When an entitled couple refused to pay my Dad, a hardworking plumber, they thought they were clever. Little did they know their smugness would backfire, leaving them with a bathroom crawling with regret. Heres how my Dad flushed their entitlement down the drain.
Hey there, folks! Phoebe here, but you can call me Pippi — thats what my Dad does. Speaking of which, let me introduce you to Pete: 55 years old, ruggedly handsome with a white beard and hands like a roadmap of hard work. Hes your friendly neighborhood plumber and my superhero without the cape.
Close-up of an older man smiling | Source: Midjourney
Dads the kind of guy who treats every job like its his own home, redoing entire bathrooms if a single tile is off. But some folks see that dedication and think they can take advantage. Thats exactly what a pair of entitled homeowners tried to do.
Oh, but they had no idea who they were messing with.
It all started a few months back when I swung by Dads place. I found him on the patio, puffing away on his cigar and laughing like hed just heard the worlds funniest joke.
A plumber installing pipe fittings | Source: Pexels
“Whats got you in such a good mood, old man?” I asked, plopping down next to him.
Dads eyes twinkled as he said, “Oh, Pippi, youre not gonna believe what just happened. Its a doozy!”
Dad leaned in, still chuckling. “Remember that bathroom remodel I was working on? Well, let me tell you about the Carlyles, or as I like to call em, the Pinchpennies.”
I settled in, knowing this was gonna be good. Dads stories always were.
A bathroom interior | Source: Unsplash
“These folks, they wanted the works. New tiles, fancy fixtures, you name it. They picked out every little detail themselves… even down to where they wanted the toilet paper holder.”
“Sounds like a dream job,” I said.
Dad snorted. “Oh, it started that way alright. But then…”
His face darkened, and I knew we were getting to the good part. “What happened, Dad?” I asked.
An older man fixing a faucet in the bathroom | Source: Midjourney
“Well, Pippi, on the last day, just as Im to start the grouting, theyre sitting on this couch, ready to pull a real fast one on me.”
Dads voice took on a mocking tone as he imitated Mrs. Carlyle. “Oh, Pete, this isnt what we wanted at all! These tiles are all wrong!”
I gasped. “But didnt they pick everything out themselves?”
“Exactly!” Dad exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “And get this — they had the nerve to tell me they were only gonna pay half of what they owed me. HALF!”
An older couple sitting on the couch | Source: Pexels
My jaw dropped. “HALF?? After two weeks of busting your hump to get their dream bathroom done. No way! What did you do?”
Dads eyes glinted mischievously. “Well, I tried to reason with em at first. But they werent having any of it. Mr. Carlyle, he gets all puffed up and says, Just finish the job and GET LOST, Pete. Were not paying a penny more.”
I could feel my blood boiling. “Thats not fair! You worked so hard!”
A shocked young woman holding her face | Source: Pexels
Dad patted my hand. “Now, now, Pippi. Dont you worry! Your old man had a trick up his sleeve.”
“What did you do?” I leaned in, eager to hear more.
Dads grin widened. “Oh, I finished the job alright. But instead of using water for the grout…”
“…I mixed it with sugar and honey,” Dad finished, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
I blinked, trying to process what Id just heard. “Sugar and honey? In the grout? But why?”
A bottle of honey near a small mound of powdered tile grout | Source: Midjourney
Dad leaned back, taking a long drag on his cigar. “Just you wait and see, Pippi. Just you wait and see.”
He went on to explain how hed packed up his tools, pocketed half the pay, and left with a smile, knowing full well what was coming next.
“But Dad,” I interrupted, “wouldnt they notice something was off with the grout?”
A smiling older man holding a toolbox | Source: Midjourney
He shook his head, chuckling. “Nah, not right away. It looked just fine when it dried. But a few weeks later…”
I leaned in, hanging on his every word. “What happened a few weeks later?”
Dads grin widened. “Thats when the real fun began.”
“Picture this,” Dad said, gesturing with his cigar. “The Pinchpennies are sitting pretty, thinking theyve pulled a fast one on old Pete. Then one day, Mrs. Carlyle goes to take a shower, and what does she see?”
Smiling older couple holding ceramic mugs | Source: Pexels
I shrugged, totally engrossed in the story.
“Ants!” Dad exclaimed. “Dozens of em, marching along the grout lines like its their own personal highway!”
I couldnt help but laugh. “No way!”
“Oh, it gets better,” Dad continued. “Next day, its cockroaches. Then every creepy-crawly within spittin distance shows up for the party.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Thats crazy! But how do you know all this?”
Close-up of an army of ants on a bathroom floor | Source: Midjourney
Dad winked. “Remember Johnny? My old pal? Hes their next-door neighbor and has been keeping me updated.”
“And the Carlyles?” I asked. “What did they do?”
Dads eyes sparkled with glee. “Oh, Pippi, they tried everything. Spent a fortune on pest control, but nothing worked. You wanna know the best part?”
