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 such a bind.” I hesitated. Not because I didn’t want to help, but because I wasn’t sure if I could juggle two kids in the morning rush. But then I remembered how much Sophie liked Emily, and how sweet Emily always was, so I shrugged it off. “Sure, no problem. I can drop them both off.” Karen’s face lit up like I’d just offered her the winning lottery ticket.”You’re a lifesaver, Lena. I owe you one!” I waved her off, smiling. “Don’t worry about it, really. It’s just a quick favor.”That’s where it all began. A ‘quick favor’ that turned into something much more complicated. The next morning, Karen was at my door again, looking just as polished and perky as before. “I have another early meeting today. Would you mind taking Emily again? She loves riding with Sophie, and it would be such a help.”This went on for weeks. Every morning, there was Karen, all 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 started to feel less like a favor and more like an obligation. Karen wasn’t asking anymore — she was expecting.One morning, Sophie and I were running late. I’d hit snooze on my alarm 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 had a chance to brush 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. But then, I had an idea, a simple, desperate one. I texted Karen back: Actually, I’m running late today. Can you take Sophie?I figured it was only fair. After all, I’d been driving Emily to school for weeks now. Surely Karen could handle one morning, right? The reply came almost immediately: Sorry, the car’s too full today. I blinked at the screen, disbelief flooding over me. Too full? Karen drove a massive SUV! And all she ever transported in there was Emily! My mind raced, trying to come up with any reasonable explanation for that blatant lie, but there was none. Karen had just shown her true colors, and they weren’t pretty.That was the moment I realized I’d been played. My goodwill had been mistaken for weakness, and Karen had been taking advantage of me, plain and simple.I wanted to march over to her house and confront her, let her know exactly what I thought of her flimsy excuse. But instead, I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the time for a confrontation. Not yet. Instead, I got Sophie ready, drove her to school, and spent the rest of the day stewing in my anger. Every time I thought about 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’d 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 got the text: Can you take Emily again today?I could practically see Karen’s smug smile as I read those words. She was so sure I’d say yes, just like every other time. And I did say yes — only 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. Sophie’s favorite donut shop was just a few minutes out of the way, but I knew it’d add enough time to our trip to make Karen notice. “Really? On a school day?” Sophie’s voice was full of excitement as she came bounding down the stairs, her backpack slung over one shoulder. “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 little at the sight of Sophie’s joy. As expected, Karen was waiting outside with Emily. “Good morning, Lena!” Karen chirped, her smile bright but her eyes sharp, assessing. “Thanks again for doing this. You’re such a lifesaver.” “Oh, no problem at all,” I replied, matching her fake cheerfulness with some of my own. “It’s always a pleasure.”Sophie and Emily climbed into the backseat, chatting away about their favorite YouTube videos, and I pulled out of the driveway, waving to Karen as we drove off. I could feel her eyes on us, probably already mentally checking off another morning of childcare that she didn’t have to worry about. But today, things were 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.”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 strolled inside, and I let the girls pick out their favorite treats.”Mom, this is the best day ever!” Sophie exclaimed, her mouth full of a donut. I smiled, savoring the moment. “Glad you think so, sweetie.” We took our time eating, 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.By the time we finally left Rosie’s, the morning rush had died down, and the roads were blissfully empty.When we finally pulled up to the school, the parking lot was nearly empty. I could see the school staff starting to pack up from the morning drop-off, and I felt a twinge of guilt. But it was quickly drowned out by the satisfaction of knowing Karen was probably already fuming. “Alright, girls, here we are,” I said as I parked the car. “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. As I watched them go, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the fallout.Sure enough, when I got back home, 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 the moment 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 reply. She just 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 made sure to get her daughter ready early enough to handle the drive herself.She also avoided me whenever possible, clearly embarrassed and resentful, but I didn’t mind. She’d finally learned her lesson. And I’d finally learned mine too. Being a good neighbor doesn’t mean being a doormat. Sometimes, you’ve got to stand up for yourself, even if it means taking the scenic route to get there.
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