I was 17 when the family next door invited me on a holiday trip to the Caribbean. Their pitch? Watch their two kids—ages five and seven—for 10 days at an all-inclusive resort. The deal was clear: I’d work two days, take one day off, repeat. They’d pay me $500, and I’d get three full days to myself. Honestly, it sounded like a dream.
The plan seemed simple enough. The resort offered everything—snorkeling, paddleboarding, ziplining. I even made a list of everything I wanted to do during my off days, already picturing myself lounging on the beach with a fruity mocktail.
But by day three, everything changed.
At breakfast, I casually mentioned my upcoming day off and my plans. Laura, the mom, froze mid-bite and gave me a look like I’d just announced a bank heist.
“Oh,” she said, her spoon hovering in the air. “We thought you’d want to spend time with the kids… since you’re here.”
I kept my smile on, but it wavered. “Right, but we agreed I’d have today off.”
Mike, the dad, chimed in with a patronizing grin. “Yeah, but they love you! Sticking to the routine just makes it easier on everyone.”
I blinked. The routine? The routine was our agreement—two days on, one day off. Now they were treating my time off like a suggestion.
“I understand, but I was really looking forward to exploring today,” I said as gently as I could.
Laura let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re still being paid, aren’t you?”
Yes, but—before I could finish, she cut me off. “Then it shouldn’t be a big deal. What are we supposed to do with the kids if you’re off running around all day?”
I wanted to scream. That’s your problem, not mine. But I was stuck—no way to get home, no control over my schedule. I didn’t want to ruin what was left of the trip, so I gave a stiff nod. “Fine.”
Inside, I was seething.
The rest of the week was miserable. My “hours” stretched endlessly. Every day came with new requests—“just one more hour,” “can you do dinner with them tonight?” My days off vanished like they were imaginary. I was suddenly on duty all day, every day.
By day eight, I’d had enough.
That morning, with the kids at the resort’s activity center, I marched up to the concierge and forced a cheerful smile. “Hi, I’d like to book a snorkeling tour for tomorrow, please.”
She checked the schedule. “Absolutely—it leaves at 10 a.m.”
Perfect. My last full day before heading home, and I was claiming it. I spent the rest of the day pretending everything was fine.
The next morning, I woke early, packed quietly, and slipped out. The ocean breeze felt like freedom. At the dock, I saw the boat filling up.
Then my phone rang. Laura.
I hesitated. If I answered, she’d guilt me. If I ignored her, she’d be mad. But… so what? What could she do—fire me? We were leaving the next day.
I silenced the phone and boarded the boat.
The hours that followed were the best of the entire trip. Crystal-clear water, sea turtles, rainbow fish—it was everything I’d hoped for. I felt like myself again.
Back at the resort, my phone lit up with missed calls and texts.
Where are you?
Please be back by noon.
I can’t believe you just left.
I rolled my eyes. When I walked up to the pool, Laura spotted me and stood up, livid.
“Where were you?” she shouted.
“I took my scheduled day off,” I replied calmly.
Mike scoffed. “We needed you.”
I crossed my arms. “Not my issue.”
Laura stared at me like I’d just spit in her face. “Excuse me?”
“You hired me with clear terms. You broke that deal. I went snorkeling. End of story.”
She opened her mouth to argue again, but I turned and walked away, leaving them stewing.
The next morning, I ignored them on the flight home. Noise-canceling earbuds never felt so useful. As we arrived, they handed me $500 without a word. I took it, smiled politely, and left.
A week later, another neighbor told me Laura had been complaining to everyone that I’d “abandoned them” on vacation. But surprisingly, nobody took their side. Everyone said the same thing: “Didn’t they say she’d have time off?” or “That’s not fair to change things after she got there.”
Turns out, people saw through them. And honestly? That validation felt better than the $500.
Ever been taken advantage of like that? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to like the article!
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