My heart raced, but I continued. I drove home, went to bed, and grinned as I fell asleep. Revenge was my fantasy.
Maris panicked. Beautiful chaos. Next morning, the phone rang.
It was Soren. I replied, half-asleep, and his voice was shocked. “Elara, you won’t believe this,” he said.
“Mom’s house was destroyed last night!”
I sat up fast. “Wrecked? By whom?”
“Not who.
What. Animals. Deer, foxes, and birds destroyed her garden and fences.
She describes the smell as horrible. I bit my lip to stop laughing. That’s awful!
What will she do? We’re keeping her till it’s corrected. She has no choice.”
Oh no.
That wasn’t planned. But I stayed calm. “Okay.
Work will be done.”
Her face was angry and ashamed when she arrived. Her eyes barely met mine as she entered and noticed more bugs. “Oh, don’t mind those,” I said cheerfully.
They keep coming no matter what we do. Later that night, I showed Soren the receipt. He stared at it, and I watched him realize it.
He raised his voice: “She did WHAT?”
“She brought roaches into our house. I found this yesterday.”
He confronted her in the guest room. Despite her protests, the receipt was undisputed.
She whispered an apology while staring at the floor. “I didn’t think it’d get this bad,” she whispered. Soren snapped, “Well, it did.” “You pay for pest control and damage.
You can keep the bugs you brought till then.”
I smiled within despite my silence. Though I didn’t want her to move in, she was trapped with her mess. While sleeping that night, I felt serene.
Revenge may not be sweet. It’s sometimes just what you need. As for Maris?
She’ll share her room with bugs. A long time.
