My Neighbor Charged Her Electric Car From My House Every Night Without My Permission – I Didn’t Call the Authorities, but I Did Something Better to Teach Her a Lesson

“Monica, you’re stealing electricity at midnight and arguing with a garden gnome. I’m not sure I’m the problem here.”

Somebody behind me actually snorted.

Monica spun in the driveway, pointing a shaking pink finger at the gnome.

I kept recording.

“Your gnome? The one you took from my yard six months ago?”

Monica went silent. Her face changed.

For the first time all night, she seemed to realize how many phones were pointed at her.

“Turn those off,” she snapped at the neighbors. Then she looked back at me. “Eleanor, tell them. Tell them this was an accident.”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

“The paint?” I asked. “Or you plugging your car into my house after I specifically told you not to?”

Her mouth tightened.

“Then why were you doing it after midnight?”

Monica opened her mouth, but someone else answered for her.

“Same reason she borrowed my ladder while I was at work, probably.”

Frank stood across the driveway in plaid pajama pants, arms folded.

Monica spun toward him.

“Three months later.”

Someone laughed again.

Monica looked from Frank to me, suddenly less furious than trapped.

“This is ridiculous. You’re all ganging up on me over nothing.”

“No,” I said. “We’re finally saying something.”

The laughter that broke out was the sweetest sound I’d heard in years.