A family summer visit turned chaotic when Felicia’s once-polite stepson, Flash, transformed into a rebellious sixteen-year-old terror, creating turmoil in their household. The final straw came when Felicia discovered money missing from her wallet, pushing her to take drastic action.
It was a sunny day in mid-June when Flash, my stepson, arrived. I’m Felicia, a woman in my mid-forties, married to Peter. We have two children together, eight-year-old Anya and six-year-old Miles. Peter has another son, Flash, from his first marriage.
Flash, now sixteen, visited every few years. He used to be sweet and polite, but this summer felt different. I hoped it was just teenage angst.
“Hi, Flash! How was the trip?” I greeted him warmly.
“Fine,” Flash mumbled, barely making eye contact.
Peter hugged his son. “Great to see you, buddy!”
Anya and Miles ran up to Flash. “Hi, Flash! We missed you!” Anya said with a bright smile.
Flash shrugged. “Yeah, hey.”
I noticed Flash’s disinterest but chose to stay optimistic. I wanted this summer to be special.
A week into Flash’s stay, I noticed a change. He was no longer the polite boy I remembered.
“Mom, Flash won’t let us play in the living room,” Miles complained.
Anya added, “He’s always on his phone or with his friends.”
I sighed. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Flash, can you keep it down? Your siblings need to sleep,” I said one night.
Flash rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
The next morning, the living room was a mess. Empty pizza boxes, soda cans, and crumbs were everywhere.
“Flash, clean up your mess,” I demanded.
“Why should I? It’s not my house,” Flash snapped back.
It was late afternoon, and the sun was casting a warm light through the kitchen windows as I finished tidying the counters. Anya and Miles were supposed to be playing in the backyard. I hadn’t heard them for a while, so I decided to check. As I walked past Flash’s room, I heard Anya’s voice.
“Why do I have to do this?” she asked, her voice small and tired.
Curious and concerned, I pushed open Flash’s bedroom door gently and peeked inside. What I saw made my blood boil. Anya, my sweet eight-year-old daughter, was on her hands and knees, picking up dirty clothes and trash from Flash’s floor.
The room was a disaster zone. Clothes strewn everywhere, empty snack wrappers, and a lingering smell of sweat and old pizza. Flash was lounging on his bed, scrolling through his phone without a care in the world. He barely looked up when I entered.
“Anya, what are you doing?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.
Anya looked up at me, her eyes wide and a bit teary. “Flash told me I had to clean his room,” she said softly.
I turned to Flash, struggling to keep my anger in check. “Flash, why is Anya cleaning your room?”
Flash finally looked up from his phone, a smirk on his face. “She wanted to help,” he said nonchalantly.
I knelt down next to Anya and gently took her hands, which were dirty from picking up after her brother. “Anya, you don’t have to clean Flash’s room. Come with me, sweetie.”
Anya hesitated, looking between me and Flash. “But Flash said—”
“I don’t care what Flash said,” I interrupted, my voice firmer now. “You don’t have to do his work. Let’s go.”
As I helped Anya stand up, Flash rolled his eyes. “She’s fine, Felicia. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
I stood up, glaring at Flash. “It is a big deal, Flash. You’re being lazy and disrespectful. Anya is your sister, not your maid.”
Flash shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “Whatever. She doesn’t mind.”
Anya clung to my hand, her eyes still wide with a mixture of confusion and fear. “I don’t like cleaning his room, Mom,” she whispered.
I squeezed her hand reassuringly. “You don’t have to, Anya. You’re not responsible for Flash’s mess.”
One weekend, Peter and I planned to visit friends out of town. We decided to leave the kids with Flash.
“Flash, you’re in charge. No parties, and take care of Anya and Miles,” I instructed before leaving.
“Yeah, yeah,” Flash muttered.
When we returned Sunday evening, the house was a disaster. Beer bottles and trash littered the floor.
“Flash! What happened here?” I shouted.
