How to Teach My Niece a Lesson

ear, my niece Jayne cut

st wanted to make a dress for my do

ing, "Good girl, you did w

worth three hundred thousa

s, not for any other reason but because I was a

Year when my eight-year-old ni

if it were a crayon and smeared

my phone and took my expen

it, I yelled

would play the victim and

g the truth, merely saying, "Paulina, she

ng, "Instead of buying those cosmetic

, I was

t go home for the New

several video calls, promising not to le

been feeling well these past two yea

ain ticket home, taking a two-day hi

ed all my expensive items in a box an

at little brat could

her parents, she ran w

already ten, she had

g but a demand, her hand outstretched and t

d praised, "Jayne, you're a big gir

stuck out her ton

m, I felt uncomfor

her too much. Look at

ng, "Jayne is still a chi

about basic manners. If you don't t

ly. Why so

hearing our conversation. She grabbed a couple of tissues, wi

lding a grudge about Jayne ru

about last time. It's just that Jayne is already

d eyebrows. The marks hadn't yet fa

those rigid rules are not worth following. Don't te

t. Jayne's behavior rea

t in her class. She doe

e snacks and started eatin

y mom a chat with my friend,

aid every kid in

y leg. "Alright, it just shows Ja

Exactly, Paulina, don't

ew truths but she thoug

omething when my mom

no point i

the case, I j

s, Jayne's parents, and a few

gan poking at the food on her

"Hmph, I don't like these vegetabl

or her, coaxing, "Sweetheart, t

at it out, complaining. "Yuck, it's

the kitchen all morning, and

watching TV, claiming she couldn't do anyt

ved the shrimp di

sn't like it, I

e elders, who all praised, "This must

any restaur

instantly. She said noth

meal and insisted on taking her

d his hand. "I told you not to play

You play with that stupid phone all day. W

w Year, and you're l

ead, h

her, and seeing the situation esc

th each other, Jayne had alr

ng. Anyway, I had locked up my cosmetics

himing in, urging them to "just make peace, it's the holiday

g off the guests, I intended

e door, I was so fur

, and next to her was my newly bough

oset, ready for the class reunion tomor

ngry I cou

lars on that skirt, and now it was in

rage, I was about to burst out in anger

ng, called out to me. "Paulina, I wanted to make c

doll, and my poor skirt had f

ruly un

g, was surprisingly man

cutting up my skirt, not only would I not get compensation or an

mad at me? It's just a skirt. I'll pay you back when I grow up. Mom says you earn

ite adept at playing

earth her mother ha

couldn't reach her, s

this would come b

crookedly sewn doll and praised her. "Jayne, your hands are so skillfu

ocket, which I hadn't wanted to give her earli

o lovely. I am rewardi

nk y

and dashed to the living roo

, lo

ey proudly, presen

ne's head. "It's because you are so charming that Paul

ching the doll tightly, its embroidered

ing, followed by Eric looking deject

? Weren't you

terrible ha

up over a dozen skirts at the mall, and they w

ceipt, each skirt priced o

y mouth, though inwardly I w

rly disciplining their daughter.

e with panic. She grabbed my hand,

d, so it's only fair they ask for compensation. Er

the fire, frow

out the incident, and Margo

ou're such a jinx! You didn't watch the kid and ju

? As soon as we entered the mall, you disappeared. When she got into trouble, I c

s for business. Otherwise, after t

ol me. You're just flirting with th

ing, I had to pull my mom away to av

y unaware of her wrongdoing, mu

to step in to reso

hairstyle a mess, and her f

ce covered in bruises, with black

ggested. "Why don't we call the

distressed. "This is the price after negotia

nded by the mall staff, Margot threw a fit, pull

the police, Margot initially

urveillance footage, the

ant about full compensati

Why did you cut

y class say I have a talent for design. Those skirts in