My Kids Listed My House on Airbnb While I Was in the Hospital — I Found a Way to Teach Them a Lesson
Mariah had been feeling less than healthy lately, causing her to admit herself into the hospital so that she could have a check-up. But in her absence, her children decided to rent out her house as an Airbnb, ready to pocket the money for themselves. When Mariah found out, she decided to teach her children a lesson.
“Mariah,” my friend Liz said on the phone, “why on earth is your house listed as an Airbnb?”
A phone opened to an Airbnb app | Source: Pexels
“What?” I asked, completely confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Denise was looking for a house to rent for the weekend because it’s her bachelorette weekend, and she came across your house. Aren’t you still in the hospital?” she asked.
A group of women | Source: Midjourney
“Liz, I truly have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, looking at the IV drip away into my bloodstream. “Send me the link to the site Denise saw.”
This is how I taught my children a valuable lesson:
Recently, my blood pressure had been all over the place, causing me to faint at odd moments.
A close-up of an IV | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” my son, Liam, said, “you need to get it checked out. There’s no point in going to the pharmacy and getting medication over the counter just because you think it’s going to help. You need to get everything assessed properly.”
“And you need to start eating better,” Leah, my daughter, said. “Having oats in the morning, toast during the day, and soup at night isn’t a balanced diet. You’re playing with your health. It’s time to take things seriously.”
A counter at a pharmacy | Source: Midjourney
Leah moved around my kitchen, slicing vegetables to make a salad to go along with the grilled chicken she had been marinating.
“And what about your constant headaches? It’s time to get everything checked out. You should go into the hospital and do a full check-up,” Liam said.
A plate of grilled chicken and salad | Source: Midjourney
“But I feel fine, other than the headaches and dizziness; I’m good!” I retorted.
Both my kids snorted and rolled their eyes at me.
“Do it, Mom,” Leah said, pointing her finger at me.
A young woman pointing and smiling | Source: Midjourney
I had to agree with them. I had been downplaying my health lately. I still walked every second day and did as much yoga as my body would allow during the week.
But still, there was a nagging feeling that something could be wrong.
Women at a yoga class | Source: Midjourney
“Just go to silence that feeling,” Liz said when we met for smoothies after our yoga class one day.
“But what if we find something?” I asked, suddenly nervous to be speaking my thoughts out loud.
“Then, we’ll deal with it together. I know that Paul isn’t here anymore, but I’m here,” Liz said. “And anyway, we need you up and running for Denise’s wedding. I don’t know how to do the mother-of-the-bride things.”
A close-up of smoothies | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll go to the GP and take it from there,” I said. “If he thinks that it’s the way to go, then I’ll do just that.”
“Yes, Mariah,” the doctor said. “I think it’s a great idea for you to go for a full-body check-up. There’s nothing wrong with just knowing your health and body. And I’ll recommend a CT scan for your headaches, too.”
A doctor putting on gloves | Source: Pexels
Which is how I ended up at the hospital, and how my children chose to take advantage of the situation.
“I’ll bring your lunch soon,” the nurse said, smiling at me. “You just rest after your CT scan.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I’m just going to call my best friend and catch up with her.”
A smiling nurse holding a clipboard | Source: Midjourney
Catching up with Liz meant that hearing that my children had let my house out as an Airbnb for the week that I was scheduled to be in the hospital.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” Liz asked me when I called her back after I confirmed that it was my house on the site.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I want to teach them a lesson. Leah and Liam should have known better. But Leah and her husband are always looking for ways to make extra money. I’m sure that Andrew has a gambling problem, too.”
“Tell me what you want me to do,” Liz said, chewing something into my ear.
A couple playing poker | Source: Pexels
“I want you to tell Denise to book it,” I said. “But they’ll recognize that it’s her, so she’s probably going to need to create a new account. Do you think she’ll be okay with that?”
“Of course, she will!” Liz said. “Anything for you. But then what?”
“I’m getting discharged tomorrow,” I said. “But the kids think that I’ll be here until the end of the week. So, let them think that they’re going to make some money off the place.”
