But the next morning, while making coffee, I heard a loud pop, and sparks shot from an outlet behind the cabinets. The smell of burning plastic filled the air.
I called Paul in a panic. “Sparks are coming from the outlet! The power’s out, and there’s smoke!”
“Calm down,” he sighed. “It’s probably nothing. I’ll check it out later.”
Later? I was incredulous at his lack of urgency. I hung up and immediately called an emergency electrician.
Lisa arrived within the hour. As she inspected the wiring, her expression grew serious.
“Who did this?” she asked, shaking her head. “None of this is up to code. You’re lucky the whole place didn’t catch fire.”
Just then, Paul swaggered in, exuding arrogance. “What’s all this fuss about?” he asked, clearly annoyed.
When he saw Lisa, his expression changed. “Who are you?”
“I’m the electrician,” Lisa replied coldly. “And I’m about to report you for multiple code violations.”
Paul’s face paled. He tried to talk his way out of it, but Lisa wasn’t having it.
“You’ve got exposed wires running behind water lines. This is a serious hazard.”
That’s when I lost it. “Handle it?” I snapped. “Like you’ve handled everything else? By ignoring me and doing whatever you want?”
Paul stepped back, clearly unaccustomed to being confronted. “Now listen, you’re being emotional—”
“Emotional?” Lisa cut in. “Her kitchen could have burned down because of your shoddy work.”
At that moment, Tom walked in. “What’s going on?” he demanded, surveying the scene.
Paul tried one last time to salvage his reputation. “There’s been a misunderstanding—”
“No,” I said firmly. “No more excuses. You’re fired.”
Tom stood by my side, supporting me. “You heard my wife. We’re done here.”
Paul stammered, but Lisa cut him off. “You should leave before the building inspector gets involved.”
As Paul stormed out, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Lisa turned to us with a smile. “I know a great contractor—Megan. She’ll fix this mess.”
“Let’s call her,” I said, finally feeling in control.
Megan arrived like a breath of fresh air, correcting Paul’s mistakes and collaborating with me to bring my vision to life. In the end, the kitchen turned out even better than I imagined, and every time I step into that beautiful space, I’m reminded of the power of standing up for myself.
As for Paul? Word has it, he’s facing hefty fines and a suspension of his contractor’s license. Turns out, he underestimated the wrong woman.