How to Teach My Niece a Lesson

During the Chinese New Year, my niece Jayne cut up my newly bought skirt.

With innocent eyes, she said, "I just wanted to make a dress for my doll. You won't be mad at me, right?"

I gave her some money, saying, "Good girl, you did well. This is your reward."

Later, she cut up a dress worth three hundred thousand dollars from the mall.

1

I hadn't gone home for the New Year in two years, not for any other reason but because I was afraid of my overly indulged and demanding niece.

I still remember the last New Year when my eight-year-old niece destroyed all my cosmetics.

She used my expensive lipstick as if it were a crayon and smeared foundation and cream everywhere.

Not only that, she snatched my phone and took my expensive toy from the cabinet.

Unable to bear it, I yelled at the child.

Who would have thought she would play the victim and accuse me of bullying her?

Her parents didn't intervene after knowing the truth, merely saying, "Paulina, she's just a child. Don't take it to heart."

My mom also sided with my niece, saying, "Instead of buying those cosmetics, why not give your niece some money?"

That day, I was furious.

Out of spite, I didn't go home for the New Year for two years.

Before this year's holiday, my mom made several video calls, promising not to let my niece touch any of my things again.

Most importantly, she said she hadn't been feeling well these past two years and wanted me to keep her company.

My heart softened, and I bought a train ticket home, taking a two-day high-speed train journey to get there.

2

With past experiences in mind, I locked all my expensive items in a box and kept my phone with me at all times.

I wanted to see if that little brat could still cause trouble.

When she arrived with her parents, she ran wild around the house.

Even though she was already ten, she had no manners at all.

Her first words to my mom weren't a greeting but a demand, her hand outstretched and tapping her foot like she was owed something.

My mom, smiling, gave her a gift and praised, "Jayne, you're a big girl now and you are getting prettier."

Jayne made a face, stuck out her tongue, and ran off.

Sitting beside them, I felt uncomfortable and spoke up.

"Mom, you're spoiling her too much. Look at her, acting so rudely!"

My mom waved it off, saying, "Jayne is still a child. She'll grow out of it."

"She's ten already. Besides, this is about basic manners. If you don't teach her now, it'll be harder later."

"We're family. Why so many rules?"

Just then, her mother, Margot, came out of the bathroom, overhearing our conversation. She grabbed a couple of tissues, wiped her hands, and tossed the crumpled paper in front of me.

"Paulina, you're not still holding a grudge about Jayne ruining your lipstick, are you?"

I cleared my throat and replied, "I'm not bothered about last time. It's just that Jayne is already ten years old, and she should learn some manners."

Margot furrowed her freshly tattooed eyebrows. The marks hadn't yet faded, so she looked somewhat comical.

"Why are you being so hard on her? People online say those rigid rules are not worth following. Don't tell me you've become foolish from all that studying."

"That's not what I meant. Jayne's behavior really needs some guidance."

"Jayne is a good student in her class. She doesn't need your guidance."

With that, she grabbed some snacks and started eating it, giving me a side-eye.

I wasn't annoyed and showed my mom a chat with my friend, who was Jayne's math teacher.

"Mom, my friend said every kid in her class is good."

My mom stifled a laugh, patting my leg. "Alright, it just shows Jayne is no worse than other kids."

Margot quickly agreed. "Exactly, Paulina, don't make a fuss over nothing."

I was only speaking a few truths but she thought I was making a fuss.

I was about to say something when my mom patted my leg again.

There was no point in arguing.

Since that was the case, I just kept quiet.

3

At the dinner table, my parents, Jayne's parents, and a few other relatives were present.

Jayne grabbed her fork and began poking at the food on her plate, quickly making a mess.

She pouted, slamming her fork down. "Hmph, I don't like these vegetables. I want sweet and sour chicken."

Margot picked up a big shrimp for her, coaxing, "Sweetheart, try the shrimp your grandma made."

Jayne took a bite and immediately spat it out, complaining. "Yuck, it's awful, not as good as your cooking."

In fact, my mom and I were in the kitchen all morning, and no one else came up to help.

At that time, Margot was in the living room watching TV, claiming she couldn't do anything because her nails had just been done.

I chuckled and moved the shrimp dish closer to me.

"Since Jayne doesn't like it, I will eat it then."

With that, I shared the shrimp with the elders, who all praised, "This must be Paulina's cooking. It's excellent."

"Better than any restaurant around."

Margot's face turned grim instantly. She said nothing and continued eating.

Later, Jayne didn't finish her meal and insisted on taking her father's phone to play games.

Her father, Eric, exasperated, raised his hand. "I told you not to play with the phone. Why won't you listen?"

Margot playfully hit his chest, cursing. "You play with that stupid phone all day. Who knows which vixen you're chatting with!"

"Margot, it's the New Year, and you're looking for a fight..."

"Go ahead, hit me."

With that, Eric was about to hit her, and seeing the situation escalate, everyone rushed to mediate.

As the two of them argued with each other, Jayne had already disappeared from sight.

