Hi everyone, I wasn’t expecting to share this, but after what happened last week, I had to. I’m Audrey, a 25-year-old woman who was forced to take matters into her own hands when circumstances demanded it. Stick around because you won’t want to miss this story.
To give you some context, my mother is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. She had a wonderful job, but unfortunately, she had to leave it due to cancer treatment.
Cancer patient | Source: Midjourney
Although she’s now in remission, she needed to find work quickly to help with the bills, so she got a job as a waitress at a local coffee shop. She never complains and always wears a smile, even on her toughest days.
Growing up, it was my mom and me against the world. We’ve always been very close, sharing everything from our favorite books to late-night movie marathons.
Her strength and positivity are contagious, and I can’t imagine having a better role model. Watching her fight, but never lose her spirit, has been both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Mother and daughter smiling | Source: Midjourney
The conceited woman, Karen, enters. She started coming to the cafeteria every day, making sarcastic comments and belittling my mother for no reason. Here are some examples of her meanness:
One day, during my lunch break, I decided to visit Mom at the cafeteria. I found her serving Karen, who, unsurprisingly, was in diva mode.
“Excuse me,” Karen cried, waving her hand dramatically as if she were summoning a servant. “I’ve dropped my napkin. Please bring me another one.”
A woman with rights having coffee in a cafe | Source: Freepik
Mom, ever patient, smiled and took a fresh napkin, handing it to Karen with a graceful air. But Karen wasn’t finished.
“Marilyn, right?” Karen glanced at the name tag on my mother’s uniform. “Next time, try not to be so slow. I don’t have all day,” she mocked, her voice condescending.
I clenched my fists under the table, but Mom just nodded, still smiling. “Of course, ma’am. Do you need anything else?”
Karen ignored her, turning back to her phone with a dismissive gesture.
A woman checks her phone while sitting in a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
On another occasion, I was there when Karen decided to criticize every single detail of the service. “This coffee is too hot,” she snapped. “And this cake is cold. Did you even bother to check? And look at this table! It’s disgusting.”
Mom apologized: “I’m so sorry, ma’am. I’ll bring you a new cupcake and clean the table right away.”
“Oh, and those flowers!” Karen continued. “They’re wilting. If you can’t keep them fresh here, maybe you should bring some from your own garden.”
Mom’s face fell slightly, but she simply said, “I’ll see what I can do, ma’am.”
A vase of dried roses on a wooden table | Source: Pexels
The worst part was when Karen made it personal. One afternoon, she looked Mom up and down and said loudly to a friend, “It’s a shame people don’t take care of themselves. Look at her, she seems exhausted all the time. I guess some people aren’t cut out for success.”
Mom, being the angel she is, never wanted to complain or make a scene. But last week, things went too far.
A woman working as a waitress in a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
Mom came home crying, her uniform stained with coffee. It turned out Karen had thrown the coffee on my mother, claiming it was too cold. It broke my heart to see her like that.
“What happened?” I asked, gently wiping away her tears.
“It’s nothing, Audrey. Just a bad day at work,” she tried to hide, but I could see the pain in her eyes.
“Mom, please tell me,” I insisted.
She sighed. “It was Karen. She threw my coffee on me because it wasn’t hot enough. I tried to apologize, but she yelled at me and stormed off.”
A waitress with coffee stains on her dress | Source: Midjourney
“Why does he hate you so much? What’s wrong with him?” I asked, my voice breaking with anger and worry.
“This isn’t just about a customer being rude to a waitress, Audrey. This goes way back,” Mom hesitated, and finally admitted, “Karen is a former classmate. She’s held a grudge against me ever since your father chose me over her back in the day.”
“That’s it!” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “I’m not going to let him get away with it!”
“Audrey, please. I’ll take care of it,” my mother said. Her tone was convincing, full of pure love and concern for me.
Close-up of a pair of intertwined hands | Source: Pexels
I shook my head, trying not to worry my mother too much. But as we hugged, my mind immediately began plotting how to teach Karen a lesson she would never forget.
Once she decided enough was enough, she had to take action. Finding Karen online was easy. A quick look at her social media accounts revealed she was obsessed with her image. She boasted about her luxurious lifestyle and impeccable appearance.
A woman using her laptop in bed | Source: Pexels
After doing some research, I hatched a brilliant plan. First, I created a fake Instagram account, impersonating a top beauty influencer, Lila Sanders. With a few paid followers and some purchased engagement , the account was just as good as the real one.
Then came the next step. I started interacting with Karen’s posts, complimenting her and gradually gaining her trust in the fake account.
After a week of friendly exchanges, I sent her a message about an exclusive beauty event that could only be attended by invitation, and I said that I had an extra VIP ticket.