A close-up of a woman’s IV and hospital band | Source: Midjourney
“You want Denise to rent the place, but you want to mess it up?” Liz chuckled. “That’s devious.”
“No, my children are devious,” I said.
I hung up the call, and the nurse brought my lunch to me, ready to leave me alone to eat while she did her rounds.
A tray of hospital food | Source: Midjourney
If I was being honest, I didn’t know how I felt about my children’s betrayal. But it hurt me to imagine that while I had been away at the hospital, my children were perfectly fine with having strangers take over my home.
“What were they thinking?” I asked myself.
They hadn’t given a second thought to people using the mugs I had hand-painted, or people sitting in their father’s worn armchair. Paul has been deceased for a few years now, but it still felt like his chair.
An armchair in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“No,” I said to myself. “I’m going to get back at these kids.”
The next morning, I was discharged with a clean bill of health, despite warnings to keep my stress down.
“And keep an eye on your cholesterol, Mariah,” my doctor said. “Eat lots of green leafy vegetables.”
Leafy vegetables on a countertop | Source: Midjourney
I drove myself to Liz’s house, where I was going to wait for Denise to meet me with the keys to my house.
“Are you sure about this?” Liz asked, making me a cup of tea and buttering a lemon and poppy seed muffin.
“Yes,” I said. “And this way, they’ll truly have to feel accountable for their actions.”
A cup of tea with a muffin | Source: Midjourney
I went home a few hours later. There was something different about the house. The smell was different, and I knew for sure that someone else had been staying there.
There was a sweet perfume scent that took over my usual woody-scented house.
I had a long shower, ready to wash away the scent of the hospital that clung to my skin. I was ready for a long sleep in my own bed.
A comfortable bed | Source: Midjourney
For tomorrow, the fun began.
The next morning, I made myself some breakfast and dutifully took the array of vitamins and supplements that the doctor had given me.
Then, I began to pack away all of my appliances.
Appliances in the trunk of a car | Source: Midjourney
“Where are you going to put everything?” Liz asked me when she came over.
“I’m going to put some into the trunk of my car, and we can hide the rest in the garage for now,” I said.
Together, Liz and I emptied out the house, leaving only the old toaster behind.
“Come on,” Liz said, linking her arm in mine. “Let’s get you out of here.”
An old toaster in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
I waited until Friday, staying with Liz. And then I drove myself home that afternoon.
“Hi Mom!” Leah said excitedly when she saw me pull into the driveway.
“Hi, honey,” I said, taking out my bag from the backseat.
We walked into the house, and there were entirely new appliances all over my kitchen.
A kitchen with new appliances | Source: Midjourney
“What’s all this?” I asked, pretending to be shocked.
“Liam and I thought that you deserved new things!” Leah said, looking at the floor as she spoke.
“No, you didn’t,” I said. “You came back to my home when your guest was supposed to check out and you found everything gone.”
Leah stared at me with her mouth open.
A shocked young woman | Source: Midjourney
“You know?” she said.
“Of course, I do!” I exclaimed. “I took everything! You needed to be taught a lesson. Why would you let my house out?”
Leah blinked slowly.
“Mom,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry. Andrew and I thought that it would be a good idea because it seemed like a great opportunity to make some extra money. Liam said that it was okay as long as nothing was broken.”
A close-up of a young woman | Source: Midjourney
“Darling,” I said, hugging her. “You can’t do this. If you and Andrew need money, you come and talk to me about it. Don’t do things like this. It’s going to ruin our trust.”
My daughter smiled and took my bag from me.
“Come,” she said. “I’ll make you some tea with the new kettle. I’ll return everything else tomorrow. And the money is all yours.”
A fancy kettle on a countertop | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
Little Girl Stopped Me on the Street and Said, ‘Your Picture Is in My Mom’s Wallet!’ – When I Saw Her Mom, I Was Speechless
While jogging through a quaint seaside town, I was stopped by an insistent little girl who claimed, “Your picture is in my mom’s wallet!” Curious and uneasy, I followed her to a charming house. When her mother appeared, I was shocked speechless!
