When Lena agreed to help her neighbor Karen by driving their daughters to school, she thought it would be a simple, one-time favor. But as Karen’s requests turned into daily demands, Lena started feeling used. After Karen refused to return the favor with a blatant lie, Lena decided it was time to teach her a lesson.
Lena always thought of herself as someone who could go with the flow, avoiding drama and keeping things friendly. But everything changed the morning Karen knocked on her door.
“Lena! I’m so sorry to bother you so early!” Karen exclaimed, her overly sweet smile making Lena feel a bit uneasy.
Lena was still in her pajamas, sipping coffee while her eight-year-old daughter, Sophie, was upstairs getting dressed. She certainly 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 said, 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. However, she remembered how much Sophie liked Emily and how sweet Emily always was. So, Lena shrugged it off and agreed.
“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 spiral into something much more complicated.
The very next morning, Karen was back at Lena’s door, looking as 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, her smile bright.
This routine continued day after day. Every morning, there was Karen, full of smiles, 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 building. She was already frazzled, and the thought of adding another kid 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.
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 huge SUV! All she ever had in there was Emily!
Lena’s 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, of course, 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 always. 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 up 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, her bright smile hiding a hint of tension.
“Good morning, Lena!” she chirped, her eyes assessing. “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.
“Miss Richards? Aren’t we supposed to go that way?” Emily asked, her brow furrowed.
“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 rushing. 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 eased, and the roads were empty and peaceful.
As they pulled into the school parking lot, Lena noticed it was almost empty. She spotted the staff beginning to pack up from the morning drop-off and felt a tiny pang of guilt. But it 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, ready for the fallout.
When she returned home, sure enough, Karen was standing on her porch with her arms crossed, waiting for Lena. She looked like she was trying to keep her composure, but her eyes were practically shooting fire.
“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 toward her, keeping her expression as innocent as possible. “Oh, Karen, I’m so sorry! But you know how it is,” she said, feigning concern.
Karen’s jaw tightened, and Lena could see her struggling to maintain control. “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, her heart racing.
Karen didn’t reply. She turned on her heel and stormed 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 amazing—really amazing.
And that was the last time Karen ever asked Lena to take Emily to school. From that day forward, she made sure to get her daughter ready early enough to drive her herself.
Karen 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 a longer path to get there.
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