An entitled couple learned a hard lesson when they tried to cheat my dad, a hardworking plumber, out of his payment. Here’s how he turned the tables on them. I’m Phoebe, but you can call me Pippi, just like my dad does. My dad, Pete, is a 55-year-old plumber with a rugged look and hands that show years of hard work.
He treats every job like it’s his own home, and his dedication often gets him taken for granted. A few months ago, I visited my dad at his place, where I found him on the patio, enjoying a cigar and laughing heartily. I asked what was so funny, and he began to tell me about the Carlyles, a couple who wanted an extravagant bathroom remodel.
They picked every detail, from the tiles to the toilet paper holder, and at first, it seemed like a dream job. But on the last day, just as my dad finished the grouting, the Carlyles sat on their couch, ready to pull a fast one. Mrs. Carlyle claimed the tiles were wrong, despite having chosen them herself. To my dad’s shock, they only wanted to pay him half of what they owed.
Frustrated but clever, my dad decided to teach them a lesson. Instead of using water in the grout, he mixed it with sugar and honey, packed up his tools, and left with half the payment. He knew the couple wouldn’t notice anything wrong immediately; the grout looked fine when it dried.
Weeks later, Mrs. Carlyle took a shower and found ants crawling along the grout lines. The next day brought cockroaches, and soon enough, all sorts of bugs showed up. My dad had a friend, Johnny, who lived next door and kept him updated on the couple’s pest problems.
The Carlyles tried everything to get rid of the bugs, spending a fortune on pest control, but nothing worked. They even blamed the pest sprays for ruining the grout, not realizing that the sugar residue was the source of their problems.
My dad told me the couple ended up redoing their entire bathroom a year later, but the sugar was still lurking underneath, keeping the bugs coming back. They were clueless, still planning to remodel again.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for them. My dad explained that their actions insulted his work and pride. He needed to protect his reputation in the plumbing business, and if he let them cheat him, others might try to do the same.
The stories continued. Johnny shared how Mrs. Carlyle had a fancy dinner party and screamed when she found a cockroach in the bathroom. Mr. Carlyle attempted to fix the problem himself, only to create a chemical factory smell without solving anything.
Over a year later, the couple was at their wits’ end and even considered selling their house. My dad chuckled, noting that perhaps his revenge lasted longer than intended, but he felt it was a deserved lesson.
As we sat watching the sunset, I couldn’t help but appreciate the cleverness of my dad’s actions. He taught them a lesson they wouldn’t forget, and I laughed at the thought of the Carlyles’ continued struggles. I promised him that if I ever needed plumbing work done, I would pay him in full upfront. It was a fitting reminder that sometimes, karma comes with unexpected consequences.
I Have to Raise Someone Else’s Child While Her Mom Is Having Fun at Parties – Story of the Day
I fell in love with a pregnant woman and promised to help her raise the baby, but she decided to have fun and avoid her responsibilities. She abandoned me only to return years later to do something unspeakable.
I met Molly at college. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, but she never gave me the time of day. Molly would often hang out with the most popular men, usually on the school’s football team, but we became close friends.
She was cheerful and a great student. It was just amazing to have a friend like that, even if my feelings would always be unrequited. Eventually, she started dating Tanner, the captain of the team. He wasn’t a typical mean jock, but I always thought she could do better.
Molly didn’t know she was pregnant. | Source: Shutterstock
A few months afterward, Molly came to my house crying. Tanner had dumped her and started dating another girl almost immediately. I comforted her as best I could, but she had really loved him. About a month after that, she discovered something life-changing.
“Mark, I’m pregnant,” she told me.
“What?” I exhaled. I couldn’t believe it. “Did you tell Tanner already?”
“Yes. He doesn’t want anything to do with the baby. He told me to get rid of it because he’s not going to be a father now,” Molly replied.
Molly discovered she was pregnant. | Source: Pexels
“What an idiot! I can’t believe he would evade his responsibilities like that! What are you going to do?” I questioned.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to get rid of it, but I’m in college. I can’t be a single mom. My parents are going to kill me,” she cried.
“I’ll step up. We can get married, and I’ll help you raise the baby. You won’t be alone,” I suggested without thinking about it twice.
“I can’t ask you to do that. I’m sorry, Mark. But I don’t think I’ll ever feel that way about you,” Molly said apologetically.
