My Stepmom Left Me Hungry, So I Taught Her a Lesson

When my dad went on a work trip, he said my stepmom, Susan, would handle my meals. Instead, she refused, then demanded I cook for her family—until I showed her I wasn’t her maid. After my mom died when I was 11, I learned to cook, finding comfort in the kitchen. It was my haven, keeping her memory close. Dad left money for food sometimes, but I managed alone, learning recipes and shopping on my own.

Our quiet life shifted when Susan and her three kids moved in, bringing noise and chaos. “You’re part of the family now,” Susan said, but I knew she meant I’d be her helper. I stayed busy with school and my job at a craft store, avoiding her demands. Before Dad’s trip, he promised Susan would cover lunch money. The next day, she snapped, “You’re old enough to manage.” Her words hurt, but I stayed silent, plotting my next move.

A boiled egg and slices of toast | Source: Midjourney

I took extra shifts to buy groceries—rice, eggs, and veggies. I cooked for myself, eating in my room to avoid Susan’s table. One evening, she stopped me. “Cook for us too. It’s selfish not to.” I asked if she’d pay, but she laughed, saying I should help my “siblings.” I refused. Soon, my food started disappearing, and her kids ate my snacks. I bought a mini fridge and lock for my room, determined to keep what was mine.

Susan ridiculed my mini fridge, but I had a plan. I made a dairy smoothie, knowing she couldn’t tolerate it, and locked it away. The next morning, the lock was broken, the smoothie gone, and Susan was sick, accusing me. “You stole it,” I said. “It was labeled.” She called me cruel, but I used her words: “Not my problem.” When Dad came back, I told him everything. He was shocked, and Susan’s excuses didn’t hold up.

Dad started buying groceries and gave me an allowance. Susan kept her distance, and my mini fridge stayed, its broken lock a symbol of my stand. One night, Dad said Mom would’ve been proud. We hugged, and the house felt warmer, a sign our family was finding balance again.

 

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