When I saw the cruel message scrawled on my recovering grandpa’s dusty car, I was livid. But uncovering the culprit’s identity was just the beginning. What I did next would teach this entitled neighbor a lesson she’d never forget.
Two months ago, I was at work when my phone rang. It was Mom.
“Meg, it’s Grandpa,” she barely managed to speak. “He’s in the hospital. He—”
“What? Hospital?” I cut her off, totally blindsided. “What happened?”
A woman talking on the phone at work | Source: Pexels
“He had a heart attack,” Mom continued in her shaky voice. “We gotta go see him.”
“Oh my God, Mom, is he okay?”
“I don’t know, Meg…”
“I’ll be there as fast as I can, Mom,” I replied as I quickly logged out of my work email.
The thing is, Grandpa Alvin is my rock, my confidant, and my favorite person in the world. It won’t be wrong to say that I love him more than Mom. Shh! It’s a secret!
An older man standing in his house | Source: Midjourney
And that phone call from Mom had turned my world upside down. I could literally feel a knot in my stomach as I rushed out of my office after informing my boss about Grandpa’s condition.
The drive home from my workplace is a blur. I don’t remember how I got there, but I quickly picked Mom up before we rushed to the hospital.
The drive from our house to the hospital was about 45 minutes long. And let me tell you, those were the longest, most painful 45 minutes of my life. Mom kept crying the entire time, while I could feel my heart pounding inside my chest.
Once we reached there, a nurse told us that Grandpa was in the operating room. After what felt like an eternity, the doctor came out.
A close-up shot of a doctor’s arms crossed on his chest | Source: Pexels
“The surgery was successful, but he needs rest and care,” he told us. “He needs to eat a heart-healthy diet, low in salt and saturated fats. Regular, gentle exercise is crucial. And absolutely no stress.”
“Alright, doc,” I nodded. “But when can we see him?”
“Is he really okay?” Mom asked impatiently.
“Don’t worry,” the doctor reassured her. “He’s resting comfortably now. The nurses will let you know when it’s a good time to visit.”
A doctor talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
Grandpa was allowed to go home a few days later, but there was a problem. He lives in another town, and we couldn’t visit him every day to look after him.
As a result, we hired a full-time nurse.
She was a godsend, agreeing to cook for him too. For two months, Grandpa didn’t leave his apartment and focused solely on his recovery.
Last week, I realized it had been too long since I’d seen him.
A woman sitting on a chair, thinking | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” I said over breakfast, “I’m going to visit Grandpa this weekend. Wanna come?”
Her eyes lit up.
“That’s a wonderful idea, honey,” she smiled. “I’ll come with you. He’ll be so happy to see us!”
“Perfect!” I said before I took a bite of my scrambled eggs.
On Saturday, I woke up early, bought a bouquet of Grandpa’s favorite bright yellow sunflowers, and drove all the way to his place with Mom.
I couldn’t wait to meet him and see his face light up. I was expecting a day full of Grandpa’s stories, unaware of what was waiting for us there.
As we pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex, I spotted his old, beat-up car. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, clearly proving he hadn’t driven it since getting sick.
But as we got closer, something made my blood boil.
A woman in a car | Source: Midjourney
Someone had left a message on the rear windscreen. It seemed like they had written it using their finger. It looked fresh.
The message read, “YOU ARE A DIRTY PIG! CLEAN UP YOUR CAR OR GET OUT OF THE COMMUNITY. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!”
I was absolutely furious. How could someone be so cruel to an old man who’s been too sick to even get out of bed, let alone clean his car?
A woman in a car, looking angry | Source: Midjourney
“Oh my God,” Mom gasped. “Who would do such a thing?”
I clenched my fists. I could feel my cheeks burn with rage.
“Some entitled jerk with nothing better to do than harass a sick old man, that’s who.”
Then, I felt Mom’s soft hand on my arm.
“Honey, calm down,” she said. “Let’s not upset your grandfather.”
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself.
“You’re right. Let’s go see him.”
A parking lot of an apartment complex | Source: Pexels
We quickly headed up to Grandpa’s apartment. I rang the bell, waiting for him to open the door.