I guessed She was hiding somewhere playing. Anyway, I had locked up my cosmetics and phone, so she would never find them.

Family matters should stay within the family. With everyone chiming in, urging them to "just make peace, it's the holiday season," the two finally backed off and things settled down.

In the afternoon, after seeing off the guests, I intended to take a nap in my bedroom.

But when I opened the door, I was so furious I could explode!

4

Jayne was holding a pair of scissors, and next to her was my newly bought skirt, now cut beyond recognition.

It was supposed to be hanging in the closet, ready for the class reunion tomorrow, but she had turned it into a sieve.

I was so angry I could scream.

I had spent nearly three thousand dollars on that skirt, and now it was in tatters. How could I not be furious?

My fists clenched, my body trembling with rage, I was about to burst out in anger when I met Jayne's innocent, watery eyes.

She looked up and, for the first time since entering, called out to me. "Paulina, I wanted to make clothes for my doll. You won't be mad at me, right?"

She held up the crookedly sewn doll, and my poor skirt had fallen victim to her handiwork.

I was truly unwilling.

This child, though young, was surprisingly manipulative for her age.

I had fallen into her trap once before. If I shouted now about her cutting up my skirt, not only would I not get compensation or an apology from her parents, but my parents would also side with her.

Seeing me silent, Jayne tugged at my pants, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you mad at me? It's just a skirt. I'll pay you back when I grow up. Mom says you earn a lot of money at work, so you wouldn't make things difficult for a child, right?"

I laughed. She was quite adept at playing on my sense of guilt.

I wondered what on earth her mother had been teaching her.

Since family education couldn't reach her, society would have to.

Sooner or later, this would come back to bite her.

I shook my head, picked her up and placed her on the bed, then took her crookedly sewn doll and praised her. "Jayne, your hands are so skillful. This doll is beautiful, a thousand times better than what I could do."

Saying this, I pulled out some money from my pocket, which I hadn't wanted to give her earlier due to her rudeness. Now it came in handy.

"Jayne, your doll is so lovely. I am rewarding you with some money."

"Thank you!"

Jayne snatched the envelope and dashed to the living room, leaving the doll behind.

"Mom, look!"

Jayne held the money proudly, presenting it to Margot.

Margot saw the money and was overjoyed. She patted Jayne's head. "It's because you are so charming that Paulina rewarded you. She is unlike those stingy relatives."

I stood there and smirked slightly, clutching the doll tightly, its embroidered patterns cutting painfully into my hand.

5

Two days later, Margot came home crying, followed by Eric looking dejected and Jayne, who seemed oblivious.

"What's wrong? Weren't you out shopping?"

"Something terrible has happened."

Margot was sobbing uncontrollably. "Jayne cut up over a dozen skirts at the mall, and they want us to pay three hundred thousand dollars."

She handed over a sales receipt, each skirt priced over ten thousand dollars.

I was so shocked I covered my mouth, though inwardly I was grinning from ear to ear.

They had it coming for not properly disciplining their daughter. Now they were in real trouble.

My mom was at a loss, her eyes wide with panic. She grabbed my hand, "Paulina, what should we do now?"

I said helplessly, "The mall's clothes were damaged, so it's only fair they ask for compensation. Eric, how could you let her ruin the mall's clothes?"

I added fuel to the fire, frowning slightly.

Eric was already furious about the incident, and Margot's loud crying didn't help.

Unable to contain his temper, he smashed a cup. "You're such a jinx! You didn't watch the kid and just chatted away. Now look, thirty thousand dollars!"

Margot, not to be outdone, smashed a cup as well. "You have the nerve to blame me? As soon as we entered the mall, you disappeared. When she got into trouble, I called you ten times, and you were always on the phone. What were you really doing?"

"I was just reaching out to clients for business. Otherwise, after the holiday, you'd be out of luck!"

"Stop using work as an excuse to fool me. You're just flirting with that vixen. Don't think I don't know."

As the two were about to start fighting, I had to pull my mom away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

Jayne, meanwhile, was completely unaware of her wrongdoing, munching on cookies from my room.

In the end, I had to step in to resolve the conflict.

Margot had been slapped, her hairstyle a mess, and her freshly done nails all broken.

Eric was pretty badly hurt, his face covered in bruises, with black eyes and his nose still bleeding.

Holding the sales receipt, I suggested. "Why don't we call the police and negotiate with them?"

Eric, holding his head in his hands, looked distressed. "This is the price after negotiation. The mediation document is right here."

According to Eric, after Jayne was caught red-handed by the mall staff, Margot threw a fit, pulling out several strands of the saleswoman's hair.

When the mall manager called the police, Margot initially denied it was Jayne's doing.

But after reviewing the surveillance footage, the evidence was undeniable.

The mall manager was adamant about full compensation at the original price.

I asked Jayne, "Why did you cut up those skirts?"

Jayne lifted her little face defiantly. "The girls in my class say I have a talent for design. Those skirts in the mall were too ugly, so I decided to redesign them."