When Lucy returned home after a week of babysitting, her eyes red and puffy from crying, I felt a surge of anger I hadn’t felt in years. Mrs. Carpenter, our self-righteous neighbor, had refused to pay Lucy, dismissing it as a “life lesson.” I was determined to teach Mrs. Carpenter a lesson of her own.
Lucy collapsed on the couch, her face streaked with tears. She rarely cried, so seeing her so upset tore at me. “Lucy, what’s wrong?” I asked, sitting beside her and placing my hand on her shoulder.
She sniffled, wiping her eyes. “Mrs. Carpenter wouldn’t pay me. She said I should have gotten a written agreement and told me it was a life lesson.”
My anger flared. “She said that?”
Lucy nodded, her voice shaky. “Yeah, she told me babysitting should teach me hard work and that was my payment. Then she slammed the door in my face.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Lucy had been responsible, showing up every day and caring for Mrs. Carpenter’s wild children, only to be cheated out of her pay. “How much does she owe you?”
“Four hours a day for five days. $220. I was saving for that art course I wanted,” Lucy whispered.
Without hesitation, I reached for my wallet and handed her the money. “Here, sweetie. You earned this.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “Mom, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” I insisted. “You worked hard, and what she did was wrong. I’ll take care of this.”
While Lucy settled in to watch TV, I stood in the kitchen, seething. Mrs. Carpenter’s smug dismissal of my daughter’s hard work crossed a line, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. But instead of confronting her in anger, I decided on a more calculated approach.
The next morning, I rang Mrs. Carpenter’s doorbell, keeping my emotions in check. When she answered, she seemed surprised to see me.
“Rebecca, how nice to see you. What brings you by?” she asked.
“I just wanted to thank you for teaching Lucy such a valuable lesson yesterday,” I said with a smile.
Mrs. Carpenter raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You’re welcome.”
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