“My girls!” he smiled from ear to ear. “What a wonderful surprise!”
“Grandpa!” I hugged him tight. “You look so good! So handsome!”
“Well, of course I do!” he chuckled. “When have I ever not looked handsome? Even in my hospital gown, I was turning heads left and right!”
An older man in his house, smiling | Source: Midjourney
As we headed inside, I couldn’t stop thinking of the cruel message on his car. I couldn’t erase that image from my mind.
“Megan? Are you listening, sweetheart?” Grandpa’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“Sorry, Grandpa. I was just… thinking. How are you feeling?”
We chatted for a while, but my mind kept drifting to that message. I needed to do something about it.
“Hey, I need to take care of something real quick,” I said, standing up. “Mom, can you stay with Grandpa? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
A woman talking to her mother | Source: Midjourney
“Sure, honey,” Mom said.
In no time, I headed down to the security office near the entrance, where I met a bored-looking guy sitting behind the desk.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I need to see the security camera footage from the parking lot.”
He raised an eyebrow as he straightened his back.
“Sorry, ma’am. We can’t just show that to anyone who asks.”
A security guard | Source: Midjourney
I leaned in, lowering my voice.
“Look, my grandfather lives here. He’s been very ill, and someone vandalized his car with a horrible message. I need to know who did it.”
The guard hesitated, then nodded.
“Alright, just this once.”
We reviewed the footage from the last few days when I suddenly saw an older, snooty-looking woman, heading towards Grandpa’s car. She took her sweet time to write that awful message on his car.
An older woman standing near a black car | Source: Midjourney
“Who is this?” I asked the guard.
“That’s Briana from 4C,” he said. “Always causing trouble.”
I thanked him and turned to leave, but he stopped me.
“Wait, there’s something else. I overheard some of the neighbors talking in the lobby last week. Apparently, this Briana woman has been giving your grandfather a hard time for months now.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
A security guard talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
“Well, they were saying she’s been complaining about every little thing. Like, she’d make a fuss if his newspaper was left out too long, or if his welcome mat wasn’t perfectly straight. One of the ladies even mentioned that Briana tried to get your grandpa fined for having a potted plant that was ‘an unapproved color’ or something ridiculous like that.”
“Are you serious? Why hasn’t anyone done anything about this?”
“Most folks just try to avoid her, I guess,” he shrugged.
“Your grandpa’s too nice to make a big deal out of it. But between you and me, I think everyone’s getting pretty fed up with her attitude.”
Yeah, my grandpa’s nice, but I’m not, I thought to myself before marching straight to Briana’s apartment.
The door opened soon after I knocked on it.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Alvin’s granddaughter,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “I saw what you wrote on his car. You have no right to humiliate him like that!”
A young woman talking to her grandfather’s neighbor | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t care,” she shrugged. “If he can’t keep up with community standards, maybe he shouldn’t be living here.”
And with that, she slammed the door in my face.
I was livid. It was clear that talking to her wasn’t going to get anywhere, so I decided to handle it my own way. I came up with a plan to teach her a lesson. All I needed was a roll of duct tape and a paper with evidence.
A woman leaving a building | Source: Midjourney
The next day, I took a screenshot of the security camera footage, ensuring Briana’s face was clear, and got it printed. Then, in big, bold letters, I wrote: “SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Lady from Apt 4C is abusing elderly neighbors.”
I taped that sign right in the elevator where everyone would see it. It was crystal clear who she was and what she’d done.
Within a day, the whole building was buzzing.
11 Women Reveal Why They Never Want To Get Married
11 Women Explain Why They Would Never Want To Get Married
Many young girls imagine marrying their ideal mate in a magical wedding. In addition, women frequently receive a lot of messages from society telling them that living a single life isn’t meaningful or gratifying. Alternatively, consider these 11 incredibly happy ladies who have never married.
1. A 28-year-old Elisa has never been married.
Elisa admits that even though she came dangerously close to marriage, “the idea of being tied down” was a hard idea for her to embrace. “It seems incomprehensible to me to stay with one person forever, even in those circumstances.” She gave an explanation. “But for those who choose to honor it, I completely respect the idea of marriage; for me, it just seems like a title and joke.”
