Six years after my husband, Silas, left me with two kids, I was scraping by, working remotely and juggling life. Then Emery, my new neighbor, begged me to clean her disaster of a house after a wild party, offering $250. Desperate for extra cash, I agreed.
Two days of back-breaking work later, Emery returned—and claimed she never promised payment. Furious, I decided to teach her a lesson. Using the spare key she’d forgotten to collect, I dumped bags of garbage all over her spotless house. When she confronted me, I calmly reminded her I “never had a key,” leaving her speechless.
Was it petty? Maybe. But sometimes, you have to stand up for yourself—even if it means getting your hands dirty. Would you have done the same?
