My widowed mother spent two exhausting weeks wallpapering a mansion all by herself. But, to her horror, the arrogant owners refused to pay and threatened her. Her tears made my blood boil, and those jerks had no idea what was coming.
What would you do if someone made your mother cry? Not just a few tears, but the kind of crying that shakes her whole body and breaks your heart? I’m Kimberly, and my mom, Ruby, is everything to me. She’s incredibly strong, but when she breaks down, it feels like my world is ending. It happened recently, and I knew I had to act. Those jerks who hurt her? They were about to learn a lesson they’d never forget…
A sad woman with her head down | Source: Midjourney
My mom, Ruby, is 59 years old. She raised me alone after my father passed away when I was little. She gave up her own dreams of going to college to work and make sure I had everything I needed. Even now, her belief in hard work is unwavering.
She gets up before dawn to go to her beloved job and always puts me first, sparing no effort so that I can have the best. I am so grateful for her love and endless sacrifices… they have made me who I am today.
A contractor at work | Source: Midjourney
Mom has an incredible talent for crafts, especially wallpapering. Her installations are always perfect… You should see how precise her work is.
So when this wealthy couple, the Bensons, hired me to put up the wallpaper in their enormous mansion, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime.
Close-up of a mansion | Source: Unsplash
“Oh, Kimmy!” Mom had exclaimed when she got the job. Her eyes practically sparkled with excitement. “Just think what we can do with that salary. We’ll go shopping, have fancy dinners, go to the movies—maybe we’ll even see that play at the local theater for your birthday!”
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “It sounds amazing, Mom. You deserve it.”
For two weeks straight, Mom worked tirelessly in that house. Every night she came home exhausted, but hopeful.
Woman cleaning a wall | Source: Midjourney
“The Bensons seem quite nice,” she told me over dinner. “Mrs. Benson even complimented me on my work today. She said it was the best she’d ever seen. Oh, honey! I’m so happy and excited.”
I nodded, happy to see her proud of her work. “It’s wonderful, Mom. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled when it’s all finished.”
But on that last day, everything went to hell. Mom staggered through the door, her face streaked with tears and her hands trembling. She knew something was terribly wrong.
Close-up of a distraught woman | Source: Midjourney
“Mom? What happened?” I asked, running to her side.
She looked at me, her eyes red and swollen. “No… they don’t want to pay me, Kimmy. Not a penny.”
I was speechless. “What? Why not?”
“Kimmy, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Mom sobbed, her shoulders shaking as she sat down at our small kitchen table. “How could they do this to me?”
I put my arms around her, feeling her pain deep in my chest. “It’s okay, Mom. We’ll figure this out. First, calm down and tell me what happened.”
Side view of a distressed woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
Mom’s voice broke as she recounted the conversation with the Bensons.
“I was supposed to get paid today. Mrs. Benson just smiled at me and said, ‘We’re not going to pay you a penny.’ When I asked her why, she had the nerve to say, ‘We don’t like the boss anymore. And your work isn’t as good as we expected. In fact, it’s awful. Get off our property before we fire you.'”
I felt my blood boil. “Are you kidding me? After two weeks of exhausting work?”
A shocked young woman holding her face | Source: Freepik
Mom nodded, wiping her eyes. “I tried to argue, but they threatened to call the police and accuse me of trespassing if I didn’t leave right away.”
I clenched my fists at the sides of my head. “Those arrogant jerks! They can’t just rip you off like that, stealing your hard-earned money.”
Mom’s shoulders slumped. “I worked so hard, Kimmy. I put everything into that job. And now… now we can’t even celebrate your birthday like I promised.”
A heartbroken woman looking up with teary eyes | Source: Midjourney
Seeing my mother so defeated ignited a fire within me. She had always taught me to stand up for what was right, and the time had come to put that lesson into practice.
“Don’t worry, Mom. We’ll figure it out. I promise,” I said, my mind full of ideas.
Luckily, I remembered that Mom had told me a few days ago that she’d overheard the Bensons leaving town for the weekend. It was the perfect opportunity for a little… revenge.
An angry young woman sitting on the sofa | Source: Freepik
I called my best friends, Jake and Mia. “Guys, I need your help with something. It’s for my mom.”
Jake’s voice came through the phone, worried. “Everything okay, Kim?”
“Actually, no,” I replied. “But it will be. Can you come over? And bring any leftover wallpaper you have lying around. Remember that wallpaper we all laughed at? The one with the awful patterns?”
Mia chimed in: “Wallpaper? What are you planning, Kim?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, just a small redecorating project. I’ll explain it to you when you arrive.”
A young woman sitting on the sofa and talking on the phone | Source: Freepik
When they arrived, I explained my plan. Jake’s eyes widened. “Kim, are you sure about this? It’s a little… illegal.”
I nodded firmly. “They stole my mother. This is justice.”
Mia frowned and held up a roll of truly hideous wallpaper. “Well, count me in. Nobody messes with Mama Ruby and gets away with it.”
A young woman with curly hair frowning | Source: Pexels
That night, armed with the ugliest wallpaper known to humankind and more glue than we probably needed, we broke into the Benson property.
