When Mia’s stepmother, Trudy, plans an elaborate party for her 45th birthday, Mia has no choice but to do as she is told, including being a hidden helper throughout the festivities. But lucky for Mia, karma seems to be on her side, ready to teach Trudy a lesson.
Grab some popcorn, folks, because this story is one of those moments when the universe steps in and delivers a cosmic smackdown right when you least expect it.
Let me introduce you to the key players of the story:
A smiling teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
I’m Mia. I’m sixteen years old and stuck in a suburban home with my dad and stepmom, Trudy. Trudy’s been around for about two years, and, oh boy, does she have the “wicked stepmother” act down perfectly.
If you looked up “entitled” in the dictionary, I’m pretty sure you’d find her picture staring back at you.
Life with her has felt like living inside a bad reality show, but no one is filming, and definitely not paying me for my trouble.
A close up of an older woman | Source: Midjourney
Dad stays out of the way as much as he can. He’s the “happy wife, happy life” type of man, except that Trudy’s never really happy. She’s the type who expects the world to fall at her feet and cater to her every whim.
Now, let’s talk about last Saturday, the day of Trudy’s birthday party. It was so over-the-top that, honestly, it could have been a wedding reception.
It was her 45th birthday, and Trudy was trying to hold on to her youth in any way she could. In the week leading up to the party, she strutted around the house like some kind of queen.
A smiling older man | Source: Midjourney
“You’d better get me something special this year, Mia,” she said when she came into the kitchen as I was cutting up fruit for my morning smoothie. “A dishwasher would be nice. After all, I’ve done a lot for you.”
Yeah, sure. Good old Trudy. She’s done a lot for me… if you count bossing me around like I’m some sort of Cinderella knockoff.
A close up of a smoothie | Source: Midjourney
“Uh, Trudy,” I said, adding yogurt to the blender, “I’m kind of saving for my prom dress.”
I already knew where this conversation was going.
Her face twisted into this weird look, like she couldn’t believe I just said that.
“Your prom dress?” she scoffed. “Mia, that’s ridiculous! You can just buy something from one of the clothing stores. Something cheap. A dishwasher is much more practical. I don’t want to hear any more excuses.”
A woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
Excuses? I was floored. This woman really expected me to drop all my savings on an appliance just because she “deserved” it. Like, where’s my fairy godmother when I need her?
And anyway, Trudy was the one who convinced my dad that I was too young to get an after-school or weekend job.
“Mia can only babysit kids on this street,” Trudy told my dad one night at dinner. “She’ll be safe and only a few houses away from home. And anyway, it’s not like she needs that much money.”
A woman sitting at a dinner table | Source: Midjourney
So, all my prom dress savings? They were from babysitting jobs that I had taken over the past year.
They wouldn’t even cover a tiny dishwasher, let alone the dress I wanted. But I was determined to still find something that I loved.
Fast forward to the day of Trudy’s 45th birthday. The house was buzzing with caterers, an event planner ran around with a clipboard, and enough floral arrangements to rival a garden center.
An outdoor birthday party setting | Source: Midjourney
Meanwhile, I was in the background, wiping down mirrors, setting up drink stations, and generally trying to avoid all eye contact.
“Jeez,” I said to myself, “are the Royal Family coming over?”
I set up the gin station and tried to leave for my room, hoping that I would make myself presentable before Trudy’s posse of friends showed up.
A gin station | Source: Midjourney
As soon as the guests arrived, Trudy transformed into some kind of celebrity. She walked around, tossing fake smiles and soaking up compliments like she was at the Oscars or something.
“Mia! Can you refill the drinks? My guests are thirsty!” she barked from the marquee outside.
Of course, I had no choice but to do so. I couldn’t say no. Not with so many people around. Trudy would probably implode.
A woman wearing a gold dress | Source: Midjourney
I did as I was told, floating around like the invisible Cinderella. I was counting down the minutes until we lit the candles on the elaborate cake and the whole day would just dwindle into nothing.
