I grinned back. “Nah, just protective of my Mom!”
Monday morning rolled around, and the chaos that ensued was better than I could have imagined. We heard it all from the Bensons’ next-door neighbor, Mrs. Thompson, who couldn’t stand the couple.
Smiling older woman in white fur coat and knitted hat | Source: Pexels
“Oh, honey,” Mrs. Thompson cackled over the fence, “you should have seen it! Mrs. Benson was shrieking like a banshee about her ‘perfect home’ being ruined. And Mr. Benson? He was on the phone with the police, going on and on about a break-in.”
I tried to keep a straight face. “Oh no, that’s terrible. Did the police do anything?”
A surprised young woman covering her mouth | Source: Freepik
Mrs. Thompson winked at me. “Well, that’s the best part. Since there was no forced entry and nothing was stolen, they couldn’t do a thing!”
I breathed a sigh of relief, but then froze when Mrs. Thompson leaned in close.
“You know,” she whispered, “I might have some security camera footage of three young people entering that house Friday night. I know who did this! But between you and me, okay? After what those Bensons did to your sweet mother, I think my cameras might have mysteriously malfunctioned that night!”
My jaw dropped. “Mrs. Thompson, I don’t know what to say… I just wanted to…”
A smiling older lady with a young woman | Source: Pexels
She patted my hand. “Say nothing, dear. Just know that karma works in mysterious ways… and sometimes, it needs a little help from the neighbors.”
Soon, the entire neighborhood knew about how the Bensons had tried to cheat my Mom out of her pay. And let me tell you, people were not happy about it.
Drone view of houses in a neighborhood | Source: Midjourney
One afternoon, as Mom and I were walking home from the grocery store, we ran into Mr. Jenkins from down the street.
“Ruby!” he called out. “I heard about what happened with those Benson crooks. Listen, my sister’s remodeling her house. Would you be interested in doing the wallpapering?”
Mom’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Mr. Jenkins, that would be wonderful!”
A man wearing a black fedora holding his glasses | Source: Pexels
As we walked away, Mom squeezed my hand. “Isn’t it strange, Kimmy? Ever since that awful experience with the Bensons, I’ve been getting more job offers than ever.”
I tried to hide my smile. “Yeah, Mom. Really strange. Must be karma or something.”
Meanwhile, the Bensons were left with their tacky, ridiculous wallpaper and a ruined reputation. No one in town wanted to do business with them or even invite them to neighborhood barbecues anymore.
A happy woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
A few weeks later, Mom and I were sitting on our porch swing, enjoying the warm evening air. She turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“You know, Kimmy,” she said slowly, “I ran into Mrs. Benson at the supermarket today.”
I nearly choked on my lemonade. “Oh yeah? How’d that go?”
Side view of a woman looking up and smiling | Source: Midjourney
Mom chuckled. “Well, she looked like she’d seen a ghost when she spotted me. Tried to hurry away, but I caught up to her. You know what I said?”
I shook my head, hanging on every word.
“I said, ‘I hope you’re enjoying your new wallpaper, Mrs. Benson. I hear it’s quite… unique!'”
“You should’ve seen her face when she fled the spot!” Mom finished, giggling.
A grayscale blurred shot of a woman running away | Source: Pexels
“You know, Kimmy,” Mom added, her eyes twinkling, “I think those Bensons learned a valuable lesson about karma.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Oh yeah? What’s that, Mom?”
“That it comes in all patterns and colors!” she leaned in, chuckling.
We burst into laughter, the kind that makes your sides hurt and tears stream down your face. It’s become our little inside joke, a secret victory we cherish.
A young woman laughing | Source: Pexels
As our giggles subsided, Mom squeezed my hand. “I’m proud of you, sweetie. You always stand up for what’s right.”
“Mom… you knew? H-how did you…?” I gasped.
“Yep! I knew you did it all!” she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
I smiled back, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. After all, you can never hide anything from your mother, right?! Sure, what I did wasn’t exactly legal, but sometimes justice wears a disguise. And in our case, it wore some seriously ugly wallpaper!
A wall plastered with funny cartoonish wallpaper | Source: Midjourney
Here’s another story: When an entitled couple refused to pay him after a bathroom renovation, plumber Pete devised a clever act of revenge that would leave their bathroom crawling with regret.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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