My DIL Returned My Car Totaled after a Trip to Her Friend — She Refused to Pay for the Damages, So I Taught Her a Lesson

I thought lending my car to my daughter-in-law would be a chance to mend our strained relationship. Instead, she returned it battered and covered in lies, refusing to pay for the damages. What I did next left her feeling helpless.

I’m a 60-year-old woman who’s been living alone ever since my husband passed away five years ago. Nathan died after a tough battle with cancer, and there wasn’t much we could’ve done to save him. I still remember what he said to me the day before he closed his eyes forever.

A sick man in a hospital room | Source: Pexels

A sick man in a hospital room | Source: Pexels

“Jennifer, always look after Toby,” he said as he held my hand. “I know he’s 30 and he can look after himself, but that boy is a bit too sensitive, and I know he’ll need his mother to support him.”

He was right. Toby did need me in the days following Nathan’s death. I remember how we would sit together, reminiscing about how Nathan used to take us to his favorite restaurant and make us all laugh.

A woman talking to her son | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking to her son | Source: Midjourney

Toby and I would laugh and then cry thinking about the disturbing fact that we’d never see Nathan again. It made us feel devastated, but I guess that’s part of the healing process.

However, things changed when Toby found someone to replace his aging mother. About a year after Nathan’s death, Toby introduced me to a beautiful 30-year-old woman named Layla, whom he met at work.

She wore a lovely dress, her hair neatly tied back, perfectly dressed to meet her boyfriend’s mother. I had to admit that she knew how to make a strong first impression.

A young woman | Source: Midjourney

A young woman | Source: Midjourney

“Hi, Jennifer,” she hugged me the first time we met. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” I smiled, totally mesmerized by my son’s choice. “You look wonderful, Layla!”

At that moment, I had no clue how this woman would soon come into our lives and pull my son away from me. She seemed so nice; I never would have guessed just how cunning she really was.

A young woman smiling | Source: Midjourney

A young woman smiling | Source: Midjourney

Toby and Layla tied the knot just six months after our first meeting. I was so happy for my son as he started a new chapter of his life, and my heart was full of good wishes for him. I remember how I couldn’t stop weeping when my boy said his vows like a grown-up man.

Not long after the wedding, Toby and Layla invited me over to their place for lunch. I thought it would be a nice bonding session with my daughter-in-law since it was just the three of us, but it was anything but that.

A woman looking at herself in the mirror while getting ready | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking at herself in the mirror while getting ready | Source: Midjourney

Toby had asked me to be there at 2 p.m., but I arrived about 10 minutes late, and Layla took that as an opportunity to create a scene.

“Why are you so late, Jennifer?” she asked as soon as I stepped inside the house. I couldn’t see Toby anywhere near the entrance. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long!”

“I… I got late because of the traffic,” I stammered, taken aback by the unexpected confrontation.

A woman looking at her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking at her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney

“I don’t like hosting people who can’t value my time,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry for that, Layla,” I apologized. “But it was just 10 minutes.”

“I don’t care if it was 10 minutes or 10 hours,” she shot me an angry look. “You need to be on time when you come to my place, underst—”

“Oh, Mom! You’re here!” Toby interrupted. “How are you, my lovely lady?”

A man looking straight ahead, smiling | Source: Midjourney

A man looking straight ahead, smiling | Source: Midjourney

“I’m fine, Toby,” I said, hugging him, still reeling from Layla’s behavior. “How are you, my love? Looks like you haven’t been eating well.”

“Nah, I’m good, Mom,” he smiled. “What were you guys talking about?”

“Your wife was say—”

“Nothing, babe,” Layla cut me off. “I was just telling her how beautiful she looks today.”

A woman smiling while talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney

A woman smiling while talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney

“Yeah?” Toby’s gaze shifted from his wife to me. “My mom always looks the best!”

At that point, I was stunned by Layla’s behavior. Why was she being so sweet to me in front of Toby? And why didn’t she let me tell him what she had said earlier?

I spent the rest of the afternoon at their house, observing how Layla effortlessly switched on her sweet personality whenever Toby was around. But when he wasn’t looking, she’d throw mean remarks to make me feel unwelcome.

