Grab some popcorn, folks, because this story is one of those moments when the universe delivers a cosmic smackdown.
I’m Mia, sixteen years old, stuck in a suburban home with my dad and stepmom, Trudy. Trudy’s been around for two years, and she has the “wicked stepmother” act down perfectly. If you looked up “entitled,” you’d find her picture.
Dad stays out of the way as much as he can. He’s the “happy wife, happy life” type, but Trudy’s never truly happy. She expects the world to cater to her whims.
Now, let’s talk about Trudy’s birthday party last Saturday. It was over-the-top, like a wedding reception. “You’d better get me something special this year, Mia,” she said. “A dishwasher would be nice. After all, I’ve done a lot for you.”
Yeah, right. “I’m saving for my prom dress,” I replied.
Her face twisted in disbelief. “A dishwasher is much more practical. I don’t want to hear any excuses.”
A woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
Excuses? This woman expected me to fund an appliance! Trudy had convinced Dad I was too young for a job, so my prom savings came from babysitting jobs I managed to get.
The day of her party was chaotic. I spent hours setting up and refilling drinks while Trudy basked in the attention. When the party wound down, she clinked her glass and said, “Since you didn’t buy me a dishwasher, the least you could do is wash all these dishes.”
Everyone stared. “I told you I didn’t have the money,” I replied, but she waved me off. “Just wash the dishes, Mia. Do something useful.”
I swallowed my pride and nodded. After scrubbing for an hour, I was emotionally drained.
The next morning, I woke to Trudy shrieking from the kitchen. I found her in a disaster zone: the kitchen was trashed, flooded, and filled with the smell of burnt plastic.
“Mia!” she screamed. “Look at what happened!”
“What’s going on?”
“The pipes! It’s going to cost a fortune to fix!”
My dad poked his head in. “Trudy, did you really drop all the meat oils into the sink?”
“I didn’t know where else to throw it out!” she wailed.
My instinct was to laugh. While Trudy panicked, I felt a smirk tugging at my lips. I said nothing.
For the next week, the kitchen was out of commission. Dad announced they’d have to cut back on expenses, “Except for Mia. I have $500 for her prom dress.”
“You can’t be serious!” Trudy exclaimed. “You want me to pay for the new tiles but spoil Mia?”
“You spoiled yourself for your party. I can spoil my child for her prom.”
And that was how Trudy learned not to cross Dad. She even agreed to let me get a part-time job and offered to help me find a prom dress.