I hid away for a few moments, finally able to get my hands on some food. At least Trudy loved her food, and she had told the caterers that she wanted elaborate meals.
“You’re hiding here, kiddo?” my dad chuckled when he caught me eating a portion of lobster mac and cheese.
A bowl of lobster mac and cheese | Source: Midjourney
“I’m starving, Dad,” I said, eating another forkful of food. “And everyone is eating anyway.”
“Take some time off, Mimi,” he said. “Eat. I’ll bring you one of those fancy milkshakes from the milkshake station.”
Soon after, it was time for the cake. My dad lit the candles while Trudy beamed like a Cheshire cat and did a little dance.
A gold and white cake | Source: Midjourney
Everyone sang for her at the top of their voices, and Trudy blew out the candles. As the party was winding down, she clinked her fork against her wine glass and fixed me with that awful, expectant glare of hers.
“Mia, since you didn’t bother to buy me a dishwasher for my birthday, the least you could do is wash all these dishes. It’s only fair.”
I stood there, stunned for a second. Everyone went quiet. Twenty pairs of eyes stared at me like I was the villain in this scenario.
She really said it. Out loud. In front of all her friends.
A smug woman in a gold dress | Source: Midjourney
“You didn’t get your mom a birthday present?” one of Trudy’s friends, Alexis, said. “That’s just… rude. And sad.”
My throat tightened, but I managed to keep my voice calm.
“Trudy, I told you, I didn’t have the money. Especially for a dishwasher. I’ve been saving for prom.”
She waved her hand like I was talking nonsense.
An upset teenage girl | Source: Midjourney
“Just wash the dishes, Mia,” she said. “Do something useful for once.”
I could have screamed. But instead, I swallowed my pride and nodded.
“Fine. I’ll get changed and started on them,” I said.
I spent the next hour elbow-deep in soapy water, scrubbing until my fingers went numb. I wanted to cry, but instead, I just scrubbed harder, imagining the day I’d finally escape this madhouse.
A teenager washing dishes | Source: Midjourney
By the time I finished, the party was over, and Trudy’s friends were long gone. I dragged myself to bed, emotionally drained.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Trudy’s shriek coming from the kitchen. I thought maybe one of her fancy new gadgets broke. She had just bought herself a lavish new coffee machine that looked like it belonged in a coffee shop.
A coffee machine | Source: Midjourney
But when I walked into the kitchen, I found her standing in the middle of a disaster zone.
The kitchen was trashed.
The smell of burnt plastic filled the air, and the floor was flooded.
“Mia!” she screamed when she saw me. “Look at what happened!”
A flooded kitchen | Source: Midjourney
I blinked, still half-asleep.
“What… what is going on?”
“The pipes!” she shrieked, flailing her arms. “Oh, my kitchen is ruined! This is going to cost a fortune to fix!”
“But everything was fine last night when I went to bed. What happened here?”
My dad stuck his head into the kitchen.
An annoyed woman | Source: Midjourney
“Trudy, did you really drop all the meat oils into the sink last night?” my dad asked.
“I did!” she said. “I didn’t know where else to throw it out. And the caterers left without taking it. But I did throw some drain cleaner down the sink, too.”
“Oh, Trudy! You’re not supposed to do that! Now look! You messed this up! I told you to just pour out a kettle of boiling water.”
Oil being poured in a sink | Source: Midjourney
My first instinct was to laugh. I know I shouldn’t have, but come on. After everything? Didn’t it just seem like karma played a part in this, too?
While Trudy was losing her mind, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny smirk tugging at my lips. I didn’t say a word.
For the next week, the kitchen was completely out of commission. My dad, bless his heart, tried to soothe her, but the damage was done. The cost of the repairs was so high that Dad announced that they’d have to cut back on expenses.
An annoyed woman | Source: Midjourney
“Except for Mia,” he said. “I have $500 for her prom dress.”
“You can’t be serious, David!” Trudy hissed. “You want me to pay for the new kitchen tiles, but you can spoil Mia?”
“You spoiled yourself for your party. I can spoil my child for her prom.”
