Mariah had been feeling under the weather recently, which led her to admit herself to the hospital for a thorough check-up. However, while she was away, her children took it upon themselves to rent out her house as an Airbnb, eager to pocket the profits. When Mariah found out, she decided it was time to teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget.
“Mariah,” my friend Liz said on the phone, her voice tinged with concern, “why is your house listed as an Airbnb?”
“What?” I responded, completely bewildered. “What are you talking about?”
“Denise was looking for a place to rent for her bachelorette weekend, and she came across your house. Aren’t you still in the hospital?” she asked, clearly confused.
“Liz, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, glancing at the IV drip attached to my arm. “Send me the link to the site Denise saw.”
This is how I ended up teaching my children a valuable lesson:
Lately, my blood pressure had been erratic, causing me to faint at the most inconvenient times.
“Mom,” my son Liam said one day, “you really need to get this checked out. Taking over-the-counter meds isn’t a solution. You need a proper assessment.”
“And your diet needs improvement too,” added my daughter Leah. “You can’t live on oats in the morning, toast during the day, and soup at night. You’re playing with fire when it comes to your health. It’s time to take this seriously.”
Leah was in my kitchen, chopping vegetables for a salad to accompany the grilled chicken she had marinated.
“And those constant headaches you’ve been having? You need to get everything checked out. Go to the hospital and have a full workup done,” Liam insisted.
“But I feel fine, aside from the headaches and dizziness,” I argued.
Both of my kids snorted in disbelief and rolled their eyes.
“Do it, Mom,” Leah said, pointing a finger at me with a stern expression.
I had to admit they were right. I had been downplaying my health issues for a while. I still managed to walk every other day and do as much yoga as my body would allow, but there was always a nagging feeling that something could be wrong.
“You should go, just to silence that nagging feeling,” Liz had told me after one of our smoothie dates following yoga class.
“But what if they find something?” I asked, voicing my fears.
“We’ll deal with it together,” Liz assured me. “I know Paul isn’t here anymore, but I am. Plus, we need you in top shape for Denise’s wedding. I have no clue how to handle all the mother-of-the-bride duties on my own!”
“I’ll go see my GP and take it from there,” I said, reluctantly. “If he thinks a full check-up is necessary, I’ll do it.”
“Mariah,” my doctor had said, “a full-body check-up is a great idea. It’s always better to know your health status. And we should schedule a CT scan to get to the bottom of those headaches.”
And that’s how I ended up in the hospital, leading to the discovery that my children had taken advantage of my absence.
“I’ll bring your lunch shortly,” the nurse said with a warm smile. “Just rest up after your CT scan.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “I’m just going to catch up with my best friend for a bit.”
That catch-up with Liz was when I learned that my children had rented out my house as an Airbnb while I was hospitalized.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” Liz asked after I confirmed it was indeed my house listed on the site.
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “But I need to teach them a lesson. Leah and Liam should have known better. Leah and her husband Andrew are always scheming to make extra money, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Andrew has a gambling problem.”
“Just tell me what you need me to do,” Liz said, munching on something.
“I want you to tell Denise to book the house,” I said. “But they’ll recognize her name, so she’ll need to create a new account. Think she’d be okay with that?”
“Of course, she would!” Liz exclaimed. “Anything for you. But what’s the plan?”
“I’m getting discharged tomorrow,” I explained. “But the kids think I’ll be in the hospital until the end of the week. Let them think they’re going to make a quick buck off the house.”
“You want Denise to rent the place and then mess it up?” Liz chuckled. “That’s pretty devious.”
“No, my kids are the devious ones,” I replied.
I hung up the call as the nurse brought my lunch, leaving me alone to eat while she continued her rounds.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I felt about my children’s betrayal. It hurt to think that while I was in the hospital, they were perfectly fine with strangers taking over my home.
“What were they thinking?” I wondered aloud.
They hadn’t given a second thought to people using the mugs I had hand-painted or sitting in their father’s worn armchair. Even though Paul had been gone for years, his chair still felt like his.
“No,” I said firmly to myself. “I’m going to teach them a lesson.”
The next morning, I was discharged with a clean bill of health, though the doctor warned me to keep my stress levels down.
“And keep an eye on your cholesterol, Mariah,” the doctor advised. “Eat plenty of leafy greens.”
After leaving the hospital, I drove to Liz’s house, where I planned to wait for Denise to drop off the keys to my house.
“Are you sure about this?” Liz asked as she made me a cup of tea and buttered a lemon-poppy seed muffin.
“Absolutely,” I said. “They need to face the consequences of their actions.”
Later that day, I returned home. Something felt different—the house smelled different. I knew someone else had been there. A sweet perfume lingered in the air, clashing with the usual woody scent of my home.
I took a long shower to wash away the scent of the hospital and prepared for a much-needed rest in my own bed. Tomorrow, the fun would begin.
The next morning, I made myself breakfast and dutifully took the vitamins and supplements the doctor had prescribed. Then, I began packing up all my appliances.
“Where are you going to put everything?” Liz asked when she came over to help.
“I’ll store some in the trunk of my car and hide the rest in the garage,” I said.
Together, Liz and I emptied the house, leaving only an old toaster behind.
“Come on,” Liz said, linking her arm with mine. “Let’s get out of here.”
I waited until Friday, staying at Liz’s house, and then drove home that afternoon.
“Hi, Mom!” Leah greeted me excitedly as I pulled into the driveway.
“Hi, honey,” I replied, retrieving my bag from the backseat.
We walked into the house, and I was greeted by the sight of brand-new appliances in my kitchen.
“What’s all this?” I asked, feigning shock.
“Liam and I thought you deserved some new things!” Leah said, avoiding eye contact.
“No, you didn’t,” I said sternly. “You came back after your guest checked out and found everything missing.”
Leah’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
“You knew?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Of course, I did!” I exclaimed. “I took everything! You needed to be taught a lesson. Why would you rent out my house without asking?”
Leah blinked, looking guilty.
“Mom,” she said softly, “I’m so sorry. Andrew and I thought it would be a good idea—a quick way to make some extra money. Liam agreed as long as nothing was damaged.”
“Sweetheart,” I said, pulling her into a hug, “you can’t do things like this. If you and Andrew need money, talk to me about it. Don’t do something that could damage our trust.”
My daughter smiled sheepishly and took my bag from me.
“Come on,” she said. “Let me make you some tea with the new kettle. We’ll return everything else tomorrow, and the money is all yours.”
What would you have done?
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you: My Son Came to Me Pale, Clutching My Husband’s Laptop – What He Showed Me Next Turned My World Upside Down
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