I should’ve known my birthday was going to be a mess as soon as I spotted my niece and nephew whispering together like little troublemakers, their eyes locked on me. But even then, nothing could’ve prepared me for what happened next.
The day had started out perfectly—fresh highlights, a salon blowout, flawless makeup, and a dress that made me feel like me for once, and not just someone’s daughter, sister, or aunt. I was turning 30 and I deserved to feel special.
The backyard was full of the sounds of sizzling BBQ and clinking glasses. My dad was tending the grill, my mom was fussing over side dishes, and my brother, Mark, stood off to the side, beer in hand, laughing at something on his phone.
And then, there were Mark’s kids.
Ava and Lily were running around, screaming, and shoving past guests. I watched as they nearly sent my elderly neighbor, Mrs. Thompson, stumbling into the pool. She barely caught herself on a chair, gasping for air.
I looked at their mom, Jessica. Surely now she’d do something? Nope, she just laughed. “Oh, kids will be kids!” she said. And Mark? He chuckled without even bothering to look up.
I clenched my jaw. Breathe, Liv. It’s your birthday. I tried to let it go, but then I saw it—Ava and Lily huddled together, whispering and giggling. Ava was holding up a phone, clearly recording. Ethan was crouched, ready to launch.
And then it hit me. They were going to push me in. I glanced at Jessica. She saw them and… smirked. I took a deep breath and decided to play along. The second they lunged at me, I sidestepped.
SPLASH!
Ava and Lily fell into the pool, flailing their arms in shock.
Silence. Then—
“HOW COULD YOU LET THEM FALL?!”
Jessica’s shrill voice cut through the party. She stormed toward me, face bright red, as if I’d committed some grave offense.
I blinked. “Let them? They tried to push me in.”
She didn’t even check on the kids. Instead, she clutched her head like she was about to faint.
“My iPhones!!!” she wailed. “Do you have any idea how expensive those were?!”
I stared at her, incredulous. “Maybe you should’ve watched your kids instead of laughing?”
Mark finally looked up, saw the kids dripping wet, and let out a long sigh. “That sucks.”
I handed Ava and Lily towels, but Jessica was still fuming. “This is your fault, Olivia! You knew they’d fall in!”
I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, and you knew they were going to push me. Should I have just let it happen?”
Jessica scoffed, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”
“No, you are, Jessica,” I shot back.
I turned, grabbed my drink, and took a long sip.
Happy freakin’ birthday to me.
The morning after my disastrous birthday, I woke up groggy, still irritated by everything that had gone down. I grabbed my phone and squinted at the screen, hoping for a funny meme or maybe a belated birthday message. Instead, I found a text from Jessica.
It was a link.
Curious, I clicked on it, and my stomach dropped when I saw it—it was an Apple Store page for two brand-new iPhones, the most expensive models. My heart sank as I scrolled to see the price.
Then her message popped up.
Jessica: Since YOU let them fall, YOU need to replace these. It’s YOUR fault.
I sat up straight, blinking in disbelief. Was this a joke?
Me: You can’t be serious.
The bubbles appeared instantly.
Jessica: You’re an adult. You should’ve just let them push you in. It’s not like you’d melt.
I let out a dry, humorless laugh. The audacity. She actually thought I was responsible for her kids’ phones because I didn’t let them push me into the pool?
I was done playing nice.
Me: Don’t you dare try to make me feel guilty.
She didn’t respond.
I tossed my phone onto the nightstand and went about my day, thinking that the whole ridiculous situation was over.
I was wrong. The next afternoon, my doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Jessica standing there.
With balloons.
For a split second, I thought maybe she had come to apologize, maybe even make amends. But then I saw the car behind her—Mark was unloading decorations from the trunk.
That’s when it hit me. Weeks before all of this happened, we’d agreed I’d host Ava’s birthday party at my house. By the pool.
Jessica’s smile was as smug as ever. “Why do you look so confused? We’re here for the party!”
My blood boiled.
I crossed my arms. “You seriously think you can demand money from me one day and then show up expecting me to host your kid’s party the next?”
Jessica sighed dramatically, like I was the one being difficult. “Well, yeah,” she said, as if it were obvious. “You still owe us for the phones, but that’s separate.”
I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Oh, it’s ‘separate’? You mean like how my house and my generosity are separate from your entitlement?” I stepped back and pointed to the street. “Get out.”
Her smug expression evaporated instantly.
Jessica’s face twisted with frustration. “You’re being a b—” She caught herself when she saw Ava standing next to her and adjusted her tone. “This is for my daughter! You’re punishing her over a harmless prank!”
I shrugged. “No, you punished her. You wanted me to be the villain? Fine. I’ll play the part.”
And with that, I slammed the door in her face.
I stood at my door, arms crossed, watching Jessica’s meltdown unfold in my driveway. She was still shouting, ranting like a lunatic, arms waving wildly, fully aware the neighbors were watching.
Mark, as usual, stayed quiet, awkwardly shifting near the car. Ava looked confused, probably wondering why her party wasn’t happening. The decorations meant for her birthday were still sitting in the trunk.
Then, I saw movement across the street.
Mrs. Thompson, my elderly neighbor, was striding confidently toward us, phone in hand, held just high enough for Jessica to see the screen.
Jessica froze mid-rant. Her face went ghostly pale. Mrs. Thompson didn’t say a word. She just let Jessica see the video. Whatever was on that screen seemed to bring Jessica’s entire world crashing down. Her hands clenched, her mouth opened as if to argue, but no sound came out.
Finally, Mrs. Thompson knocked on my door.
“Hey, Mrs. Thompson,” I greeted, eyebrow raised.
She smiled warmly, eyes twinkling with amusement. “She won’t be bothering you about the phones anymore.”
I glanced at Jessica, who looked like she wanted to sink into the ground.
“Oh?” I said with a smirk. “And why’s that?”
Mrs. Thompson leaned in, speaking in a voice low enough to make it feel like an inside joke. “I just let her know that I also have a nice little video of her kids trying to push me into the pool. And if she keeps pushing this phone nonsense, well… I’d be happy to take it to the police.”
I laughed, and Mrs. Thompson joined in. “Of course, we wouldn’t actually do that,” she added innocently. “But you should’ve seen her face.”
Jessica didn’t argue. She didn’t even look at me. She just grabbed Ava’s hand and stormed off.
Mark muttered, “Let’s go,” and followed. They tossed the decorations back into the trunk, slammed the doors shut, and sped off down the street.
For the first time ever, Jessica had nothing to say.
I turned back to Mrs. Thompson and shook my head in amusement. “You might be my favorite neighbor.”
She winked. “I know, dear.”
By the next morning, the family group chat was flooded with messages. My mom, ever the peacekeeper, tried to smooth things over. My dad stayed out of it, probably enjoying his coffee. Mark sent a half-hearted “Sorry about that” text, which meant absolutely nothing.
Jessica? Not a word.
But then, just as I was finishing my coffee, a new message popped up.
Jessica: Ava’s party was a disaster because of you. Hope you’re happy.
I stared at it for a second and then smiled.
Me: Oh, I am. Thanks for checking.