When Lena agrees to help her neighbor Karen by driving their daughters to school, she thinks it’s just a one-time favor. But as Karen’s requests become a daily expectation, Lena starts feeling used. When Karen refuses to return the favor with a blatant lie, Lena decides to teach her a lesson.
I used to think I was one of those people who could just go with the flow, you know? Avoid drama, and keep things pleasant. But that all started to change the morning Karen knocked on my door.
A woman looking at a front door | Source: Midjourney
“Lena, hey! I’m so sorry to bother you this early,” Karen said, flashing that overly sweet smile of hers.
I was still in my pajamas, trying to coax my brain into waking up with a cup of coffee. Sophie, my eight-year-old, was upstairs getting dressed for school. The last thing I expected was a surprise visit from the neighbor.
“No bother at all, Karen,” I replied, yawning as I opened the door wider. “What’s up?”
A woman answering her front door | Source: Midjourney
“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 such a bind.”
I hesitated. Not because I didn’t want to help, but because I wasn’t sure if I could juggle two kids in the morning rush. But then I remembered how much Sophie liked Emily, and how sweet Emily always was, so I shrugged it off.
“Sure, no problem. I can drop them both off.”
Karen’s face lit up like I’d just offered her the winning lottery ticket.
A happy woman | Source: Midjourney
“You’re a lifesaver, Lena. I owe you one!”
I waved her off, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, really. It’s just a quick favor.”
That’s where it all began. A ‘quick favor’ that turned into something much more complicated.
The next morning, Karen was at my door again, looking just as polished and perky as before. “I have another early meeting today. Would you mind taking Emily again? She loves riding with Sophie, and it would be such a help.”
A woman asking a question | Source: Midjourney
This went on for weeks. Every morning, there was Karen, all smiles and gratitude, asking me to take Emily. At first, I didn’t mind. Emily was well-behaved, and Sophie loved having her along.
But soon, it started to feel less like a favor and more like an obligation. Karen wasn’t asking anymore — she was expecting.
One morning, Sophie and I were running late. I’d hit snooze on my alarm one too many times, and the house was a whirlwind of chaos. Sophie couldn’t find her shoes, the cat had knocked over a vase, and I hadn’t even had a chance to brush my hair.
A woman rushing to get ready | Source: Midjourney
As I scrambled to get us out the door, my phone buzzed with a text from Karen: Can you take Emily today?
I stared at the message. I was already frazzled, and the thought of adding another kid to the mix made me want to scream. But then, I had an idea, a simple, desperate one.
I texted Karen back: Actually, I’m running late today. Can you take Sophie?
A cell phone | Source: Pexels
I figured it was only fair. After all, I’d been driving Emily to school for weeks now. Surely Karen could handle one morning, right?
The reply came almost immediately: Sorry, the car’s too full today.
I blinked at the screen, disbelief flooding over me. Too full? Karen drove a massive SUV! And all she ever transported in there was Emily!
My mind raced, trying to come up with any reasonable explanation for that blatant lie, but there was none. Karen had just shown her true colors, and they weren’t pretty.
A woman reading a text | Source: Midjourney
That was the moment I realized I’d been played. My goodwill had been mistaken for weakness, and Karen had been taking advantage of me, plain and simple.
I wanted to march over to her house and confront her, let her know exactly what I thought of her flimsy excuse. But instead, I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the time for a confrontation. Not yet.
Instead, I got Sophie ready, drove her to school, and spent the rest of the day stewing in my anger. Every time I thought about Karen’s text, a fresh wave of frustration washed over me.
A woman near a window | Source: Midjourney
I wasn’t going to let Karen get away with this. Not anymore. She’d poked the bear one too many times, and she was about to learn that I wasn’t as much of a pushover as she thought.
The next morning, sure enough, I got the text: Can you take Emily again today?
I could practically see Karen’s smug smile as I read those words. She was so sure I’d say yes, just like every other time. And I did say yes — only this time, I had a plan.