The ocean breeze hit differently here, away from the urgency I was used to back in Silicon Valley.
A man staring out at the ocean | Source: Midjourney
I’d forgotten what it felt like to breathe without checking my phone every few seconds. My sister had practically pushed me onto the plane, insisting I needed this break from running my tech empire.
She’d insisted the beautiful beaches, great surfing, and lack of crowds made it the perfect place to relax. Looking back now, I wonder if she knew what she was setting in motion.
I’d been in this small coastal town for three days, and while its charm was undeniable — all weathered boardwalks and salt-sprayed storefronts — I felt like a fish out of water.
A man walking down the street in a coastal town | Source: Midjourney
The locals moved at their peaceful rhythm, while I still vibrated with the energy of quarterly reports and board meetings. Even my temporary rental cottage, with its shabby-chic furniture and views of the sunset, felt like someone else’s life I was trying on for size.
That morning, I decided to burn off some of this restless energy with a run through the quiet streets.
The fog was just lifting, and the early sun painted everything in soft gold. My expensive running shoes felt out of place on these worn sidewalks, just like I did.
A man jogging down a street | Source: Midjourney
A few early risers nodded hello as they walked their dogs or opened their shops. Their easy smiles made me realize how long it had been since I’d exchanged simple pleasantries with strangers.
“Mister, wait! Mister! I know you!”
I froze mid-stride, my heart suddenly racing faster than my run had caused. A little girl, maybe eight years old, was running toward me, her wild curls bouncing with each step.
An excited girl running down a misty street | Source: Midjourney
Before I could process what was happening, her small hand grabbed mine.
“Mister, come with me! To my mom! Come on!”
I gently but firmly pulled my hand away, alarm bells ringing in my head. “Wait, little one. What’s your name? And how do you know me?”
She looked up at me with eyes so earnest it almost hurt. “My name’s Miranda! Your picture is in my mom’s wallet! I see it all the time!”
A girl smiling up at someone | Source: Midjourney
Her words hit me like a physical blow. My picture? In her mom’s wallet? I took a step back, my mind racing through possibilities.
“Miranda, that’s… that’s impossible. I don’t know anyone here.”
“Yes, you do! You know my mom!”
She reached for my hand again, but I kept it safely at my side. The morning sun caught her features just right, and something about her profile tugged at my memory, but I couldn’t place it.
A man on a misty street | Source: Midjourney
“Listen, I can’t just follow a child I don’t know. Who’s your mom? And why would she have my picture?”
“Julia! My mom’s name is Julia!” She bounced on her toes, practically vibrating with excitement. “She looks at your picture sometimes when she thinks I’m not watching. She gets all quiet after.”
Julia? I searched my memory, but the name only brought up vague recollections of business meetings and casual introductions. Nothing significant enough to warrant having my photo in anyone’s wallet.
Yet something about this child’s certainty made me hesitate to just walk away.
An insistent young girl speaking to someone | Source: Midjourney
“Come on, come on!” Miranda tried to grab my hand again, but I shook my head.
“I’ll walk with you, but no hand-holding, okay? I don’t want anyone thinking I’m up to no good.”
She nodded, accepting this compromise, and skipped ahead of me, looking back every few steps to ensure I was following.
We walked down a street lined with mature oak trees, their branches creating dappled shadows on the sidewalk. Finally, we reached a modest house with white shutters and a garden full of bright flowers.
A modest house surrounded by a garden filled with flowers | Source: Midjourney
Miranda bounded up the steps and threw open the door, disappearing inside.
“Mom! Mom! He’s here! He’s here! The man from your wallet! He’s here!”
I stood awkwardly in the hallway, wondering if I should leave before this got even more bizarre. But then Miranda reappeared, practically dragging a woman behind her.
The woman froze when she saw me. Her hand flew to her mouth, and tears immediately welled in her eyes.
A woman standing in a hallway with one hand over her mouth | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t recognize her at first, not until she lowered her hand, and eight years of buried memories came crashing back.
“What? How is this possible?” I whispered. “Meredith? Is that you?”
