When Carina’s parents kick her out after high school, she has no choice but to navigate her way around life. Years later, after making a success of her life, and her wedding is around the corner, she reaches out to them, only for them to storm into her life, trying to take ownership of what she has worked so hard for.
“Carina,” my mother said, opening a packet of biscuits. “You’re going to regret not going to medical school.”
“Mom,” I replied. “My brain doesn’t work like Jade’s; she’s the doctor in the family, not me.”
A packet of biscuits | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t see why it can’t be the both of you,” she sniffed, dunking a biscuit into her lukewarm tea. “Why do you even waste your time with computers? Those machines are not going to make your life comfortable.”
This wasn’t anything new. My parents hated that I loved computers, and when school was out in the next few months, I was going to be off to college, studying IT.
A girl sitting with a laptop and headphones | Source: Midjourney
“Who cares about cyber security, Carina?” my father asked while he sat down with a pork chop. “Saving people’s lives, honey. That’s what success is. Not playing on computers.”
“Cyber security is how your important details are protected, Dad,” I would always say, rolling my eyes. “It’s how countries keep their people safe.”
Pork chops on a plate | Source: Unsplash
“It’s not good enough,” my mother said from the sink.
After graduation, my parents made me leave the house.
“You’ve chosen this path,” my mother said when I bought my IT textbooks. “So you’re capable of taking care of yourself.”
A pile of books | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t think that’s fair, Mom,” I retaliated. “You let Jade live at home for her whole degree.”
“Yeah, well, she was learning how to save lives, Carina,” she said.
A woman looking through a microscope | Source: Pexels
Fast forward 13 years. I’ve got a successful career, a beautiful house, and the most caring fiancé, Mark, I could have ever asked for.
“Are you sure that I should invite my parents to the wedding?” I asked Mark as we took a walk one evening.
“Yes, darling,” he said, taking my hand. “Why wouldn’t you? I’m so proud of who you are and where you’ve come from. You’ve done all of this on your own.”
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
“But they’ve been such horrible people, Mark. I mean, they kicked me out of their home when I got into college. I had to work as a dog groomer to make enough money to cover the rent for my tiny apartment,” I said.
“Yes, I understand that,” my fiancé said diplomatically. “But you’ve made it now. And you’ve made it without them. Look, honey. Our home is yours; it’s in your name, and I love that for us.”
A person grooming a dog | Source: Pexels
Eventually, I gave in. The excitement of our wedding planning made me realize that I was proud of myself and where I had come from.
“I did it without their support,” I told Mark as I fried bacon for us one morning. “So, I’m going to invite them.”
Mark smiled at me while he poured milk into his coffee.
A person pouring milk into coffee | Source: Unsplash
“Good, this is a big moment for us,” he said.
When my parents and sister arrived, they were stunned by my house. They assumed that I was renting a room of the house. Of course, they didn’t think that I was capable of something bigger and better than that.
A beautiful home with a large garden | Source: Midjourney
“Carina! You own this entire house?” my father asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Yes, Dad,” I said, wheeling my mother’s suitcase in, they seemed to think that they were spending the night. “I worked hard for this.”
A suitcase in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“Wow, I didn’t expect this,” my sister said, looking around.
“So, I thought that we could do dinner at a restaurant tonight, and then come home for dessert and coffee. You guys can spend time with Mark and my in-laws.”
They were going to be over at any moment, the first meet and greet almost underway.
But that’s when the entitlement kicked in.
A beautiful living room | Source: Unsplash
My mother’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the living room, taking in my television and other things.
“You know, Carina,” she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We deserve to live in comfort after all we’ve done for you.”
Then, she promptly sat down on the couch.
An older woman sitting | Source: Pexels
“Mom, what are you talking about?” I was incredulous. “This is my home. I bought it with my own money. You did absolutely nothing for me after high school.”
“But we’re your parents,” she insisted. “We should live better than our children. It’s our right. It’s the only right thing.”
“You can’t be serious,” I said, my voice rising. “Jade still lives with you because you wanted to baby her after her night shifts. And me? You didn’t care. This isn’t my responsibility.”
An older woman looking around | Source: Pexels
My father stepped in at this point, crossing his arms.
“After everything we’ve sacrificed for you, this is the least you can do.”
“Jade needs a place to stay, too,” my mother said.
“Jade is an adult,” I snapped. “She made her choice to live with you, just like I made my own.”
An older man | Source: Unsplash
I felt bad that I was speaking about Jade in this way, especially because she was sitting on the couch and looking at my plants.
But my sister had chosen my parents when they kicked me out. She barely kept in contact with me, only stopping to text me on my birthday or Christmas morning.
A woman sitting on a couch | Source: Unsplash
At that moment, the door opened, and my future in-laws walked in. I had always been close to them, wanting to find parental figures in Mark’s parents.
