I didn’t want revenge on anyone, especially not for being kind to my elderly neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, an 82-year-old widow. She seemed forgotten by her family, especially her son, Steve, who lived just 20 minutes away but rarely visited.

For over a year, I helped her with errands—groceries, appointments, and clearing her driveway. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Debbie,” she often said, smiling at me.

But everything changed when I had to leave town to care for my mother, who was in the hospital for surgery. Before I left, I stocked Mrs. Jenkins’ home with groceries and asked our neighbor, Karen, to check in on her.

Ten days into my stay, Steve called. “My mother ran out of milk! Why didn’t you make sure she had enough before you left?” His tone shocked me. How could he accuse me, when he barely knew her daily life?

“Steve, I’m here for my mom. I stocked your mom up and arranged for Karen to help,” I explained. Instead of acknowledging my efforts, he said, “That’s not good enough! If you’re going to care for her, do it right!”

Frustrated, I responded, “Maybe you should help her for once.” He called me pathetic before I ended the call, not wanting to upset Mrs. Jenkins.

After returning home, I checked on Mrs. Jenkins. Thankfully, she was fine and had received help from Karen. But I decided I couldn’t help as much anymore. “I have other commitments,” I told her gently. “I need to check on my mom more often.”

Over the following weeks, Steve had to step up. He looked irritated whenever he visited his mother. During one visit, while sorting through papers, we found her will, which listed him as the sole beneficiary.

“It’s a shame Steve can’t spend more time with you,” I said casually.

“I sometimes think he only cares about what I’ll leave him,” she sighed.

I suggested she consider donating some of her estate to charity. A week later, she updated her will, leaving portions to several charities and a little something for me.

When Steve found out, he stormed over, furious. “You convinced my mother to give away my inheritance!”

“I didn’t convince her of anything. Maybe if you spent more time with her, you’d know what she really wanted.”

He shouted insults but left, knowing he had lost.

Now, Mrs. Jenkins is happier than ever, and I’m taking her to the ballet this week. Steve is likely regretting the time he wasted.

Sometimes, the best revenge is letting someone realize their own failure.