When my 16-year-old daughter, Rachel, worked tirelessly to save up for her dream sewing machine, I couldn’t have been prouder. But little did we know, her stepmother, Karen, had other plans.
Rachel’s father, Mark, and I divorced years ago, and he remarried soon after. Karen, his new wife, was never warm towards Rachel. She believed in discipline, often taking things too far.
One Friday, Rachel called me in tears. Karen had destroyed her sewing machine, throwing it into the pool as punishment for not doing the dishes on time. I was livid.
I decided to teach Karen a lesson. With the help of a friend, Jason, who owed me a favor, we devised a plan. Jason, an actor, had an old police uniform and knew just how to pull off a convincing performance.
We decided to give Karen a taste of her own medicine. Her laptop, which contained all her important work files, was her lifeline. I figured it was time for her to feel what it’s like to have something important taken away.
The next day, Jason, dressed as a policeman, knocked on their door. Karen answered, and he launched into his rehearsed speech, telling her that they had an order to confiscate her laptop due to an ongoing investigation.
Karen was frantic, begging Jason not to take her laptop. But he stayed in character, shaking his head and telling her it was out of his hands.
Meanwhile, Rachel walked in from behind her stepmother, filming everything with her phone. “See? It’s unpleasant to part with something important to you,” she said, looking Karen straight in the eye.
Karen’s face turned red as realization hit. She turned to Jason and demanded to know if it was some kind of joke. But I stepped inside then, smiling. “No joke. Just a lesson in empathy.”
Karen was furious, but she knew she was beat. She agreed to pay Rachel back for the sewing machine and apologize. If not, we would upload the video on social media, showing all her friends how she got in trouble with the law.
Karen reluctantly apologized and handed Rachel a check. We left together, leaving Karen behind. From then on, Rachel stayed with me full-time, and Karen was on her best behavior.
Rachel used the money to buy a brand-new sewing machine, and this time, she kept it safe at home with me.
Sometimes, it takes a lesson in empathy to understand the impact of our actions on others. Karen learned the hard way, but I’m just glad my daughter is happy and safe.
