I always wondered why people said being a single mom was difficult. My friends and family were supportive, so I thought I had it figured out. That changed when I faced a situation that left me fuming with anger.

Before I dive into that, let me introduce myself. I’m Eliza, a single mom of three. My ex-husband cheated on me and, despite his empty promises to change, I finally kicked him out after catching him with his mistress.

Now, I’ve been living with my kids—Chelsea (10), Trevor (8), and Kayla (6)—for two years. My life revolves around them, but I was still adjusting to managing everything alone, including home repairs. My brother usually helped, but when my kitchen drain clogged, I had to hire a contractor.

That’s when I realized how some people treat single mothers. A few months ago, I discovered the blockage while washing dishes. I tried my usual hacks, but nothing worked, and I ended up washing dishes in the bathroom.

After calling my brother for help, he recommended I hire a professional. A friend suggested Mark, claiming he was one of the best. Mark came over, examined the problem, and convinced me to remodel the kitchen, promising it would save me future headaches. The quote seemed reasonable, so I decided to go for it.

Mark started work two days later. My kids were curious but he was surprisingly kind to them. Everything went smoothly until he didn’t show up one day. I figured he was busy and waited another day. After three days, I called him.

“Oh, Eliza,” he said nonchalantly, “I’m working on another job. I’ll swing by later.”

Later turned into a week, and when I called again, he ignored me. I knew he was taking advantage of me because I was a single mother. That made me furious.

I decided to take action. I snapped photos of my half-done kitchen—cabinets hanging at odd angles, exposed wires, and broken pipes—and posted them in local home improvement groups on Facebook. I wrote, “I hired this contractor named Mark on a friend’s recommendation. He vanished before finishing my kitchen. Has anyone else experienced this?”

The comments flooded in. Other locals shared their own horror stories about Mark. Even my brother, Adam, was shocked when I told him.

Two days later, Mark called, panicked. “I’ve been hearing some things online… People are saying I’m not finishing jobs. That’s not true, right?”

“Well, Mark,” I replied calmly, “maybe you should focus on finishing the work you started.”

Hours later, he texted me, promising to finish the job if I helped him get the negative reviews taken down. He arrived the next day with his crew and worked faster than I’d ever seen. Once the job was done, he asked me to remove my post and leave a good review.

“I’ll think about it,” I told him. But I had no intention of taking it down.

Mark thought he could disregard me because I was a single mother. He messed with the wrong person.

Looking back, I realize that if Adam had been around, Mark wouldn’t have dared to cross me. I learned that I could handle things myself, and I wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of me or my situation.

Everything happens for a reason, and I finally understand why.