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
And that was how Trudy learned not to cross my dad. But she did change her tune a bit. She allowed me to get my part-time job, and she tried to actually mend things with me.
“I’ll come with you when you go looking for your dress, Mia,” she said.
Do you think it will last?
10 gems from Amazon that’ll help you solve somewhat embarrassing household problems
If you avoid inviting guests to your house because of cracks in walls, stubborn stains on carpets or rust in your bathroom, you came to the right place. In this selection, we’ll tell you about 10 amazing products from Amazon that will solve your embarrassing household problems in the blink of an eye.
1. No matter what stains are bothering you, this all-purpose cleaning paste will never let you down. It removes stains, grease and grime from just about anything, including stovetops, kitchen surfaces, floors, metal, ceramics, porcelain, marble, wood, silverware, jewelry, glass shower doors, toilets, sinks, bathtubs, car wheels, stainless steel surfaces, etc. The product lasts way longer than any liquid cleaner, which is the cherry on top.
2. Mold can be extremely annoying, but you can say goodbye to it if you use this instant mold and mildew stain remover spray. It works perfectly well on decks, wood, vinyl siding, drywall, concrete floors, brick walls, kitchen surfaces, and other areas where mold and mildew tend to grow. The product starts working instantly and targets deeply embedded stains that linger on surfaces and hard-to-reach areas.
3. Say goodbye to dirty bathroom with this weekly shower cleaner. It gently cleans buildup of soap scum, grime, and dirt in showers and bathtubs without scrubbing. Apply the product once a week with the attached sprayer, leave it for 8–12 hours and then rinse thoroughly with warm water. For heavy buildup, spray and rinse daily until the surface is clean. Thoroughly rinse the shower and the bathtub before use.
4. This drywall repair putty will help you get rid of embarrassing cracks on your walls in the blink of an eye. It works great for repairing holes and cracks in drywall, wall plaster, and wood. The convenient applicator allows you to apply the product evenly in circular motions. Thanks to its compact size, the product will fit in your toolbox.
5. This multipurpose portable carpet and upholstery cleaning machine will easily remove tough spots and stains from carpets, upholstery, car interiors, and more. It efficiently removes odors as well, which makes it a household must-have for families with pets. The machine has a large tank, which means you can clean more surfaces between refills.
6. This pumice stone for toilet bowl cleaning will remove the toughest stains, rust buildup and hard water rings. The convenient ergonomic handle eliminates the need for gloves, because your hands won’t touch the dirt as you use the item. Its gentle touch ensures that porcelain toilet bowls remain unscathed, which is the cherry on top.
7. This rust stain remover works wonders and the pictures below speak louder than any words. This powerful gel clings to dissolve rust stains on contact and no scrubbing is needed. Its fast-working formula quickly and easily removes the toughest rust stains from most surfaces around the house. This product is ideal for vertical and hard-to-reach surfaces like showers, sinks, tubs and toilets above the water line.
8. Try this bathtub and shower cleaner spray, and you won’t regret it. This fresh foaming spray will leave your bathroom sparkling clean without any harsh smells. This is a multipurpose shower spray that works wonders on tile, grout, fixtures, sinks, toilet seats, bathtubs, and even on shower walls, doors and curtains.
9. If you’re dreading cleaning your toilet tank, don’t worry. This toilet tank cleaner will do the tough job for you. Thanks to its strong citric acid formula, the product removes hard-water deposits and other stains in the blink of an eye. It removes bad odor as well, leaving your bathroom refreshed.
10. Say goodbye to mold, mildew, algae and moss with this multi-surface outdoor cleaner. It has a high-capacity trigger sprayer for quick application to smaller surfaces and removes green and black stains caused by moss, mold, mildew, and algae, with no scrubbing, no rinsing, and no pressure washing. Just wet it and forget it. The product works on multiple surfaces including porch steps, stones, fountains, planters, concrete, canvas, and upholstery.
Inside you will find promo codes for various product categories, including beauty and personal care, home improvement, clothes and accessories, products for kids, pets, and more.
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