A woman smirking | Source: Midjourney
“Hey, Sophie, how about we stop at Rosie’s Donuts on the way to school today?” I called up the stairs as I finished packing her lunch. Sophie’s favorite donut shop was just a few minutes out of the way, but I knew it’d add enough time to our trip to make Karen notice.
“Really? On a school day?” Sophie’s voice was full of excitement as she came bounding down the stairs, her backpack slung over one shoulder.
“Yep. It’s a special Friday treat. What do you say?”
A woman looking up a flight of stairs | Source: Midjourney
“Yay!” Sophie practically danced her way to the car, her ponytail bouncing behind her.
I smiled to myself, the bitterness of Karen’s betrayal easing just a little at the sight of Sophie’s joy.
As expected, Karen was waiting outside with Emily.
“Good morning, Lena!” Karen chirped, her smile bright but her eyes sharp, assessing. “Thanks again for doing this. You’re such a lifesaver.”
“Oh, no problem at all,” I replied, matching her fake cheerfulness with some of my own. “It’s always a pleasure.”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
Sophie and Emily climbed into the backseat, chatting away about their favorite YouTube videos, and I pulled out of the driveway, waving to Karen as we drove off.
I could feel her eyes on us, probably already mentally checking off another morning of childcare that she didn’t have to worry about.
But today, things were different.
Instead of taking the usual route to school, I turned left at the next intersection, heading straight for Rosie’s. Emily noticed immediately.
“Miss Richards? Aren’t we supposed to go that way?” she asked.
A girl in a car | Source: Midjourney
“We’re stopping for donuts this morning, Emily,” I said with a wink.
Emily looked confused. “Won’t we be late?”
I 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 we reached the donut shop, we were already cutting it close. But I wasn’t in any rush. We strolled inside, and I let the girls pick out their favorite treats.
Donuts | Source: Pexels
“Mom, this is the best day ever!” Sophie exclaimed, her mouth full of a donut.
I smiled, savoring the moment. “Glad you think so, sweetie.”
We took our time eating, chatting about nothing in particular, while the clock ticked on. I wasn’t usually the type to make my kid late for school, but this wasn’t about Sophie or Emily. This was about making a point.
By the time we finally left Rosie’s, the morning rush had died down, and the roads were blissfully empty.
A car driving on a city street | Source: Unsplash
When we finally pulled up to the school, the parking lot was nearly empty. I could see the school staff starting to pack up from the morning drop-off, and I felt a twinge of guilt. But it was quickly drowned out by the satisfaction of knowing Karen was probably already fuming.
“Alright, girls, here we are,” I said as I parked the car. “Have a great day, and don’t forget to tell your teachers we had a special morning!”
Sophie grinned, giving me a quick hug before she and Emily hurried inside. As I watched them go, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the fallout.
A woman in her car | Source: Midjourney
Sure enough, when I got back home, Karen was standing on her porch, arms crossed, waiting for me. She looked like she was trying to keep it together, but her eyes were practically blazing with anger.
“Lena, what happened? Emily was late for school! I thought you were going to drop them off on time!” she snapped the moment I stepped out of the car.
I walked up to her, keeping my expression as innocent as possible. “Oh, Karen, I’m so sorry! But you know how it is.”
A woman looking innocent | Source: Midjourney
Her jaw tightened, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. “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.”
Karen didn’t reply. She just turned on her heel and marched back inside, slamming the door behind her. I watched her go, feeling a wave of triumph wash over me. It wasn’t often that I stood up for myself, but this time, it felt good. Really good.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
And that was the last time Karen ever asked me to take Emily to school. From then on, she made sure to get her daughter ready early enough to handle the drive herself.
She also avoided me whenever possible, clearly embarrassed and resentful, but I didn’t mind. She’d finally learned her lesson.
And I’d finally learned mine too. Being a good neighbor doesn’t mean being a doormat. Sometimes, you’ve got to stand up for yourself, even if it means taking the scenic route to get there.
