During our visit, I couldn’t stop thinking about the cruel message. Eventually, I excused myself, telling Mom I needed to handle something, and headed straight to the security office.
The guard was hesitant to show me the security footage, but after I explained the situation, he agreed to help. Reviewing the footage, I saw an older woman with an air of entitlement writing that awful message on Grandpa’s car. The guard identified her as Briana from 4C, a notorious troublemaker in the building.
It turned out that Briana had been making Grandpa’s life difficult for months, complaining about trivial matters and trying to get him fined for minor infractions. She clearly had no intention of showing him any kindness.
I knew I had to take action, so I came up with a plan. The next day, I printed a screenshot of the security footage showing Briana in the act and created a bold sign that read: “SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Lady from Apt 4C is mistreating elderly neighbors.” I posted it in the elevator, where it would be visible to everyone in the building.
Within a day, Briana became the talk of the complex, and not in a good way. People started avoiding her, and she could no longer harass Grandpa or anyone else without facing the community’s judgment.
When I visited Grandpa again a few days later, he greeted me with a big hug and mentioned the drama with Briana. He didn’t know I was behind it, and I played along, pretending to be surprised. But inside, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire. In situations like this, kindness alone isn’t enough when someone like Briana refuses to respect others.
What would you have done in my place?