When Lena agreed to help her neighbor Karen by driving their daughters to school, she thought it was just a small, one-time favor. But as Karen’s requests turned into daily expectations, Lena started to feel taken advantage of. When Karen refused to return the favor with a blatant lie, Lena decided it was time to teach her a lesson.
“I always thought I could go with the flow, avoiding drama and keeping things pleasant,” Lena reflected. “But everything changed the morning Karen knocked on my door.”
“Lena! I’m so sorry to bother you so early!” Karen exclaimed, her overly sweet smile making Lena feel uneasy.
Lena was still in her pajamas, trying to wake up with a cup of coffee while her eight-year-old daughter, Sophie, was upstairs getting dressed. She definitely didn’t expect a visit from her neighbor at this hour.
“No bother at all, Karen,” Lena said, yawning as she opened the door wider. “What’s going on?”
“I have an early meeting today, and I was wondering if you could take Emily to school with Sophie. Just this once? I hate to ask, but I’m in a real bind,” Karen pleaded, her voice full of urgency.
Lena hesitated—not because she didn’t want to help, but because managing two kids in the morning rush felt overwhelming. Still, she remembered how much Sophie liked Emily and how sweet Emily always was. So, she shrugged it off.
“Sure, no problem. I can drop them both off,” Lena replied.
Karen’s face lit up like she’d just won a big prize. “You’re a lifesaver, Lena! I owe you one!”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a quick favor,” Lena waved her off, smiling.
Little did she know, that ‘quick favor’ would soon turn into something much more complicated.
The next morning, Karen was back at Lena’s door, looking polished and cheerful as ever. “I have another early meeting today. Could you take Emily again? She loves riding with Sophie, and it would really help me out,” she said with a bright smile.
This routine continued for weeks. Every morning, there was Karen, full of smiles and gratitude, asking Lena to take Emily. At first, it was fine—Emily was well-behaved, and Sophie loved having her friend along.
But soon, it shifted from a favor to an obligation. Karen wasn’t asking anymore; she was expecting.
One hectic morning, Lena and Sophie were running late. Lena had hit the snooze button one too many times, and the house was a chaotic mess. Sophie couldn’t find her shoes, the cat had knocked over a vase, and Lena hadn’t even brushed her hair yet.
As she scrambled to get them out the door, her phone buzzed with a text from Karen: “Can you take Emily today?”
Lena stared at the message, her frustration bubbling over. She was already frazzled, and the thought of adding another kid to the mix made her want to scream. Then, a bold idea sparked in her mind.
She texted back: “Actually, I’m running late today. Can you take Sophie?”
That seemed fair, right? After all, she had been driving Emily to school for weeks. Surely, Karen could manage one morning, couldn’t she?
The reply came almost instantly: “Sorry, the car’s too full today.”
Lena blinked at her screen, disbelief washing over her. Too full? Karen drove a massive SUV! All she ever had in there was Emily!
Her mind raced, searching for a logical explanation for Karen’s blatant lie, but there was none. Karen had shown her true colors, and they weren’t pretty.
Lena felt the urge to confront Karen, but instead, she clenched her teeth and decided to stay calm. This wasn’t the right moment for a fight—not yet.
So she got Sophie ready, drove her to school, and spent the rest of the day simmering with anger. Every time she thought of Karen’s text, a fresh wave of frustration surged through her.
“I won’t let Karen get away with this,” Lena vowed. “She has poked the bear one too many times, and now it’s time to show her I’m not just a pushover.”
The next morning, sure enough, she received the text: “Can you take Emily again today?”
Lena could almost picture Karen’s smug smile as she read those words. Karen was so certain Lena would say yes, just like every other time. And while Lena did say yes, this time she had a clever plan.
“Hey, Sophie! How about we stop at Rosie’s Donuts on the way to school today?” Lena called up the stairs, finishing packing Sophie’s lunch. Rosie’s was Sophie’s favorite place, just a few minutes out of the way, and Lena knew it would delay them enough to make Karen notice.
“Really? On a school day?” Sophie exclaimed, bounding down the stairs with excitement.
“Yep! It’s a special Friday treat. What do you say?” Lena grinned.
“Yay!” Sophie practically danced her way to the car, her ponytail bouncing happily.
Lena smiled to herself, feeling a bit of the bitterness about Karen fade away at the sight of Sophie’s joy.
As expected, Karen was waiting outside with Emily.
“Good morning, Lena!” she chirped, her bright smile hiding a hint of tension. “Thanks again for doing this. You’re such a lifesaver.”
“Oh, no problem at all,” Lena replied, matching her fake cheerfulness. “Always a pleasure.”
Sophie and Emily climbed into the backseat, chattering away, and Lena pulled out of the driveway, waving to Karen as they drove off. She could feel Karen’s eyes on them, probably mentally checking off another day of free childcare.
But today was going to be different.
Instead of taking the usual route to school, Lena turned left at the next intersection, heading straight for Rosie’s. Emily noticed immediately.
“Miss Richards? Aren’t we supposed to go that way?” she asked, her brow furrowing.
“We’re stopping for donuts this morning, Emily,” Lena said with a wink.
Emily looked puzzled. “Won’t we be late?”
Lena glanced at her in the rearview mirror and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll get there in time.”
Except that wasn’t exactly true. By the time they reached the donut shop, they were already cutting it close. But Lena wasn’t in a hurry. They took their time picking out their favorite treats.
“Mom, this is the best day ever!” Sophie exclaimed, her mouth full of donut.
“I’m glad you think so, sweetie,” Lena smiled, savoring the moment. They lingered, chatting about their favorite flavors, while the clock ticked away. This wasn’t just about Sophie or Emily; this was about making a point.
Finally, when they left Rosie’s, the morning rush had calmed down, and the roads were blissfully empty.
As they pulled into the school parking lot, it was nearly deserted. Lena spotted the staff beginning to pack up from the morning drop-off and felt a twinge of guilt. But that feeling quickly faded, replaced by the satisfaction of knowing Karen was probably fuming.
“Alright, girls, here we are,” Lena said as she parked. “Have a great day, and don’t forget to tell your teachers we had a special morning!”
Sophie grinned and hugged Lena tightly before she and Emily dashed inside. Lena watched them go, taking a deep breath, bracing herself for the fallout.
When she returned home, sure enough, Karen was standing on her porch, arms crossed, waiting for her. She looked like she was trying to keep her cool, but her eyes were practically blazing with anger.
“Lena, what happened? Emily was late for school! I thought you were going to drop them off on time!” she snapped as Lena stepped out of the car.
Lena walked up to her, keeping her expression as innocent as possible. “Oh, Karen, I’m so sorry! But you know how it is.”
Her jaw tightened, and Lena could see the gears turning in her head. “I see,” she said through gritted teeth. “Well, try not to let it happen again.”
“Or maybe you could take Emily yourself? Just a thought,” Lena suggested, feeling braver.
Karen didn’t respond. She simply turned on her heel and marched back inside, slamming the door behind her. Lena watched her go, a wave of triumph washing over her. It wasn’t often that she stood up for herself, but this time, it felt fantastic—really fantastic.
And that was the last time Karen ever asked Lena to take Emily to school. From that day on, Karen made sure to get her daughter ready early enough to drive her herself.
She also started avoiding Lena whenever she could, clearly embarrassed and resentful. But Lena didn’t mind. She had finally learned her lesson too: being a good neighbor doesn’t mean being a doormat. Sometimes, you have to stand up for yourself, even if it means taking the scenic route to get there.
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