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 turn into daily expectations, Lena begins to feel taken advantage of. After Karen refuses to return the favor with a blatant lie, Lena decides it’s time to teach her a lesson.
I used to consider myself a person who could easily go with the flow, avoiding drama and keeping things pleasant. However, that mindset began to shift the morning Karen knocked on my door.
“Lena! I’m so sorry to bother you so early,” Karen exclaimed, flashing her overly sweet smile.
I was still in my pajamas, attempting to wake up with a cup of coffee while my eight-year-old daughter, Sophie, was upstairs getting dressed. I certainly didn’t expect an unexpected visit from my neighbor.
“No bother at all, Karen,” I replied, yawning as I opened the door wider. “What’s going on?”
“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 a real bind.”
I hesitated—not because I didn’t want to help, but because I wasn’t sure I could manage two kids in the morning rush. However, I remembered how much Sophie liked Emily and how sweet she always was, so I shrugged it off.
“Sure, no problem. I can drop them both off.”
Karen’s face lit up as if I had just handed her the winning lottery ticket.
“You’re a lifesaver, Lena! I owe you one!”
I waved her off, smiling. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a quick favor.”
Little did I know, that ‘quick favor’ would spiral into something much more complicated.
The next morning, Karen was back at my door, looking just as polished and perky. “I have another early meeting today. Could you take Emily again? She loves riding with Sophie, and it would really help me out.”
This routine continued for weeks. Every morning, there was Karen, full of 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 shifted from a favor to an obligation. Karen wasn’t asking anymore—she was expecting.
One hectic morning, Sophie and I were running late. I had hit snooze 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 brushed my hair.
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. Then, an idea sparked—a desperate one.
I texted Karen back: Actually, I’m running late today. Can you take Sophie?
I thought it was only fair. After all, I had been driving Emily to school for weeks. Surely, Karen could manage one morning, right?
The reply came almost instantly: Sorry, the car’s too full today.
I blinked at the screen, disbelief washing over me. Too full? Karen drove a massive SUV! And all she ever had in there was Emily!
My mind raced, searching for a reasonable explanation for her blatant lie, but there was none. Karen had revealed her true colors, and they weren’t pretty.
I wanted to march over to her house and confront her, but instead, I clenched my teeth and forced myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the moment for a confrontation. Not yet.
So, I got Sophie ready, drove her to school, and spent the rest of the day simmering in anger. Every time I thought of Karen’s text, a fresh wave of frustration washed over me.
I wasn’t going to let Karen get away with this. Not anymore. She had 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 received the text: Can you take Emily again today?
I could almost see Karen’s smug smile as I read those words. She was so certain I’d say yes, just like every other time. And I did say yes—but this time, I had a plan.
“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. Rosie’s, Sophie’s favorite donut shop, was just a few minutes out of the way, but I knew it would delay us enough to make Karen notice.
“Really? On a school day?” Sophie exclaimed, bounding down the stairs with excitement.
“Yep! It’s a special Friday treat. What do you say?”
“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 bit at the sight of Sophie’s joy.
As expected, Karen was waiting outside with Emily.
“Good morning, Lena!” she chirped, her bright smile hiding sharp eyes that assessed me. “Thanks again for doing this. You’re such a lifesaver.”
“Oh, no problem at all,” I replied, matching her fake cheerfulness. “Always a pleasure.”
Sophie and Emily climbed into the backseat, chattering away, and I pulled out of the driveway, waving to Karen as we drove off.
I could feel her eyes on us, probably mentally checking off another morning of childcare she didn’t have to worry about.
But today was 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, puzzled.
“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 took our time picking out our favorite treats.
“Mom, this is the best day ever!” Sophie exclaimed, her mouth full of donut.
I smiled, savoring the moment. “Glad you think so, sweetie.”
We lingered, 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.
When we finally left Rosie’s, the morning rush had died down, and the roads were blissfully empty.
As we pulled into the school parking lot, it was nearly empty. I spotted the staff beginning to pack up from the morning drop-off and felt a twinge of guilt—but it quickly faded, replaced by the satisfaction of knowing Karen was probably fuming.
“Alright, girls, here we are,” I said as I parked. “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. I watched them go, taking a deep breath and bracing myself for the fallout.
When I returned home, sure enough, 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 as 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.”
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 respond. She simply 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.
And that was the last time Karen ever asked me to take Emily to school. From then on, she ensured she got her daughter ready early enough to drive her herself.
She also began to avoid me whenever possible, clearly embarrassed and resentful. But I didn’t mind. She had finally learned her lesson.
And I had learned mine too. Being a good neighbor doesn’t mean being a doormat. Sometimes, you have to stand up for yourself, even if it means taking the scenic route to get there.