A satisfied woman | Source: Midjourney
Here’s another story: Who charges a $500 bill for a family BBQ? My stepsister Karen, that’s who. Instead of paying, I decided to teach her a lesson in family hospitality — with a twist she never saw coming. Click here to read more.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
This actor went from $150 a month to running a farm with his famous wife
Can you guess the iconic actor who went from living in a rundown New York “flophouse” for just $150 a month to owning a peaceful farm with his family?
This actor’s humble beginnings are a far cry from his current life of farm animals and fresh home-grown veggies. Growing up, he knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor.
After trips to the movie theater, he would come home and immediately dress up as one of the characters from the film, fully immersing himself in the world of make-believe. His favorite childhood toy? A box of old clothes his mom had saved for him, which he used to fuel his imagination and creativity.
Wanted the ”real thing”
In 1976, fresh out of Philadelphia, he moved to New York City to chase his dream of acting. He spent months crashing on his sister’s couch before finding a cheap place through an ad in the Village Voice – a no-frills, budget-friendly “artist’s residence.”
Though the place was far from glamorous, it was exactly what he could afford at the time. In fact, the actor shared that it wasn’t even a single room – he had to move in with a roommate.
His roomie was a classical pianist, and the two shared the space for four years. In interviews, the actor fondly reminisces about the calming sounds of the piano that filled the apartment late at night.
While living in The Big Apple, the actor appeared in a production at the Circle in the Square Theater School. ”I wanted life, man, the real thing,” he later recalled to Nancy Mills of Cosmopolitan.
”The message I got was ‘The arts are it. Business is the devil’s work. Art and creative expression are next to godliness.’”
So, can you guess who this determined actor is?
He has a tall, lean frame and a signature look that’s a mix of rugged and charming.
With a square jaw and high cheekbones, he’s got a face that can go from intense to relatable in an instant. His light brown hair is often casually styled, and his deep-set eyes add a mysterious vibe. You might recognize his easy-going, yet timeless style that’s made him a fan favorite for decades. Can you guess who he is?
Alright, we won’t drag this out any longer.
While this Golden Globe Award winner was living in that tiny, $150-a-month space, he was also preparing for his big break.
Household name
Fast forward a few years, and he would go on to star in iconic films like Footloose, Beauty Shop, and The Woodsman, becoming a household name.
So here it is – it’s Kevin Bacon! From his early days as a young actor in New York to now living on a farm with his wife and their animals, his journey has truly been one to follow
Now, the actor is living a completely different life. He and his wife, fellow actress Kyra Sedgwick, now shares a 40-acre farm in Sharon, Connecticut. They have several animals, including goats, pigs, alpacas, and miniature horses.
”I love animals, they are a joy to be around, and they’re very, very calming for me,” Bacon said. ”But we also really love to go into the garden and get fresh herbs or tomatoes or basil or peppers or zucchini.”
And talk about how Bacon is living a completely different life today compared to his bachelor days in New York. He’s got more millions in the bank now – and doesn’t have to rely on his old roommate’s cooking skills anymore.
”He would cook,” Bacon said of his former roommate in New York.
”I didn’t know anything about cooking since I was used to going to the store and getting a sandwich or eating a slice of pizza.”
He added, ”And I watched my roommate, and he was a very frugal man so he was not going to go out and spend money to eat in a restaurant or even get something to go. He would make his own food and I got very inspired by that.”
Gradually, both Kevin and Kyra shares snippets of their daily lives on social media, with Sedgwick posting so many videos of her and their goats to TikTok that people now recognize her for it, rather than her acting roles.
“People were like, ’We love you singing with the goats.’ Kevin and I are like, ’Great, have you seen our movies or TV shows?’ But it makes people happy,” the actress and producer told People.
They even shared that his relationship with his animals has caused a shift in his eating habits — he no longer eats goat or pig products.
”It’s all about the animals,” Kevin says, adding that his wife won’t let him get any more animals, as he’d likely stop eating even more types of food. The couple also loves tending to their garden, growing fresh herbs, tomatoes, and peppers.
Interestingly, the Footloose star and Sedgwick aren’t the only celebs drawn to farm life. In fact, famed actress Jennifer Garner decided to buy back the farm her mother grew up on and transform it into an organic produce project for baby food.
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