Flash sauntered in, looking unbothered. “Just a little get-together.”
Peter looked around, worried. “Where are Anya and Miles?”
Anya and Miles came out of the closet, looking frightened. Anya’s face was streaked with tears.
“He locked us in there all night!” Anya cried.
My heart broke. “Why would you do that, Flash?”
“They were annoying my friends,” he said nonchalantly.
Peter, looking uneasy, said, “Flash, that’s not okay.”
“Do something about it, Peter!” I demanded.
Peter sighed. “Flash, you can’t do this. Apologize to your sister.”
Flash rolled his eyes. “Sorry, Anya.”
“That’s it?” I yelled. “He needs to be punished!”
“We’ll talk about this later,” Peter said, avoiding my gaze.
I couldn’t believe Peter’s inaction. It felt like a betrayal.
The next day, I found money missing from my purse. “Flash, did you take my money?”
Flash shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I decided to teach him a lesson. I bought fake money from a novelty shop and put it in my purse, setting a trap. I had had enough of his behavior and it was time for a change.
After planting the fake money in my purse, I carefully monitored Flash. It didn’t take long. That afternoon, I saw him sneak into my room and rifle through my bag.
“Gotcha,” I whispered to myself.
I called my friend, Captain Stacy. “Stacy, I need your help with a little plan.”
“Sure, Felicia. What’s going on?”
I explained the situation, and Stacy agreed to help. We set up the plan to teach Flash a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
The next day, Flash told me he was going out with his friends. Perfect timing.
“Have fun, Flash,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual.
I followed him discreetly to the café where he and his friends were hanging out. I watched from a distance, waiting for the right moment.
Captain Stacy entered the café in uniform, looking serious. He approached Flash’s table.
“Excuse me, son. I need to talk to you,” Stacy said.
Flash looked confused. “What? Why?”
Stacy pulled out one of the fake bills. “This money looks fake. Where did you get it?”
Flash’s face turned pale. “I… I don’t know. I didn’t do anything.”
“Stand up,” Stacy ordered. “You’re coming with me.”
Flash stood, trembling. His friends watched in shock, whispering among themselves.
“Is this a joke?” one of Flash’s friends asked.
“No joke,” Stacy said sternly. “Counterfeit money is a serious offense.”
I recorded the whole scene from outside, capturing Flash’s humiliation. He was on the verge of tears.
I walked into the café, acting surprised. “What’s going on here?”
Stacy looked at me. “Ma’am, do you know this boy?”
“Yes, he’s my stepson. What’s happening?”
“We found him using counterfeit money,” Stacy explained.
“Oh no, there must be a mistake!” I said, pleading. “Please, he’s a good kid. Can’t we sort this out?”
Flash looked at me with wide, teary eyes. “Please, Felicia, help me!”
Stacy hesitated, then sighed. “Alright, since it’s his first offense, I’ll let him go with a warning. But next time, there will be serious consequences.”
“Thank you, Officer,” I said, feigning relief.
Flash hugged me tightly. “Thank you, thank you! I’ll never do anything like this again, I promise.”
We left the café, and once we were a safe distance away, I showed Flash the video.
“Flash, if you continue to behave like this, I’ll show this video to all your friends.”
Flash’s face fell. “You… you did this?”
“Yes, and it was for your own good. You need to understand that your actions have consequences.”
“I’m sorry, Felicia. I really am,” Flash said, looking genuinely remorseful.
From that day on, Flash’s behavior changed completely. He started helping around the house, treated Anya and Miles with respect, and even apologized to them properly.
“Hey, Anya, Miles, want to play a game?” Flash asked one evening.
“Sure!” Anya replied, surprised but happy.
Peter noticed the change too. “Flash’s different lately. What did you do?”
“Just gave him a little wake-up call,” I said with a smile.
The peace in our household was restored, and I felt a sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I was committed to maintaining a respectful family environment, and it seemed like Flash finally understood the importance of that.