carlos, 28M. He’s in the army and stationed in a different state, so I didn’t want to ruin his night by calling him in a panic at 2:00 a.m. I waited until the next morning when I was slightly calmer or at least calm enough to explain without bursting into tears every 5 seconds.

When I told him about the hidden camera, he went dead silent for like 10 whole seconds. He finally said, “De, this isn’t just creepy. This is dangerous. What if you have a stalker?”

I started spiraling again, asking him things like, “Do you think someone’s been following me? Is it someone I know? Should I check my car for trackers?” Carlos tried to calm me down, but I could tell he was panicking a little, too.

After some back and forth, he suggested something I had been dreading. Babe, I think you should go stay with my parents for a while. At least until we figure this out.

Now, look, I love Carlos and I respect his family, but his mom, Anna, 47F, and I, let’s just say, we’re not exactly BFFs. She’s always been a little too opinionated. And I’ve always felt like she secretly thinks I’m not good enough for her precious boy.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s never been outright mean to me, but there’s always this unspoken tension between us. Staying at her house felt like jumping from one uncomfortable situation into another.

But Carlos was right. I couldn’t crash at Mia’s place forever, and I definitely couldn’t go back to my apartment. So, I sucked it up and asked Carlos to call his mom and explain everything. I didn’t want to deal with Anna’s skeptical questions or her classic, “Are you sure you’re not overreacting, dear?” tone.

A few hours later, Anna called me herself. Her voice was softer than usual, and she said, “De, pack your things and come home immediately. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

That caught me off guard. It was probably the kindest thing she’s ever said to me. I packed my stuff from Mia’s apartment and drove over to Anna’s house. Her place was only about a 30-minute drive away.

To my surprise, Anna was really nice to me and took care of me. I stayed there for a week and then I felt that I could go back to my place. The police were still in the process of getting the information from the camera company.

I tried to act normal, but deep down every little creak or noise made me jump. I started keeping the bathroom door slightly open when I showered, and I couldn’t sleep without a nightlight. Every corner of my apartment felt suspicious.

Last week, I got a frantic call from Anna saying that the officers were at the house and they were taking Marco, 16M, Carlos’s younger brother, into custody, and they were saying that it was my fault.

I didn’t know what to do. My heart was racing as Anna’s voice crackled over the phone. She was panicked and furious, and somewhere in between, I could hear Marco crying in the background.

I threw on my shoes and practically ran out the door. They told me to get to the police station immediately. And that’s when I found out that the camera’s videos were sent to the IP address of the laptop that belonged to Marco.

My heart sank. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Marco, sweet, nerdy Marco who stayed up all night gaming and was always polite to me.

Anna was screaming at me in the lobby of the police station, telling me that it was all my fault, that I shouldn’t have filed a report, that this was going to ruin Marco’s life.

Her words stung, and I wanted to shout back, “How is this my fault?” I didn’t put a camera in my own room, but I just stood there frozen, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

Carlos called me shortly after, and he was conflicted. He kept saying things like, “De, he’s just a kid. He made a stupid mistake. We can’t let this ruin his future.” And while I understood where he was coming from, I couldn’t just unfile a police report.

It wasn’t like sending an email and hitting undo. The system was already in motion.

The next few days were a blur of police interviews, lawyer meetings, and awkward silences at Anna’s house. Marco wasn’t allowed to come home immediately, and Anna would go silent every time she looked at me.

It hurt because despite everything, I didn’t hate Marco. I was just disappointed. I kept replaying every interaction I’d ever had with him, trying to find clues I missed. Was he ever creepy? Did he ever act out of line? But the truth is, he always seemed like a normal teenager.

Eventually, it was decided that Marco would do community service, 100 hours, and because he was a minor, his records would be sealed. It wasn’t the worst outcome, but it still felt heavy.

Anna didn’t talk to me much after that. There was a wall between us now, thin, but impossible to break through.

Now, my entire family from my husband’s side is mad at me. It’s not even my fault. Marco is the one who acted like a creep and didn’t even apologize to me once. He couldn’t even look me in the eyes when we met and just ran away.

This was sad for me because I always thought that Marco and I were close, almost like siblings. We used to joke around, share snacks, and talk about random stuff. I even helped him with his homework a few times when he was struggling with math.

But now, I’m still getting calls and text messages saying that I’ve ruined his life. Like, what am I supposed to do here? Just pretend none of this happened? Sweep it under the rug and let him get away with something so invasive and violating?