A woman talking to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking to her daughter-in-law | Source: Midjourney

That day marked the beginning of my strained relationship with my daughter-in-law.

Then, one day, I noticed how Toby began taking her side whenever Layla and I argued in front of him.

“Layla’s right, Mom,” Toby said one day when we were at a restaurant deciding what to order for dinner. “We don’t need a large bowl of salad. It’s just the three of us. We’ll manage with a small bowl.”

A close-up shot of a man's face | Source: Midjourney

A close-up shot of a man’s face | Source: Midjourney

“See, I’ve been telling your mother to order the small bowl, but she never listens to me,” Layla chuckled. “I don’t know why she never trusts me.”

She played the victim in front of him, and my poor boy always fell for it. I don’t blame him; he had seen his father always side with me. But I wasn’t like Layla. I wasn’t pretending to be a good daughter-in-law in front of my husband.

A close-up shot of a woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

A close-up shot of a woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

Layla’s behavior toward me didn’t change until the day she called me. I was genuinely surprised to see her name on my phone screen.

“Hi, Jen!” she chirped through the phone.

Jen? I thought. That’s weird.

“Hi, Layla,” I played along, trying to sound as sweet as possible. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she said. “I was wondering if I could borrow your car tomorrow. Would that be okay with you?”

“My car?” I asked.

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Actually, I was supposed to visit my friend today. She lives a few hours away, but I couldn’t go because my car broke down. The mechanic says it’ll take a few days before he can fix it.”

“Oh, my! Sounds like there’s a major problem,” I said, genuinely concerned.

“I was so upset, but then Toby suggested I ask if you could lend me your car for a day,” she continued. “I’ll be back in a week.”

A week? I thought. That’s a lot.

A woman thinking while talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman thinking while talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

But I felt bad for her. She sounded desperate, and she mentioned Toby had suggested it, so I didn’t want to let her down. I also saw it as a chance to mend our relationship.

“Sure, I don’t mind,” I said. “You can come over today if you want.”

And that was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

An SUV parked outside a house | Source: Pexels

An SUV parked outside a house | Source: Pexels

A week later, Layla and Toby returned my car, but I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. It was covered in scratches, dents, and dust. And the inside? It smelled like rotten onions!

“What have you done to my car?” I spat out. “What happened?”

“Excuse me?” she said, squinting her eyes as if I’d said something outrageous. “What did I do to your car? It was like this when I picked it up the other day.”

A woman talking to her mother-in-law | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking to her mother-in-law | Source: Midjourney

“Stop it, Layla!” I yelled at her. “Stop lying.”

“You think I’m lying?” she snapped, turning to Toby. “Babe, look at her! She’s accusing me of lying! How dare she?”

“Mom, Layla’s right,” Toby said. “She told me your car was like this when she picked it up the other day. She’s not lying.”

“Toby? Are you serious?” I stared at him in shock, realizing there was no point in arguing with them.

A woman looking at her son | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking at her son | Source: Midjourney

I had no proof, and neither did she. But Toby sided with her because he was so blindly in love with her.

I realized that arguing might even push my son away, so I decided to teach Layla a lesson instead. I spent the night researching online and stumbled across an incredible idea. A quick call to the nearby pet shop, and my plan was in motion.

An older woman using a phone | Source: Pexels

An older woman using a phone | Source: Pexels

The next night, I drove over to their place armed with animal attractant sprays. I carefully sprayed them all over their backyard, driveway, and front porch, making sure to stay out of sight.

With the lights off, I knew they were asleep. I quickly executed my plan and quietly drove away, feeling a mix of nerves and satisfaction.

I was certain this would teach Layla not to mess with me again.

A young woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

A young woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

The next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing. It was Toby.

“Mom, I need help!” he cried over the phone.

“What happened, honey?” I asked, feigning ignorance. “Are you okay?”

“We just woke up, and it’s awful here! The yard stinks, and wild animals have turned our place into a toilet! The whole house smells horrible, and we don’t know what to do!”

I secretly smirked, listening to him rant about the mess. The irony was delicious.

A woman talking to her son on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking to her son on the phone | Source: Midjourney

“Oh, my!” I pretended to be surprised. “That sounds horrible. I guess that’s what happens when you ruin someone else’s property.”

