I used to think of myself as someone who could roll with the punches—avoid drama, keep things pleasant, and not stir the pot. That all changed the morning Karen knocked on my door.
“Lena, hey! I’m so sorry to bother you this early,” Karen greeted me with her trademark overly sweet smile. I was still in my pajamas, nursing a cup of coffee, trying to wake up. My eight-year-old daughter, Sophie, was upstairs getting ready for school. The last thing I expected was a surprise visit from the neighbor.
“No problem, Karen,” I replied, stifling a yawn and opening the door wider. “What’s up?”
“I’ve got an early meeting today, and I was wondering if you could take Emily to school with Sophie. Just this once? I’m in a bit of a bind,” she said, a pleading tone in her voice.
I hesitated, not because I didn’t want to help, but because mornings were already a whirlwind for me. However, I thought about how much Sophie liked Emily and how sweet Emily always was, so I shrugged it off.
“Sure, no problem. I can drop them both off.”
Karen’s face lit up like I had just solved all her problems. “Oh, you’re a lifesaver, Lena! I owe you one!”
“Don’t worry about it,” I smiled. “It’s just a quick favor.”
And that’s how it all began—a “quick favor” that snowballed into something much more. The very next morning, there was Karen at my door again, all smiles and gratitude.
“I have another early meeting. Would you mind taking Emily again? She loves riding with Sophie, and it would be a huge help,” she said.
This went on for weeks. Every morning, Karen stood at my door with a sweet smile, expecting me to take Emily to school. At first, I didn’t mind. Emily was polite, and Sophie enjoyed her company. But eventually, it stopped feeling like a favor and more like a chore. Karen wasn’t asking anymore—she was assuming.
One morning, I was running late. I had hit snooze too many times, Sophie couldn’t find her shoes, and the cat had knocked over a vase. It was complete chaos. Then, just as I was rushing to get out the door, my phone buzzed with a text from Karen: Can you take Emily today?
I stared at the message, feeling my stress levels spike. Then, an idea struck me. I quickly typed back: Actually, I’m running late. Can you take Sophie?
I figured it was only fair. After all, I’d been doing Karen a favor for weeks. Surely she could return it just once. Her reply came almost instantly: Sorry, my car’s too full today.
I blinked at my phone in disbelief. Too full? Karen drove an SUV—there was more than enough space for Sophie. The excuse was as flimsy as they came, and it hit me: Karen had been taking advantage of me all along.
I wanted to march over and confront her, but I bit my tongue. This wasn’t the time for a scene. Instead, I got Sophie ready, dropped her off at school, and spent the rest of the day seething. Karen had crossed a line, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it anymore. She had poked the bear one too many times.
The next morning, like clockwork, I got the usual text: Can you take Emily again today?
I could almost feel Karen’s smugness through the screen. But this time, I had a plan.
“Hey, Sophie!” I called upstairs as I finished packing her lunch. “How about we stop at Rosie’s Donuts on the way to school today?”
Sophie’s favorite donut shop was just a few minutes out of the way, but it would add enough time to throw off our usual schedule. “Really? On a school day?” she asked excitedly as she bounded downstairs.
“Yep. A special Friday treat. What do you think?”
“Yay!” Sophie squealed, practically skipping to the car.
When we pulled out of the driveway, Karen was, of course, waiting outside with Emily. “Good morning, Lena!” she chirped, her smile as bright as ever. “Thanks again for this. You’re such a gem.”
“Oh, no problem,” I replied, matching her fake cheerfulness with some of my own.
As the girls settled into the backseat, I turned left at the next intersection, heading for Rosie’s. Emily immediately noticed. “Miss Lena, aren’t we supposed to go that way to school?”
“We’re making a stop for donuts this morning,” I said with a wink.
“But won’t we be late?” Emily asked, looking concerned.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there,” I reassured her with a smile, though I had no intention of rushing.
We strolled into the donut shop, and I let the girls take their time picking out their treats. Sophie was thrilled, happily munching away on her favorite chocolate donut.
“Mom, this is the best day ever!” she exclaimed.
I grinned. “Glad you’re enjoying it, sweetie.”
We sat there for a while, chatting and relaxing. By the time we left, we were cutting it close—very close. When we finally pulled up to the school, the parking lot was nearly empty.
“Have a great day, girls!” I said cheerfully as they rushed inside. I knew Emily would likely be late, and I could already imagine Karen’s reaction.
Sure enough, when I got home, Karen was standing on her porch, arms crossed, a forced smile barely hiding her fury. “