I stepped up. | Source: Pexels
“Don’t worry. It’s not about that. We’ll get married so that no one will look down on you, and you won’t be a single mother,” I continued. It sounded crazy even to me, but I couldn’t let Molly go through this alone.
“Are you sure? That’s a lot to ask of a friend,” Molly whispered, still hesitant about this insane idea. I assured her I was serious, and we went down to the courthouse later that week. Two of our friends served as witnesses, and it was a short affair.
I helped Molly get through this pregnancy as best I could. It was difficult as we were both college students, but we would make it work together. I grew more excited every day, thinking of becoming a father.
I adored Amelia. | Source: Pexels
But Molly was not that enthusiastic. I could tell that she missed being able to go out with her friends and enjoying regular college life. But as a mother, she had to sacrifice a lot. Eventually, Amelia was born, and she was the most beautiful baby in the world.
I adored her immediately and became her dad. Molly loved Amelia as well and settled into being a mother better than I expected. We became a wonderful little family, and no one suspected that Amelia was not mine because she looked exactly like her mother.
But Molly grew less and less excited. When Amelia was five years old, Molly broke down after putting her to bed. “I can’t do this anymore. I lost everything!” she cried.
Molly packed her bags and left. | Source: Pexels
“What are you talking about?” I asked her.
“I lost my entire youth. I shouldn’t have had a kid at all!” Molly continued.
“Molly, please. Amelia might hear you. She’s in the next room!” I said, raising my voice only a bit.
“I don’t care. I want out of this. I’m filing for divorce, and I don’t want to see any of you again,” she said, shocking me to my core. I asked her to stop and think about this, but Molly had already packed her bags and left us forever.
Amelia missed her mother. | Source: Pexels
I went to Amelia’s room only to discover that our daughter had heard the entire commotion. “Mommy left?” she cried.
“Baby, your mother is going through something right now and needs some time away. She’ll be back soon,” I assured her.
Unfortunately, Molly did not return, and I became a single father. It was harder than I ever expected, and Amelia would cry almost every single night for a year afterward. But soon enough, we both got used to being on our own. My daughter was the light of my life, and I would do anything to get us through.
I did my best raising Amelia as a single father. | Source: Pexels
Molly did not call once but would update her social media often. She had the college life she had missed all this time. It was one party after another with her old college sorority friends. I felt awful seeing those pictures.
How could she abandon her child to go out and have fun? It was unforgivable. Several years after her abandonment, I saw that she and Tanner had gotten back together, which only hurt worse. This was the guy who dumped her at her most vulnerable and didn’t want to step up for his baby.
I couldn’t do anything about it except move on, but Molly decided to come back into our lives just when we were doing so well. “What do you mean you want Amelia back?” I asked when Molly showed up at my house unexpectedly.
Molly returned and threatened to take me to court. | Source: Pexels
“Molly is my daughter, and I want her to live with me. Tanner is finally ready to meet her. She’s her father,” she said nonchalantly.
“Tanner is not her father. I’m her father. I raised her all these years, especially when you abandoned her,” I said with disdain in my voice.
“Mark, don’t do this. I will take you to court for custody if I have to. That’s my child. Tanner and I are engaged. She is going to be so happy with her real family at last,” Molly continued.
We went to trial. | Source: Pexels
“I’ll see you in court then,” I replied and threw Molly out of my house. Amelia was almost a teenager by then and saw how worried I was. My lawyers advised me to settle things out of court because most judges side with the mother.
But how could a judge side with Molly after her abandonment? My name was on Amelia’s birth certificate, and I saw her grow up. I was her only father. Molly’s lawyers were fierce, and our battle was harsh. But Amelia’s testimony sealed the deal.
“I only have one father,” she said, pointing at me. “My mother left many years ago after saying she regretted me. I don’t want to live with her.”
Nothing would ever separate my daughter and I. | Source: Pexels
Luckily, the judge listened to my little girl, although my lawyers didn’t think it would happen. He gave me full custody, while Molly got visitation on the weekends. I encouraged Amelia to forgive her mother and build a relationship with her, which they did.
But she told me every day that I was the best father anyone could ever have.
What can we learn from this story?
- Appreciate what you have. Molly threw her family away and discovered later in life that she couldn’t exactly get it back.
- Some responsibilities require sacrifices. Getting pregnant at a young age is a big deal, which means that you might have to give up partying and other youthful shenanigans.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who abandoned her daughter to travel the world and have a fun time.
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