I don’t know if Toby caught my meaning, but I’m sure his clever wife knew those animals didn’t show up by chance. She had to know it was me, her oh-so-nice mother-in-law, who never fought back before.

A close-up shot of a woman looking outside her window | Source: Midjourney

A close-up shot of a woman looking outside her window | Source: Midjourney

Since that day, Layla hasn’t dared to mess with me. We met at a dinner once, and she didn’t try to be rude or complain about me wasting her time. Meanwhile, Toby started calling me regularly, checking in to see how I was doing.

I guess my dear husband Nathan was right after all. My son did need me to pull him out of the trance Layla had drawn him into. He needed me to stand up for myself and set a boundary his wife wouldn’t dare cross again.

A young man standing outside his house | Source: Midjourney

A young man standing outside his house | Source: Midjourney

What would you have done if you were in my place?

If you enjoyed reading this story, here’s another one you might like: I thought I was a good mother-in-law and grandmother by availing myself to my son and daughter-in-law as they needed. But I soon realized that I was getting the raw end of the deal when my DIL disrespected me. I had to take matters into my own hands to remedy the situation once and for all!

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.

My Neighbor Requested My 12-Year-Old Son to Mow Her Lawn, Then Declined to Pay – She Wasn’t Prepared for My Retaliation

Then one day, Ethan came home, sweat dripping from his forehead. His shirt was soaked, and he looked like he’d been running for hours.

“Ethan, what happened?” I asked, walking over to him as he plopped down on the couch.

“Mrs. Johnson asked me to mow her lawn,” he panted. “She said she’d pay me twenty bucks.”

I glanced out the window at Mrs. Johnson’s yard. It was huge, easily the biggest in the neighborhood. Ethan had mowed the entire thing. It looked perfect, lines neat and clean.

“Two days,” Ethan said, wiping his face with his shirt. “It took me two whole days. But she said she’d pay me when I was done.”

I smiled at him, proud. Ethan was a good kid, always looking to help out. He’d been saving up for weeks to buy a food processor for his grandma’s birthday. The twenty dollars would help him get a little closer.

“Did she pay you yet?” I asked, still looking out the window.

“No, but I’m sure she will,” Ethan said, his voice hopeful.

I nodded. Mrs. Johnson might be distant, but stiffing a kid out of twenty bucks? Even she wouldn’t do that. Or so I thought.

A few days passed, and I noticed Ethan was quieter than usual. He wasn’t his usual cheerful self, and it worried me.

“What’s wrong, honey?” I asked one evening as he sat by the window, staring at Mrs. Johnson’s house.

“She hasn’t paid me yet,” he said softly.

I frowned. “Well, have you asked her?”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, I went over yesterday, but she told me she was busy and to come back later. So I went again today, and she told me… she told me to get lost.”

“What?” I gasped, shocked. “What do you mean ‘get lost’?”

Ethan looked down at his hands, his voice shaking just a little. “She said I should be grateful for the lesson I learned from mowing her lawn. That learning to work hard was the real payment. She said I didn’t need the money.”

My heart dropped, and my anger rose. This woman had tricked my son into doing two days of hard work and then refused to pay him. How dare she?

I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm for his sake, but inside I was boiling. “Don’t worry about it, honey. I’ll take care of it.”

Ethan gave me a small, trusting smile. But inside, I was already planning what I’d do next. Mrs. Johnson might think she was teaching my son a lesson, but she was about to learn one herself.

I sat on the porch the next morning, watching Mrs. Johnson pull out of her driveway, as polished as ever. The decision had been brewing inside me for days, and now, I felt no hesitation.

My son deserved justice, and if Mrs. Johnson wasn’t going to do the right thing, then I’d make sure she learned a lesson of her own. I got to making calls and leaving voice messages.

Around an hour later, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Mark, my old friend from high school, who now ran a small landscaping business. I explained the situation in a quick, hushed tone.

“So, you want me to… trim her hedges into weird shapes?” he chuckled on the other end of the line.

Mrs. Johnson took immense pride in her yard, especially her hedges. Every Saturday morning, without fail, she’d be out there, pruning the bushes with meticulous care.