“Can you believe what these people do?” Jake whispered as he easily found the spare key under the welcome mat. “Who still hides a key here?”
I shrugged. “Rich people who think they’re untouchable, I guess.”
Close-up of a young man opening a door | Source: Pexels
Once inside, we got to work. The elegant and expensive wallpaper that my mom had hung with such care was quickly covered in neon colors, jarring patterns, and even some hateful cartoon characters splattered with graffiti art.
Mia stifled a giggle as she hung up on a particularly awful section. “Wow, it looks like a unicorn threw up here.”
I took a step back to admire our work. “It’s perfect. Did you want a new pattern? Well, here it is.”
Funny-looking cartoon wallpaper stuck on the living room wall | Source: Midjourney
Before we left, I made sure to leave an exclusive note for the conceited Bensons:
“I hope you love the new wallpaper! It’s free! ;)”
Jake raised an eyebrow at me. “You’re evil, you know that?”
I smiled back. “No, I’m just protecting my mom.”
Monday morning arrived, and the ensuing chaos was better than I could have imagined. We found out everything from the Bensons’ next-door neighbor, Mrs. Thompson, who couldn’t stand the couple.
Smiling older woman in a white fur coat and knitted hat | Source: Pexels
“Honey,” Mrs. Thompson said over the fence, “you should have seen it! Mrs. Benson was shrieking like a banshee because her ‘perfect house’ had been vandalized. And Mr. Benson? He was on the phone with the police, going on and on about a burglary.”
I tried to keep my composure. “Oh no, that’s terrible. Did the police do anything?”
A young woman caught covering her mouth | Source: Freepik
Mrs. Thompson winked at me. “Well, that’s for the best. Since they didn’t force entry and didn’t steal anything, there was nothing they could do.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, but froze when Mrs. Thompson leaned towards me.
“You know what?” he whispered, “I might have security camera footage of three young men breaking into that house Friday night. I know who did it! But just between you and me, okay? After what those Bensons did to your sweet mother, I think my cameras might have mysteriously malfunctioned that night!”
My jaw dropped. “Mrs. Thompson, I don’t know what to say… I just wanted to…”
A smiling older woman with a young woman | Source: Pexels
He patted my hand. “Don’t say anything, dear. Just so you know, karma works in mysterious ways… and sometimes it needs a little help from the neighbors.”
Soon the whole neighborhood found out that the Bensons had tried to scam my mom. And let me tell you, people weren’t amused.
Drone view of houses in a neighborhood | Source: Midjourney
One afternoon, as Mom and I were walking home from the grocery store, we ran into Mr. Jenkins at the end of the street.
“Ruby!” he called out. “I heard about what happened with those burglars in Benson. Listen, my sister’s remodeling her house. Would you be interested in wallpapering the walls?”
Mom’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Mr. Jenkins, that would be wonderful!”
A man wearing a black fedora holding his glasses | Source: Pexels
As we walked away, Mom squeezed my hand. “Isn’t it strange, Kimmy? Since that awful experience with the Bensons, I’ve been getting more job offers than ever.”
I tried to hide my smile. “Yes, Mom. I really miss it. It must be karma or something.”
Meanwhile, the Bensons were left with their hideous, ridiculous wallpaper and a ruined reputation. No one in town wanted to do business with them anymore, or even invite them to neighborhood barbecues.
A happy woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
A few weeks later, Mom and I were sitting on the porch swing, enjoying the warm evening air. She turned to me, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
“You know, Kimmy,” she said slowly, “I ran into Mrs. Benson at the supermarket today.”
I almost choked on my lemonade. “Oh, really? Did he say anything to you?”
Side view of a woman looking up and smiling | Source: Midjourney
Mom laughed. “Well, she looked like she’d seen a ghost when she saw me. She tried to run away as fast as she could, but I caught up with her. Do you know what I said to her?”
I shook my head, hanging on every word.
“I told her, ‘I hope you’re enjoying your new wallpaper, Mrs. Benson. I hear it’s quite… unique.'”
“You should have seen his face when he ran away!” Mom finished, laughing.
A blurred grayscale shot of a woman fleeing | Source: Pexels
“You know, Kimmy?” Mom added, her eyes twinkling, “I think those Bensons learned a valuable lesson about karma.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, really? Which one, Mom?”
“It comes in all models and colors!” he leaned forward, chuckling.
We burst out laughing, like when your sides ache and tears well up in your eyes. It’s become our little inside joke, a secret victory we cherish.
A young woman laughing | Source: Pexels
When our laughter subsided, Mom squeezed my hand. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart. You always stand up for what’s right.”
“Mom… did you know? H-how did you…?” I exclaimed.
“Yes! I knew you’d done it all!” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
I smiled back and felt a warmth spread through my chest. After all, you can never hide anything from your mom, right? Of course, what I did wasn’t exactly legal, but sometimes justice comes in disguise. And in our case, it was using some really ugly wallpaper.
A wall covered with fun cartoon drawings | Source: Midjourney
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or character portrayals, and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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