At 25, getting my own place was a breath of fresh air, especially after living under the thumb of Mr. Grady, my old landlord, for a year. Let me tell you, it’s quite the story.

Hello, I’m Paige.

So, my old apartment didn’t have a washing machine or a dishwasher. When I first saw the place, Mr. Grady was there to greet me. He had this smug look on his face like he was doing me a huge favor by renting it out.

“Welcome, Paige,” Mr. Grady said, smiling. “You’re going to love it here. It’s a great neighborhood.”

Let me tell you there was enough room for one person, but the place clearly showed its age with paint peeling off the walls and old, tattered furniture. It also seemed like the apartment hadn’t been cleaned in weeks.

I looked around the kitchen and noticed the missing appliances right away.

“We don’t have a washing machine or dishwasher?” I asked.

Mr. Grady shrugged. “Most tenants don’t mind. You can always use the laundromat down the street,” he said.

“But it’s so inconvenient. I work late nights and weekends. A washing machine and dishwasher would save me so much time,” I replied, frowning a little.

He gave a dismissive wave. “Well, this isn’t a luxury condo, but it’s the best for what you can afford. Besides, you’ll get used to the laundromat. It’s not so bad.”

Clearly, there was no point arguing with this man. I nodded but thought to myself, I’m not spending hours at the laundromat every week or tackling the dishes when work barely gives me time.

So, after moving in, I decided to buy my own washing machine and dishwasher. It took a big chunk of my savings and some late-night waitressing shifts, but it was worth it.

A few days later, Mr. Grady came by to check on things.

“Everything okay?” he asked, peering into the kitchen.

“Yep,” I replied. “Just wanted to let you know I bought a washing machine and dishwasher.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, really? Well, make sure you take good care of them.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” I said, smiling.

“Looks like you must have spent a lot on those,” he further said, eyeing the appliances, and I felt really weird at that point.

“Yeah, I did,” I admitted. “But it’s worth it. Saves me so much time and effort.”

He nodded slowly. “Well, I hope you enjoy them. Just remember, they’re your responsibility.”

“Of course,” I said, still smiling, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t too happy about my new additions.

Fast forward one month. I found a better apartment closer to work and gave Mr. Grady the required notice. The moving day finally came, and I started removing my washing machine and dishwasher.

As I was unplugging the washing machine, Mr. Grady barged in.

“Where do you think you’re going with those?” he demanded. “They belong to the apartment now.”

I stood up, hands on my hips. “Excuse me? I bought them with my own money. They’re mine,” I argued.

“No, they’ve been here long enough. They’re part of the apartment now! If you take them, I’ll deduct the cost from your security deposit.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You can’t do that. They’re my appliances. I even told you when I bought them!” I said helplessly.

But Mr. Grady wouldn’t listen.

“I’ll still deduct the cost. Good luck arguing otherwise!” he threatened me.

Frustration bubbled up inside me. “Fine!” I yelled, losing my cool. “If you’re so adamant, I’ll get a lawyer to sort this out.”

He started to laugh. “You? A stupid waitress?” he sneered. “We’ll see about that.”

I was furious at how he just dismissed me. Deep down, I knew I couldn’t afford a lawyer, but I wasn’t going to let him bully me. I needed to find a way to stand up for myself and keep what was rightfully mine.

The next day, I called my friend, Kevin, a handyman.

“Can you believe it?” I said. “Mr. Grady thinks he can just take my appliances and get away with it.”

Kevin sighed. “That guy is unbelievable. Don’t worry, Paige. Actually… I have an idea.”

“Okay, but when can you come over?” I asked.

“I can be there in an hour,” Kevin replied. “We’ll sort this out.”

When Kevin arrived at my apartment, we quickly got to work. Mr. Grady was out, which was perfect for our plan. Kevin and I started disconnecting the washing machine and dishwasher.

“Let’s take out the power cords and hoses first,” Kevin suggested. “We’ll remove the essential parts and leave the shells behind. It’ll look like they’re still there, but they won’t work.”

“Great idea. Let’s do it,” I said, nodding.

As we worked, Kevin asked, “So, what exactly did Mr. Grady say?”

When I told him everything that had happened, Kevin shook his head and laughed.

“That’s classic Robinson,” he admitted. “Heard from my friends he’s like that with every tenant. Always trying to get more than he deserves. But he’s in for a real lesson this time.”

We carefully removed all the essential parts from both appliances. Kevin showed me how to do it, and I followed his instructions. It didn’t take long before we had everything we needed.

“Perfect,” Kevin said, standing back to admire our work.

I grinned. “Mr. Grady is going to be in for a surprise.”

Kevin chuckled. “Yep! But he’s not going to know what hit him until it’s too late.”

We packed up the parts and left the apartment. As we walked out, I was thinking about what Mr. Grady would look like once he noticed our little gift for him.

“Do you think he’ll figure it out right away?” I asked Kevin.

“Probably not,” Kevin replied. “He’s too focused on getting his way to notice the details.”

But just two days later, while I was settling into my new apartment, my phone rang. It was Mr. Grady.

I knew why he was calling and took a deep breath before answering. “Hello?”

“Please, DON’T DO THIS!” he begged. “I’ll never find the parts, and I need those appliances to work for the new tenants, Paige!”

I decided to play dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Grady. I just took what was mine.”

“You have to come back and fix this!” he pleaded. “I’ll give you your security deposit back!”

I smiled and decided to let him know that I was the one who had taken the parts. But I didn’t agree to his offer right away. I told him I’d think about it and hung up. A few hours later, my phone rang again.

This time, Mr. Grady was practically in tears.

“I’ll return your full security deposit and give you an additional $200 for the inconvenience,” he offered. “Just come as soon as you can and give me those parts. Or, I’ll lose a good deal.”

I pretended to hesitate. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the apartment,” I said.

When I arrived, Mr. Grady was waiting anxiously. I had a box with all the parts, but I made sure he handed me the cash first. He looked relieved as he took the box from me.

“Thank you, Paige,” he said, opening the box. But the moment he saw the contents, his face fell.

“This isn’t everything!” he exclaimed. “Where are the power cords?”

I shrugged. “Oh, I must have misplaced those. I’ll have to look for them. Maybe in a week or two?”

“You can’t do this!” Mr. Grady’s face turned red with frustration.

I looked him straight in the eye. “Remember, Mr. Grady, you tried to take my things first. Consider this a lesson from a ‘stupid waitress’ in respecting other people’s property.”

He stood there, speechless, as I turned and walked out, feeling victorious. Mr. Grady would have to scramble to replace the parts, which would cost him more than if he had just let me take my appliances.

He had learned his lesson. But that wasn’t all.

Later that evening, I met up with Kevin to thank him. We spent the evening reminiscing about the whole ordeal, laughing at the absurdity of Mr. Grady’s actions.

“Can you believe he actually thought he could keep your appliances?” Kevin said, shaking his head.

“I know, right?” I replied. “It feels good to have stood up to him and won.”

Kevin nodded. “Well, you did great. Here’s to your new apartment and no more Mr. Grady!”

We clinked our glasses and toasted to new beginnings, feeling triumphant and ready for whatever came next.

Always remember that respecting other people’s property is important, no matter who they are.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one: When Carina’s parents kicked her out after high school, she had no choice but to navigate her way around life.

Years later, after making a success of her life, and her wedding is around the corner, she reaches out to them, only for them to storm into her life, trying to take ownership of what she has worked so hard for.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.