She had them shaped into perfect, symmetrical forms that gave her house a neat, upscale appearance. To her, those hedges weren’t just plants—they were a statement.

“Exactly. Nothing destructive. Just enough to give them a funny look. She’s proud of that yard, and I want her to notice.”

Mark was quiet for a moment, then laughed again. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll swing by later today.”

Step one of the plan was set. Now, for step two. I grabbed my laptop, found a local mulch delivery service, and called them up, doing my best to mimic Mrs. Johnson’s crisp, no-nonsense tone.

“Hi, this is Katherine Johnson. I need three large truckloads of mulch delivered to my address. Yes, the whole driveway. Thank you.”

I hung up, feeling a strange thrill. My heart pounded in my chest. Was I really doing this?

Yes. Yes, I was.

Then, I left a few messages for my neighbors. While asking for small favors, I made sure to casually mention what Mrs. Johnson had done to Ethan.

Later that afternoon, three giant trucks rolled up and began unloading piles of mulch onto Mrs. Johnson’s driveway. I watched from my porch as the workers carefully emptied their loads, blocking her entire driveway with massive mounds of dark brown mulch. There was no way she was getting her car in tonight.

By then, the neighborhood had started to buzz. I saw a few of the neighbors peeking through their windows, whispering to each other. Word had gotten around about what Mrs. Johnson had done to Ethan, and now, they were seeing my revenge unfold right in front of them.

I could feel the tension building. Everyone was waiting for Mrs. Johnson to come home. So was I.

At around 6:30 p.m., her shiny black car turned the corner and pulled onto our street. As soon as she saw the mulch, her car screeched to a halt. She sat there for a moment, probably in shock. Then she slowly rolled forward, coming to a stop in front of the pile blocking her driveway.

I leaned back in my chair, sipping my tea, and waited.

Mrs. Johnson got out of the car, her face a mix of confusion and anger. She marched over to the hedges first, staring at the strange shapes they’d been trimmed into. She ran her hands through her perfectly styled hair and pulled out her phone, probably to call someone to fix it.

A few of the neighbors had gathered across the street, pretending to chat, but really watching her reaction. They exchanged quiet laughs and glances. Mrs. Johnson looked around, realizing she was being watched, and her eyes landed on me.

She stormed across the street, her heels clicking loudly on the pavement.

“Did you do this?” she snapped, her voice tight with rage.

I smiled, taking another sip of my tea. “Me? I don’t know anything about landscaping or mulch deliveries.”

Her face turned bright red. “This is unacceptable! You think this is funny?”

I set down my cup and stood up, meeting her gaze. “Not as funny as stiffing a 12-year-old out of twenty dollars.”

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She knew exactly what I was talking about.

“Maybe it’s just the universe teaching you a lesson,” I said, my tone sharp. “Hard work is its own reward, right?”

Mrs. Johnson clenched her jaw, her eyes darting from me to the piles of mulch and then back to the small crowd of neighbors now openly watching. She was trapped. She couldn’t argue with me without looking worse in front of the whole street.

“Fine,” she spat, turning on her heel and stomping into her house. A minute later, she reappeared with a crumpled twenty-dollar bill in her hand.

She shoved it at me, but I didn’t take it. “Give it to Ethan,” I said, stepping aside.

She shot me one last glare, then walked over to where Ethan stood at the edge of the yard. “Here,” she muttered, shoving the bill at him.

Ethan took the money, eyes wide with surprise. “Uh, thanks.”

Mrs. Johnson didn’t say another word as she hurried back to her car. She fumbled with her phone, probably trying to call someone to remove the mulch blocking her driveway. But I wasn’t worried about that. My job was done.

Ethan smiled so wide, I thought his face might split in two.

“Thanks, Mom,” he said, beaming.

“Don’t thank me,” I said, ruffling his hair. “You earned it.”

Mrs. Johnson never asked Ethan for help again. And every time she passed the neighbors, I could see the embarrassment in her eyes. Her hedges grew back, and the mulch eventually disappeared, but the story of how she learned a lesson about honesty and hard work stayed with the neighborhood.

Sometimes, the people who seem the most put-together are the ones who need a good reminder that you don’t mess with a mother protecting her son.

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