When my teenage daughter saved up all the money she could to buy a sewing machine, she didn’t know that her stepmother would destroy it out of sheer vengefulness. But when I heard the news, I enlisted the help of a close friend to get sweet revenge.
I never thought I’d have to go head-to-head with my ex-husband’s new wife after all the disrespect she’d shown to my daughter over the years, but when she took things too far, I knew I had to act. Let me back up a little.
I’m 46, and my daughter, Rachel, is 16. She’s smart, creative, and has big dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She usually lives with me but stays at her dad’s house every other weekend. Let’s just say those weekends aren’t her favorite.
Rachel’s dad, Mark, and I split up years ago. Our relationship now? Civil but distant. He’s always been the “hands-off” parent — more of a buddy than a father. He remarried soon after our divorce to a woman named Karen, and she lives up to the stereotype.
Karen’s strict rules dominate their home, and Rachel, independent and headstrong, struggles with her cruelty. When Rachel worked hard to save for a dream sewing machine, Karen threw it in the pool as punishment for not doing dishes fast enough. I was furious and vowed to protect my daughter.
I shot Mark a glare. “This is why Rachel doesn’t want to visit! You let Karen do whatever she wants!” He stayed silent. Turning to Karen, I said calmly, “You’re going to regret this.” I took Rachel home, and the next day, with a plan in motion, Karen got a taste of her own medicine.
Karen begged Jason not to take her laptop, but Rachel walked in, filming, and said, “See? It’s unpleasant to part with something important.” Realization hit Karen. I stepped in, offering a deal: apologize and pay for the machine, or the video goes viral. Karen reluctantly agreed.