“We’ve been hearing this entire conversation from outside,” Tom said.
“Carina’s achievements are hers,” my future mother-in-law, Carol, said firmly. “She’s worked hard for this, and she deserves every bit of it.”
A smiling woman holding a bouquet of flowers | Source: Pexels
My mother turned to her, eyes blazing.
“Who the hell are you? We have rights to this house; she’s our daughter.”
Carol didn’t flinch; she stood with her arms folded, a smile playing across her face.
“Why did you remember that only now? Where have you been all these years? Being her parents doesn’t mean that you can take credit for her hard work. Carina has earned this.”
An angry old woman | Source: Pexels
My parents were stunned into silence, and Jade couldn’t even look up.
“Carina invited you to celebrate her wedding, to celebrate the union of her and our son. To join our families. She did not invite you to berate her and have her hard work claimed,” Tom said.
“She owes you nothing but respect because you raised her, but that doesn’t mean giving up her home,” Carol said.
A young mother and daughter | Source: Pexels
“But we’re her family,” my mother said, clearly not expecting this level of pushback.
“Only by blood,” Mark said, stepping into the house. “Family supports one another. They don’t tear you down. And that’s what you’ve done to Carina for years.”
“You should be so proud of your girl,” Carol continued. “She’s done so much for us. I am so proud of her. Tom, too. She’s the daughter that I wanted all along.”
A smiling man | Source: Pexels
Mark found his way to me, wrapping his arm around my waist.
I looked at my parents, seeing the dawning realization on their faces.
“I love you, I do,” I said. “But this is my life, and you’ve only been in it again for five minutes, and you’re already demanding things of me. Is that fair? I’ve worked too hard to let anyone take that away from me.”
My father sighed heavily.
An elderly man looking down | Source: Unsplash
“We didn’t mean to upset you,” he said.
“Then respect my choice,” I said gently. “Be present for my wedding, but after that, you can go your own way again.”
After the confrontation, my parents seemed to understand, if only a little.
A bride holding a card | Source: Pexels
When we left to the restaurant, everyone was subdued, except for Mark and my in-laws. I didn’t see a point in canceling the dinner because of the confrontation.
We sat down to eat, everyone lost in their own thoughts while Carol made comments about seeing me in my dress.
“Mark, you’re in for such a treat. Carina looks beautiful in that dress,” she said, digging into her salmon.
I smiled at my future mother-in-law. I always knew that she loved me, but her comments of the day had truly made me realize just how much.
A bride with wedding dresses | Source: Pexels
I was lucky. I had gotten lucky with Mark, but even more so with his parents.
I watched as my mother’s face fell when Carol went on, talking about the dress fitting. But I didn’t have it in me to make her feel better.
After dinner, we left the restaurant, parting ways with my parents and sister.
“We’ll see you at the wedding,” my father said, getting into the car.
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll see you then.”
A man sitting in a car | Source: Pexels
Let’s see what happens at my wedding.
What would you have done?
Loud Neighbors Tell Old Man to Get Lost, Regret It Later – Story of the Day
A group of young students moved next to an older neighbor and wouldn’t stop blasting their music. They insulted the older man, but they soon learned that no one should mess with karma.
Mr. Adams had been living in his small two-bedroom house for many years. His dear wife passed away some time ago, and his children lived on the other side of the country. It could get lonely, but his neighborhood was amazing.
He was surrounded by caring families and tons of lovely people, especially next door. However, they were moving away soon because they needed more space for their growing family.
A group of college kids became his new neighbors | Source: Shutterstock
Mr. Adams wished them all the best and hoped that whoever filled that vacancy would be just as nice. Unfortunately, his prayers were not answered. A group of young college students moved into the house a few weeks later.
They couldn’t be older than 18, which meant fresh out of high school. Mr. Adams dreaded this situation but hoped that this group understood that they had just moved into a quiet neighborhood.
Sadly, he was wrong once again. As soon as they finished moving all their things, the teenagers started having parties. They got loud, and many other young people showed up. They didn’t turn off their music until 5 a.m. on a Monday.
Mr. Adams lived in a quiet neighborhood. | Source: Pexels
Mr. Adams had no idea what to do, but he was thinking of calling the Home Owners Association while watering his plants that morning. That’s when he saw Linda Shaw coming towards him. She lived across Mr. Adams with her husband and two preschool-aged children.
“Good morning, Mr. Adams!” she greeted.
“Good morning, Linda. How was your night?” he said.
“Oh. It was absolutely terrible. I couldn’t sleep for a second. Then my kids woke up around 2 a.m. and didn’t go back to bed until 5 a.m. when the music stopped,” Linda explained. “It’s funny because we have never had problems in this neighborhood.”