“Nobody’s called me that in years,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
The world tilted on its axis as I looked between her and Miranda.
A woman with a shocked expression standing in an entrance hallway | Source: Midjourney
The same wild curls, the same determined set to their jaws. My throat went dry as understanding began to dawn.
“You left, remember?” Julia’s words came out sharp and bitter. “That day at the café. You told me you didn’t want to be with someone who only cared about your money.”
The memory hit me like a punch to the gut. My sister had shown me documents — fabricated documents, I now realized — claiming Julia had a history of pursuing wealthy men, and that she had debts she was trying to pay off.
An astonished man standing in an entrance hallway | Source: Midjourney
I had believed it all without question, too caught up in my fears of being used to see what was right in front of me.
“You never even let me speak,” Julia continued, tears streaming down her face. “You accused me of chasing after rich men and told me your sister showed you documents detailing my debts. I never had any debts.”
She paused then and looked down at Miranda, her voice softening. “I knew that if I told you about the baby, it would only confirm your sister’s lies about me. And I couldn’t do that because I truly loved you. And… I have my pride.”
A woman leaning against a wall while her daughter stands on something behind her | Source: Midjourney
Miranda stood between us, her small hand clutching her mother’s, looking confused by the tension she’d created. My daughter!
The thought hit me with such force that I had to lean against the wall for support. All these years of building my company, of chasing success, and I’d had a child I didn’t even know about.
“Why ‘Julia’?” I managed to ask, trying to make sense of anything in this moment. “Why did you go by Meredith back then?”
A man leaning forward slightly while speaking to someone | Source: Midjourney
“Meredith was my middle name. I used it that year because I’d just lost my grandmother. She was also called Meredith. I thought you knew that. But I guess there were a lot of things you didn’t know about me. You were always so busy…”
Everything clicked into place with devastating clarity. My sister’s manipulation, her pushing me to date her best friend after Meredith and I broke up, the convenient “evidence” of Julia’s gold-digging ways.
I’d been such a fool, so wrapped up in my ambitions and fears that I’d missed what really mattered.
A man astounded by a realization | Source: Midjourney
“I was wrong,” I said, my voice cracking. “About everything. I believed lies, and I let them ruin us. But now… now I want to make it right.”
Julia’s laugh was hollow. “How do you make up for eight years? For a child growing up without a father? For all the school plays and violin recitals and birthday parties you missed?”
“I can’t,” I admitted, feeling the weight of every missed moment. “But I can be here from this moment forward, if you’ll let me. For Miranda. For both of you.”
A man speaking earnestly to a woman | Source: Midjourney
Miranda’s eyes lit up at this, but Julia’s expression remained guarded.
“Words are easy,” she said. “Especially for a man who makes his living selling dreams to investors.”
“Then let me prove it with actions,” I insisted. “I’ll move here. Take a step back from the company. Whatever it takes. I’ve spent so long building something I thought was important, but standing here now, I realize I was building the wrong thing all along.”
A man looking stricken | Source: Midjourney
“Daddy?” Miranda’s voice was small but hopeful, and it shattered what was left of my heart. That one word held so much: all the years I’d missed, all the possibilities ahead.
Julia’s shoulders slumped slightly. “We can try,” she said finally. “But slowly. And at the first sign that you’re going to disappear again…”
“I won’t,” I promised. “I’ve spent eight years chasing success, thinking it would fill this empty space inside me. But standing here, looking at both of you… I finally understand what matters.”
A man appealing to someone | Source: Midjourney
Miranda launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. After a moment’s hesitation, I hugged her back.
Julia’s expression was still cautious, but there was something else there too — a tiny spark of hope that matched the one growing in my own heart.
The morning sun had burned away the last of the fog, and the sea breeze carried the sound of distant waves and seabirds. Through the open door, I could hear wind chimes singing their gentle song.
Wind chimes hanging on a porch | Source: Midjourney
My sister had been right about one thing — I had needed this break from my normal life. But instead of just finding rest, I’d found something I hadn’t even known I was missing: a chance to reclaim the family I’d almost lost forever.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Leave a Reply