Elise also gives another explanation for her decision to lead this lifestyle. The price of a wedding, she says, “seems so frivolous.”
2. Beth Margaret, Who Was Also Single
As Beth puts it, “marriage is just a facade,” adding that there is no real substance to the union—it’s just about maintaining appearances. According to her, relationship expectations frequently convey the idea that “your romantic relationship is your most important one, and without it, you’re incomplete.”
3. A 59-year-old Kelly adores being on her own
“I’ve been traveling full-time for the past nine years. I take care of people’s pets while they are on vacation by housesitting (I even published a book on it!). I do this for free in someone else’s house. I’ve lived in residences in Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Osaka, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Gibraltar, and all throughout Africa. She divulges. It’s a fantastic lifestyle, but it would be really challenging if I were married. I’ve never been married and I don’t intend to stop traveling the world alone right now.
4. Hazel Is Dedicated to Her Partner
“My girlfriend and I don’t want to be married, even if we can (finally!) get married. We both think that we don’t need a piece of paper to tell us that we’re devoted to one another. Hazel divulges. Furthermore, we would rather to use the money we would have spent on a celebration for anything else!
5. Christine Takes Her Money Into Account
“I would have to inherit my partner’s debt if we were to get married. Thank you not at all. We should keep our finances entirely apart, please.
6. Contentment Is a Delusion
“I find married individuals to be miserable, which is why I don’t want to be married. Though some are better at hiding it than others, practically every married couple I’ve ever met appears unhappy. As stated by mattcleary85.
7. No Agreements
“I don’t want to get married because in the most significant relationships in my life, there is never a need for a certification or contract to guarantee the continuation of the relationship, or to prove to the other person my feelings and my willingness to support them at all times—these are just understood.” Welsh_Milly shares.
8. It’s Still Possible to Feel Alone
A lot of people say they don’t feel comfortable expressing their wants, boundaries, or problems in their relationship. Many feel alone or unheard as a result. Consequently, it may be harder to deal with those emotions if you are depressed. “I’ve had anxiety and depression for a long time, and the last thing I want for myself is to be with someone, even if I don’t have strong feelings for them, simply to feel less alone or deserving. To feel less alone, I would prefer to be alone than to get married. Celeste Monet Dubois says.
9. Nina has never tied the knot
Nina describes herself as “Christian and of Nigerian descent,” two very patriarchal identities. She continued, “This is to the point of overshadowing whatever other amazing feats she may have achieved beforehand or even go on to do afterwards,” as a result of witnessing many of her female role models “forfeit their dreams” in addition to other freedoms.
Therefore, to paraphrase Jessica Knoll, the best-selling author of The Luckiest Girl Alive, “My fairy tale ending has always involved a pantsuit, not a wedding dress. I say this because I was a little girl.” To be successful means to perform well enough to gain freedom and, eventually, independence. She ends.
10. Angela Has Also Never Got Married
“I have no desire to get married. Since I was an only child growing up, I have never truly felt the need or want for a spouse. says Angela. “I’ve experienced tragedies that Adele could never sing about and relationships that rival your favorite romance book, but at the end of the day, I’m always happiest when I’m alone myself. Although I know many nomad couples, I am a digital nomad as well, and I genuinely believe that having a partner would just complicate things.
11. Steer clear of heartache
Heartbreak and disappointment result from the unfortunate fact that many marriages end in divorce. Evie explains why she doesn’t want to be married: “I don’t want to go through that or put anyone else through it. When I was a child, I saw marriages that I thought would last forever break and ruin.”
Joyfully Single
There are several typical reasons why women have never married, despite society’s constant messages that they should aim to be devoted and caring partners, have children, and be subservient, working extra hours to please those around them. The most popular ones are frivolous spending, savoring independence, and choosing nontraditional lifestyles like polyamory. On the other hand, Psychology Today points out that even though more individuals are opting out of marriage, they are not alone in their decision. Rather, “cohabitation has emerged as a popular substitute.” It follows that it is not surprising that 42% of American adults in 2017 acknowledged to not living with a partner or spouse, a 3% increase from 2007. This trend also appears to be continuing.
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