Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges at you, and I never expected to face one from my own neighbor. My name is Prudence. I’m 48, a single mother of two, and working remotely for a call center. Six years ago, my husband, Silas, walked out of our lives, leaving me with two young children—Damien, 14, and Connie, 6. Life hasn’t been easy since.
Despite all the struggles, I do my best. My work at the call center doesn’t pay much, but it helps keep a roof over our heads. I’ve always tried to stay positive, even when things get tough. But when Emery, a new neighbor in her early 30s, knocked on my door, things were about to take a turn I hadn’t seen coming.
“Prudence, can I ask you for a huge favor?” she said, voice trembling as she stepped inside, looking exhausted. She collapsed on the couch. “I had this crazy party last night, and now I have to leave town for work. The place is a mess, and I don’t have time to clean it up. Could you help me? I’ll pay you, of course.”
The offer was tempting. It had been months since I’d had a break, and $250 would go a long way for us. “How much are we talking about?” I asked.
“Two hundred and fifty dollars,” she said quickly. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t an emergency.”
I agreed, despite my reservations. I had my shift in a couple of hours, but the money would help with bills and groceries. Emery thanked me profusely before rushing out the door.
I arrived at her house to find it was a disaster—dirty plates, empty bottles, and trash everywhere. It looked like a tornado had hit. I spent the next two days scrubbing, sweeping, and hauling trash out. My back ached, and my hands were raw, but I kept reminding myself that $250 was at the end of this.
When I was finally done, I marched over to her house, ready to collect the payment. “Emery, it’s done. Your house is spotless,” I said, hoping she’d keep her word.
But she blinked at me, confused. “Payment? What payment?”
I felt my heart sink. “The $250 we agreed on. You promised me that.”
Her tone shifted, annoyance creeping in. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never agreed to pay you anything.”
For a moment, I just stood there, stunned. I had spent two days working hard, and now she was pretending we had never made a deal. “This isn’t right, Emery!” I called after her, but she didn’t respond, rushing to her car and leaving me standing in her driveway.
A messy house with empty bottles, dirty plates, and trash strewn everywhere | Source: Midjourney
Back at home, I was fuming. I couldn’t let her get away with this. My kids were busy with their own things, and I was left to stew in anger. After pacing around for a while, an idea popped into my head. It wasn’t the right thing to do, but at that moment, I felt like it was the only thing left.
I drove to the local dump, pulled on old gloves, and started filling my trunk with garbage bags. The smell was awful, but I gritted my teeth and carried on. When I got back to Emery’s street, I parked a little down the block, hoping no one would see me.
As I hauled the trash bags to her door, I realized she had left her house key with me in her haste to leave. That was all the opportunity I needed. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, seeing the house still spotless. But it wasn’t going to stay that way.
One by one, I tore open the garbage bags and dumped their contents all over her home—on the floors, counters, and even her bed. Rotten food, dirty diapers, old newspapers—it was a mess.
I locked the door behind me and left the key under her welcome mat. As I walked back to my car, I felt a strange mix of satisfaction and guilt, but the satisfaction won out. Emery had disrespected me, and now she would feel the consequences.
Later that evening, as I was putting Connie to bed, I heard furious banging at my front door. I knew it was Emery. When I opened the door, she was livid. “Prudence! What did you do to my house?” she screamed, her face red with anger.
I crossed my arms, staying calm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We never made a deal, remember? You said you weren’t going to pay me, so I never had your keys.”
It felt good to stand my ground. Emery had crossed a line, and now, she was finally learning that actions have consequences.
