Skip to content 
“My mother’s old thing.”
She handed the paper back.Comparing Countertop Kitchen Appliances
“Well, I didn’t break it.”
“The repair technician disagrees.”
“Of course he does. He wants your money.”
I took a breath.
“Denise, you borrowed something important to me. You returned it dirty, damaged, and left it outside without telling me.”
“I put it on your porch.”
“Where anyone could have taken it.”Searching For Remote Career Opportunities
“You have cameras.”
“That’s not the point.”
She crossed her arms.
“And what exactly do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to pay for the repair.”
Her eyebrows went up.
“No.”
The answer came so quickly that I almost admired the confidence.
“No?”
“No. You gave me an old appliance. It stopped working while I was using it. That’s not my responsibility.”
“You forced the attachment.”
“I did not.”
“The technician found the damage.”
“Then maybe it was already damaged.”
“It worked perfectly before you borrowed it.”
She shrugged.
And that was it.
No apology.
No embarrassment.
No concern whatsoever.
Just a shrug.
I folded the estimate and put it back in my bag.
“Okay,” I said.
She looked surprised.
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
I turned around and walked home.
Denise called after me.
“That’s it?”
I looked back.
“That’s it.”
And for the first time in years, I meant it.
Over the next week, Denise knocked on my door three times.
The first time, she wanted my ladder.
I opened the door but didn’t step outside.
“Sorry, Denise. I’m not lending things out anymore.”
She blinked.