Lucy came home after a long week of babysitting, her face pale and her eyes filled with tears. My heart sank the moment I saw her, as my daughter rarely cried, and when she did, it was never like this—silent sobs, her chest rising with every shaky breath, her body radiating the kind of hurt that makes a mother’s heart ache.
I rushed to her side, placing my hands on her shoulders gently. “Lucy, what happened?” I asked softly, trying to keep my voice steady.
She wiped her tears away but didn’t speak right away. Her hands shook as she fiddled with her sweater, and I could tell something was deeply wrong. After a moment, she finally looked up at me, her voice barely audible.
“Mom, Mrs. Carpenter didn’t pay me for babysitting her kids,” Lucy whispered.
I frowned in confusion. “What? Why not?”
“She said it was a ‘life lesson,’ that I should’ve gotten everything in writing. Then she slammed the door in my face!” Lucy’s voice cracked, and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “She said babysitting was hard work, and that was payment enough!”
I could feel my blood starting to boil. Mrs. Carpenter had refused to pay my daughter for babysitting all week, dismissing it as a lesson in responsibility? My fists clenched as I tried to stay calm for Lucy’s sake.
Lucy’s voice trembled as she continued. “Her kids were terrible, Mom. They wouldn’t listen to me, they threw toys at each other, and when I tried to make them do their reading, they said, ‘Mom says we don’t have to.’ I worked so hard all week, and she acted like it didn’t matter.”
“Oh, sweetie,” I whispered, pulling her close. At 15, Lucy was trying so hard to be responsible, and this was her first real job. “How much did she owe you?”
“I babysat for four hours each day for five days… so $220. I was going to use it for an art course I really wanted to take,” she sniffled.
Without hesitation, I reached for my purse and counted out the money. “Here, you earned this.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “Mom, no. She’s the one who owes me, not you.”
“Don’t worry about it. You worked hard, and you deserve to get paid. I’ll take care of Mrs. Carpenter myself,” I said, hugging her tightly. “I’m going to make sure she understands that cheating you isn’t something she can get away with.”
As Lucy headed to the kitchen for a snack, I began planning. I wasn’t going to let Mrs. Carpenter get away with this. But I knew that confronting her in anger wouldn’t work. I needed a smarter approach—one that would teach Mrs. Carpenter a lesson of her own.
That night, I lay awake thinking about Lucy’s excitement when she first got the babysitting job. She had been so proud, so eager to prove she could handle responsibility. And now, Mrs. Carpenter had robbed her of that joy. I tossed and turned, replaying the events over in my mind. By the time morning came, I had a plan.
At 10 a.m., I knocked on Mrs. Carpenter’s door, forcing a pleasant smile onto my face. She answered, looking surprised to see me.
“Rebecca! What brings you by?” she asked.
“Oh, I just wanted to thank you for the valuable life lesson you gave Lucy,” I said sweetly, watching as confusion flickered across her face. “You know, the one about contracts and trust?”
Mrs. Carpenter’s smile turned smug. “Well, yes. I’m glad you understand. Children need to learn things the hard way sometimes.”
“Oh, absolutely,” I replied, pulling out my phone. “I’ve been telling everyone about it. In fact, I posted about it in our neighborhood group.”
Her smile faltered. “Posted? In the neighborhood group?”
I showed her the post, along with the flood of comments from other parents in the neighborhood. Mrs. Carpenter’s face paled as she read through them.
“Melissa said she’d never trust someone who treats kids like that,” I said. “And Janet from the PTA? She thinks we should bring this up at the next school board meeting. Says it reflects poorly on the community.”
Mrs. Carpenter’s eyes widened in panic. “Rebecca, I didn’t mean for this to go so far—”
Mrs. Carpenter’s confidence crumbled, and she stammered something about a misunderstanding. But I wasn’t interested in her excuses. I gave her a final smile, turned on my heel, and left.
Later that evening, Lucy came rushing through the door, an envelope in hand. “Mom! Mrs. Carpenter paid me! She said there was a misunderstanding about when she was supposed to pay.”
I smiled, pulling her into a hug. “That’s great, sweetie.”
As Lucy headed upstairs, I couldn’t help but feel satisfied. Some people might say I’d been too harsh or petty, but I didn’t care. My daughter had worked hard, and she deserved to know her efforts had value. Sometimes, the best lesson isn’t about taking the high road—it’s about showing your child that no one has the right to take advantage of them.
“Not Doing a Very Good Job of Being a Mother,” Angelina Jolie Appeared With Her Son Pax, Sparking Public Outrage
Angelina Jolie attended the event, as always, accompanied by one of her children. This time, the actress was joined by Pax, who had been involved in a serious accident over the summer. His appearance sparked a negative reaction from the public.
49-year-old Angelina Jolie and her 20-year-old son Pax Jolie-Pitt turned heads on the red carpet. Angelina embodied old Hollywood glamour in a stunning black gown that draped elegantly over her figure.
The sleeveless design added sophistication, and she accessorized it with long black gloves that extended over her elbows. Her blonde hair was styled straight with a middle part, perfectly framing her face. Her minimal yet radiant makeup highlighted her flawless complexion.
Pax, still recovering from his accident, walked confidently beside his mother. He wore a sleek black suit, matching trousers, and patent leather dress shoes. His look was completed with a crisp white dress shirt, a black tie, and dark sunglasses. Despite the visible scars on his forehead and an arm cast hidden under his jacket, Pax exuded confidence.
Pax Jolie-Pitt met with an e-bike accident and is recovering from the traumatic incident that occurred when he collided with a car in Los Angeles. The accident happened during rush hour on July 29, leaving witnesses fearing the worst. Pax lost consciousness at the scene. Paramedics revived him, and he was quickly taken to the hospital, where Angelina stayed by his side. Pax had been riding a Talaria Sting R MX4 electric bike, a popular model priced around $3,000.
Pax was hospitalized following an accident that occurred around 5 p.m. on Monday, July 29, in an area of Los Feliz Boulevard. A week later, a source revealed that Pax was “still recovering” after being discharged from an ICU in Los Angeles. “He’s uncomfortable and will require additional treatments. Still, he was very fortunate,” the insider shared. “It could have been much worse, especially since he wasn’t wearing a helmet.”
The source also mentioned that Jolie was “shocked and concerned” when she received the call about the accident, adding that her other children were “doing their best to support Pax.”
Despite the harrowing experience, Pax was in good spirits at the premiere. The bond between him and Angelina was evident as they posed for photos. However, many fans expressed their concern and wondered if it was a good idea for Pax to be on the red carpet while still recovering from the accident. “If he was so seriously injured and is still rehabbing, why did she take him to an event in Toronto?”, commented one. “Why is she always dragging her kids to premieres??…why never a date?” wondered another.
One commenter wrote, “A totally spoiled Pax, and I’m sure his siblings are exactly the same. Raising children without rules and guidelines will nearly always result in youngsters thinking they can do just as they like.” Another added, “Not doing a very good job of being a mother.”
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt took his relationship with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, to the next level: they made their debut as a couple at the Cannes Film Festival.
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