“Yes, about contracts and trust,” I continued. “It’s great that kids learn about these things early on.”
Her smile widened. “I’m glad you see it that way.”
“Absolutely,” I said, pulling out my phone. “In fact, I’ve been sharing the story with the other moms in the neighborhood group. They were quite interested.”
Her smile faltered. “The neighborhood group?”
I nodded, scrolling through my phone. “Yes, Sarah from down the street was pretty shocked when I told her you had a teenager babysit all week and didn’t pay her. She wasn’t the only one.”
Mrs. Carpenter’s face paled. “You didn’t—”
“Oh, I did. It’s been a lively discussion. A lot of moms are concerned. It’s all over Facebook.”
Her face went white as I read aloud some of the comments. “Melissa called it disgraceful, and Janet from the PTA? She’s planning to bring it up at the next meeting. Apparently, it doesn’t reflect well on the neighborhood.”
Mrs. Carpenter was now trembling. “Rebecca, please—this must be a misunderstanding.”
I smiled sweetly. “I was very clear. You wanted to teach Lucy a life lesson, and now the whole neighborhood knows about it.”
Her voice wavered. “I’ll pay her. Just… please take the post down.”
I paused, letting her squirm a little longer. “Maybe next time, you’ll think twice before taking advantage of someone’s child. Consider this your own life lesson.”
That evening, Lucy came home, waving an envelope with a wide grin. “Mom! Mrs. Carpenter paid me! She said there was a misunderstanding.”
I hugged her tightly, feeling victorious. “I’m glad she fixed her mistake.”
Some might say I was being petty, but as I watched Lucy’s joy about her art course, I knew I’d do it all over again. It’s important to teach our children that their work has value—and that people who try to take advantage of them will face consequences.