My Neighbor Kept Dumping Her Trash by My House Because She Didn’t Want to Pay for Garbage Pickup – But She Wasn’t Ready for What I Did Next
Megan grabbed a wooden jewelry box. “These are my initials! My daughter made this.”
Another woman snatched up two books. “These belong to Emma. Her name is inside!”
Then everyone started talking at once.
“I’ve been looking for this for months!”
“You said you returned mine!”
“This belonged to my mother!”
Helen raised both hands. “Everybody calm down!”
Nobody did.
“I’ve been looking for this for months!”
Susan pushed toward the table and suddenly froze. She picked up the blue ceramic bowl and turned it over.
“For Susie.”
Her face went white. “My mother made this.”
Helen took a step backward.
Susan stared at her. “I searched my entire house for this. You told me you’d never seen it.”
“I don’t remember every bowl I’ve ever—”
“You held it at my barbecue!”
Helen took a step backward.
Carol stepped closer. “How many things did you take?”
“I didn’t take anything!”
George raised the truck. “Then how did this get into your garbage?”
Helen turned on me. “You set me up!”
I folded my arms. “I organized the charity giveaway you just took credit for.”
Her mouth snapped shut. “You were perfectly happy to call these your things when you thought strangers were taking them,” I continued. “You just didn’t know I’d invited their owners.”
“How many things did you take?”
For once, Helen had nothing ready. Then I noticed dark wood beneath a blanket.
I pulled it free. My husband’s handmade picture frame.
The one I’d searched for until I’d convinced myself I’d lost it. Helen went still.
“You took this too.”
“I don’t remember—”
“I do. You told me it didn’t match my living room.”
And then I saw the pattern.
Then I noticed dark wood beneath a blanket.
