I should’ve known my birthday would be a disaster the moment I saw my niece and nephew whispering like little villains, eyes locked on me. But nothing could’ve prepared me for the audacity that followed.
The morning had started perfectly—fresh highlights, a salon-fresh blowout, flawless makeup, and a dress that made me feel like me and not just someone’s daughter, sister, or aunt. I was turning 30 and I deserved to feel special.
The backyard was buzzing with the sounds of sizzling BBQ, and clinking glasses. My dad was manning the grill, my mom fussing over the 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 wild, screaming, and, pushing past guests. I watched as they shoved my elderly neighbor, Mrs. Thompson near the pool. She barely caught herself on a chair, gasping.

Immediately, I turned to their mom, Jessica. Surely now she’d say something? Instead, she just laughed. “Oh, kids will be kids!” As for Mark, he chuckled, not even looking up.

I clenched my jaw. Breathe, Liv. It’s your birthday. I tried to let it go. I really did but then I noticed something. Ava and Lily huddled together, whispering, and giggling. Ava held up a phone, clearly recording. Ethan crouched slightly, like a sprinter ready to launch.

And then I knew. They were going to push me in. My eyes flicked to Jessica. She saw them and she just… smirked. I took a deep breath and decided to play the game. The second they lunged, I took a step to the side.

SPLASH.

Ava and Lily fell into the pool, arms flailing, eyes wide with shock.

Silence. Then—

“HOW COULD YOU LET THEM FALL?!”

Jessica’s scream cut through the party. She stormed forward, face red, eyes locked on me like I’d committed a crime.

I blinked. “Let them? They tried to push me.”

She didn’t even look at the kids. Didn’t check if they were okay. Her hands flew to her head.

“Their iPhones!!!” she wailed. “Do you have any idea how expensive those were?”

I stared at her. “Maybe you should’ve watched your kids instead of laughing?”

Mark finally looked up, saw the kids dripping wet, and sighed. “That sucks.”

I handed Ava and Lily towels, but Jessica was still fuming. “This is your fault, Olivia! You knew they would fall!”

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 fired 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 annoyed by everything that had happened. I grabbed my phone and squinted at the screen, hoping for a funny meme or a belated birthday message. Instead, I saw a text from Jessica.

It was a link.

Curious, I clicked on it, and my eyes widened. It was an Apple store page for two brand-new iPhones—top-of-the-line, the most expensive models. My stomach dropped 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 some kind of joke?

Me:You can’t be serious.

The typing bubbles appeared almost 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 absolute audacity. She really 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 reply.

I took that as a win, tossed my phone onto the nightstand, and went about my day, thinking this ridiculous situation was over.

I was wrong. The next afternoon, my doorbell rang. I opened it to find Jessica standing there.

With balloons.

For a split second, I thought maybe she had come to apologize, maybe even make amends for the way she had acted. But then I noticed the car behind her—Mark was unloading decorations from the trunk.

That’s when I remembered. Weeks ago, before everything went down, we had agreed that I would 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 folded 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 toward the street. “Get out.”

Her smug expression disappeared instantly.

Jessica’s face twisted in frustration. “You’re being a b—” She caught herself, glancing at Ava beside her before adjusting her tone. “This is for my daughter! You are 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 unravel in my driveway. She was still ranting, voice high-pitched with outrage as she paced back and forth, waving her arms like a lunatic.

“She is so selfish! She ruined everything!” she shouted, fully aware the neighbors were watching.

Mark, ever the silent bystander, awkwardly shifted near the car, pretending not to hear his wife’s tantrum. Ava, poor kid, just looked confused, probably wondering why her birthday party wasn’t happening. The decorations meant for her party were still sitting in their trunk.

Then I noticed movement from across the street.

Mrs. Thompson, my elderly neighbor, was walking over with a confident stride. She wasn’t empty-handed. In her hand was her phone—held up just enough for Jessica to see the screen.

Jessica froze mid-rant. Her face went completely pale. Mrs. Thompson didn’t speak right away. She simply let Jessica look. And whatever was on that screen had Jessica’s entire world crashing down. Her hands clenched into fists. Her mouth opened like she wanted to argue, but no sound came out.

Mrs. Thompson finally turned and knocked on my door.

“Hey, Mrs. Thompson,” I greeted, raising a brow.

She smiled warmly, eyes twinkling with amusement. “She won’t be bothering you about the phones anymore.”

I glanced at Jessica, who now looked like she wanted to sink into the pavement.

“Oh?” I said, smirking. “And why’s that?”

Mrs. Thompson grinned, lowering her voice just enough to make it feel like an inside joke. “I simply let her know that I also have a lovely 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 let out a laugh, and Mrs. Thompson chuckled with me. “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 scream. She didn’t even look at me. She simply spun around, grabbed Ava’s hand, and stormed off.

Mark muttered a quiet, “Let’s go,” and hurried after her. They tossed the decorations back into the trunk, slammed the doors shut, and within seconds, their car peeled out of my driveway.

For the first time ever, Jessica had nothing to say.

I turned back to Mrs. Thompson, shaking 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 peacemaker, tried to smooth things over. My dad stayed out of it, probably enjoying his coffee in peace. 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 morning 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, then smiled.

Me:Oh, I am. Thanks for checking.