A young woman smiles while using her phone | Source: Midjourney
Hi Karen!
I hope you’re doing well. I love your latest posts: your style is impeccable!
I’m contacting you because I have an extra VIP ticket to an exclusive, invitation-only beauty event taking place in town next week. It will be a fantastic opportunity to network and indulge in some luxurious pampering. I thought you might be interested, given your passion for beauty and fashion.
Let me know if you want to participate.
Greetings, Lila Sanders.
A happy woman using her smartphone | Source: Pexels
Karen didn’t miss the opportunity. “Oh my God, that sounds amazing! I would love to go,” she replied, her enthusiasm practically leaping off the screen.
“The event is at the Grand Hotel,” I told her. “The dress code is very strict, so make sure you dress your best.”
He answered me right away. “Of course! I can’t wait! Thank you so much for the invitation.”
I smiled inwardly, knowing that Karen would soon regret messing with my mother.
A young woman smiles while holding her phone | Source: Midjourney
Karen appeared impeccably dressed, a smug smile plastered on her face as she strutted into the hotel lobby. I watched her from afar as she approached the reception desk, her confident demeanor gradually fading into confusion.
The hotel manager, Mr. Daniels, was already waiting, looking displeased. She had called earlier, pretending to be Karen, and had canceled her reservation for a spa day she had planned, explaining that she was very ill and wouldn’t be able to attend.
“What do you mean my reservation is canceled?” Karen’s voice rose, drawing the attention of nearby guests. “I haven’t canceled anything!”
A woman very surprised and upset by an expensive dress | Source: Midjourney
Mr. Daniels shook his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but the reservation has been canceled by someone claiming to be you. We’ve already charged the cancellation fee and other expenses.”
Karen’s face turned bright red as she tried to explain. “This is ridiculous! I demand my money back!”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Mr. Daniels said firmly. “We had everything arranged for your visit, and now it’s too late to rebook.”
Hotel manager | Source: Midjourney
Nervous and embarrassed, Karen had no choice but to pay, attracting curious and critical glances from the other guests. I could see her looking around, trying to avoid their stares as she fumbled for her credit card.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself. But I wasn’t over yet. Remember the fake beauty event? I’d arranged for a shipment of cheap, sticky, glittery “beauty products” to be sent to Karen’s address, all packaged in what looked like high-end containers.
A woman holds a neatly wrapped box | Source: Pexels
As I watched Karen leave the hotel, I imagined the scene that would unfold at her house.
When Karen finally arrived home, she found the delivery waiting for her. Excited, she opened the packages, only to have glitter and sticky goo explode all over her expensive outfit and spotless living room.
“What the…?” she cried, frantically trying to scrape off the glitter that stuck to everything she touched. The mess was almost impossible to clean, and she knew it would take days to get rid of it completely.
A disaster caused by cheap, sticky, and shiny products spilled on the floor | Source: Midjourney
Karen’s social media posts plummeted as she desperately tried to salvage her image. Her once-perfect photos now showed an exhausted woman struggling to maintain her facade. She even had to pause her daily visits to the café, much to my mother’s relief.
But the final blow came when I decided to confront Karen directly. I entered the café during one of her regular visits and calmly approached her table.
A woman in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
“Karen,” I began, my voice firm. “I know exactly who you are and what you’ve been doing. You think humiliating my mother makes you superior, but it only reveals your insecurities and bitterness. My mother survived cancer and continues to work hard every day, while you cling to petty grudges from high school. It’s time you grew up and moved on, because your actions are pathetic and only succeed in embarrassing yourself.”
A distraught young woman talking to an older woman in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
Karen’s face turned bright red, and she fell completely silent. The other customers in the café, who had overheard our conversation, stared at her in silence, judging her. She quickly gathered her things and left, her head bowed in shame. I haven’t seen her in the café since.
When my mother found out what I had done, she wasn’t too amused by the deception. “Audrey, I appreciate you standing up for me, but was it really necessary?” she asked, her voice a mixture of concern and amusement.
A woman talking to her daughter outdoors | Source: Pexels
“Mom, you’ve always been there for me, making endless sacrifices to ensure my happiness. This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for me,” I replied, squeezing her hand.
She sighed, but couldn’t help smiling a little. “Justice in the most brilliant and sticky way possible, huh?”
“Exactly,” I smiled. “Karen needed a taste of her own medicine.”
So Karen, if you happen to see this, I hope you’ll reconsider before lashing out at someone who just wants to brighten your day. And Mom, you truly are the strongest person I know.
A happy mother-daughter duo holding coffee cups | Source: Pexels
What would you have done differently if you were in my place?
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