Linda came to greet Mr. Adams. | Source: Pexels
“I know what you mean. It was still a nightmare for me, though,” Mr. Adams added. “But I didn’t know if calling the cops was the right move.”
“I almost did it myself, but I didn’t want to cause any issues if they were just celebrating that first night in their new house,” she continued.
“Would the HOA help?” Mr. Adams asked.
“Maybe, although it’s hard to say why they let a group of teens move into this neighborhood. They might have connections,” Linda said. “Well, I’ve got to go. Lots of errands today, and hopefully, I can squeeze in a nap before picking up the kids.”
Mr. Adams had growing concerns about his new neighbors. | Source: Pexels
Mr. Adams said goodbye and decided to talk to these young people if they continued being loud, which probably wouldn’t happen until the weekend. But the neighbors decided to have another huge party that night, and he couldn’t take it anymore.
He went to their house and knocked on the door. A young man opened and frowned at Mr. Adams. “Hello? Can I help you?” he said.
“Young man, do you live here?” Mr. Adams asked.
“Yes. Who’s asking?” he answered.
The neighbors hosted rowdy parties. | Source: Pexels
“I’m your next-door neighbor. I need to ask you kids to keep your music down. This is a nice neighborhood with tons of families and older people,” Mr. Adams said as politely as possible.
“So? That’s not my problem. I pay rent just like anyone else, and I get to play as much music as I want to,” the young man responded rudely.
“I will call the cops if you guys don’t keep it down,” Mr. Adams threatened calmly.
“Go ahead. My dad’s the sheriff at the police station. There’s nothing you can do,” he said and smirked. “Now, go away old dude. This party doesn’t need an old fart hanging around. If you don’t like the music, move to a nursing home.”
A conceited teenager tells Mr. Adams to go away. | Source: Pexels
The teenager slammed the door in Mr. Adams’ face, the old man shocked by such insolence. Was the boy lying about his father? Would the cops really not answer his complaint? He had to try, at least.
But it looked like his neighbor was not lying because the squad car never came, and the teens enjoyed this party until 4 a.m.
“Linda, do you know if we can complain to the HOA about these young people?” Mr. Adams asked that morning after knocking on Linda’s door.
Mr. Adams talked to Linda again about their problems. | Source: Pexels
“I asked around, Mr. Adams. Last night was terrible too. I was on the phone with Mrs. Lowry, who knows everything around here. She told me that one of the teenager’s moms is part of the association,” Linda answered.
“I can’t believe this. One of them said that his father was the sheriff, and it has to be true because the cops never came after I called,” he continued.
“Mrs. Lowry said that we need to file a formal complaint to the local council with several signatures. I think a lot of people will sign it, but that takes time. My husband didn’t get any rest last night either. I don’t know how much of this we can take,” Linda said.
Linda had an idea but it will take time. | Source: Pexels
“Let’s go ahead with the complaint. I’ll help you get the signatures. In the meantime, we can tell everyone to call the HOA and the cops to see if that pressure gets a reaction,” Mr. Adams devised and went back home.
Unfortunately, it looked like these young people were really connected because the calls to the HOA and the cops didn’t help at all. But he and Linda collected all the signatures needed to file the formal complaint. They would have to wait for now.
Meanwhile, the neighbors continued having parties every single day since they moved into that house. Almost the entire neighborhood had knocked on their door to try and reason with them, but they wouldn’t listen.
Their teenage neighbors kept having parties. | Source: Pexels
One night, they added a sign over the front of their house, which read: “NO ONE SLEEPS TONIGHT!” Mr. Adams couldn’t believe this level of disrespect for others.
They even partied heavily during a huge storm. Their speakers were getting wet, but they seemed fine until a huge lightning bolt thundered and seemed to hit their equipment.
The music stopped miraculously, and when Mr. Adams peeked through his windows, he saw that the entire house had lost power. He laughed to himself and thought that nature was getting revenge on their behalf.
A lightning storm cut out their power.| Source: Pexels
He could finally read his novel and slept soundly for the first time in a few days. The following day, they still had no electricity. Apparently, the storm had blown through the outdated electric system at their house.
It took several days before they fixed things up completely. But by then, the city had received the neighborhood’s formal complaint. The teenagers could no longer play loud music past 10 p.m., and cops actually came when they tried to defy this ruling.
Finally, Mr. Adams and the rest of his peaceful neighborhood could continue their regular lives.
What can we learn from this story?
1. Respect your elders. These young people didn’t listen when adults politely asked them to stop, and karma hit them back.
2. Don’t abuse your power. They were also using their connections to break the rules and get away with anything. But they lost in the end.
Share this story with your friends. It might inspire people to share their own stories or to help someone else.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a boy who insults a lady at the mall but gets a huge lesson from his father.
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