I nodded eagerly.
A pest controller outside a house | Source: Pexels
“They blamed the pest control sprays for ruining the grout! Can you believe it?” Dad burst into laughter.
As Dads laughter died down, I couldnt help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the Carlyles. “But Dad, dont you think that was a bit… harsh?”
Dads expression softened. “Pippi, you gotta understand. These people tried to cheat me out of my hard-earned money. Two weeks of backbreaking work, and they wanted to pay me half?”
I nodded slowly. “I get it, but still…”
Close-up of a stunned woman | Source: Pexels
“Look,” Dad said, leaning forward. “In this line of work, your reputation is everything. If word got out that I let clients walk all over me, Id be out of business faster than you can say leaky faucet.”
I had to admit, he had a point. “So what happened next?”
Dad grinned. “Well, according to Johnny, they ended up redoing the whole bathroom about a year later.”
My eyes widened. “Did that solve the problem?”
A man working on a renovation project | Source: Freepik
Dad shook his head, chuckling. “Nope. The sugar residue was still there, lurking beneath the surface. The bugs just kept on coming back.”
“And the Carlyles?” I asked. “Did they ever figure it out?”
Dads eyes twinkled. “Not a clue. Last I heard, they were planning to redo the entire bathroom… again.”
I sat back, taking it all in. “Wow, Dad. Thats… something else. But didnt you feel bad at all?”
Construction worker laying ceramic tiles | Source: Freepik
Dad sighed, his expression turning serious. “Pippi, let me tell you something. In all my years of plumbing, Ive never done anything like this before. And I hope I never have to again. But these Carlyles, they werent just trying to cheat me. They were insulting my work, my pride.”
I nodded, understanding dawning. “They thought they could walk all over you.”
“Exactly,” Dad said, pointing his cigar at me. “And in this business, word gets around. If I let them get away with it, who knows how many other folks might try the same thing?”
Side view of an older man looking up | Source: Midjourney
“I guess I see your point,” I admitted. “But still, bugs in the bathroom? Thats pretty gross, Dad.”
He chuckled. “Well, I never said it was a pretty revenge. But it was effective.”
“So, what happened after that?” I asked, curious. “Did you ever hear from them again?”
Dad shook his head. “Nope. But Johnny keeps me updated. You should hear some of the stories hes told me.”
“Like what?” I leaned in, eager for more.
Ants near a bathtub | Source: Midjourney
Dads eyes twinkled with mischief.
“Well, there was this one time Mrs. Carlyle was hosting a fancy dinner party. Johnny said he could hear her screaming all the way from his house when she found a cockroach in the guest bathroom!”
I couldnt help but laugh. “Oh man, that mustve been embarrassing!”
Close-up of a cockroach on a bathroom sink | Source: Midjourney
“You bet it was,” Dad chuckled. “And then there was the time Mr. Carlyle tried to fix the problem himself. Bought every bug spray in the store and went to town on that bathroom.”
“Did it work?” I asked, already guessing the answer.
Dad shook his head, grinning. “Nope. Just made the whole house smell like a chemical factory for weeks. And the bugs? They came right back as soon as the smell faded.”
Close-up of gloved hand holding disinfecting solution | Source: Freepik
I shook my head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. How long has this been going on?”
“Oh, must be going on over a year now,” Dad said, puffing on his cigar. “Johnny says theyre at their wits end. Talking about selling the house and moving.”
I whistled low. “Wow, Dad. Thats some long-lasting revenge.”
Side view of a cottage with a beautiful garden | Source: Unsplash
Entitled Homeowners Refused to Pay My Plumber Dad – They Thought They Were the Smartest, but He Had the Last Laugh
When I Was Little, My Mother Said My Father Died – On My 47th Birthday, He Knocked on My Door
My Father Went Fishing with His Friends and Forgot My 18th Birthday
He nodded, a hint of remorse in his eyes. “Maybe it went on a bit longer than I intended. But you know what they say about karma.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Its a real… well, you know.”
We shared a hearty laugh at that.
Close-up side view of an older man with his eyes downcast | Source: Midjourney
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the patio, I sat back, processing everything Dad had told me.
“You know, Dad,” I said slowly, “I gotta admit, thats pretty genius. Diabolical, but genius.”
Dad nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. “Sometimes, Pippi, you gotta teach people a lesson they wont forget.”
I couldnt help but laugh. “Well, I bet the Carlyles wont be trying to stiff anyone on their bill anytime soon.”
Close-up grayscale shot of a smiling woman | Source: Pexels
“You got that right,” Dad chuckled. “And every time Johnny gives me an update, I get a good laugh out of it.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the sky turn pink and orange.
“Hey, Dad?” I said finally.
“Yeah, Pippi?”
“Promise me one thing?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Whats that?”
Side view of an older man smiling | Source: Midjourney
I grinned. “If I ever need my bathroom redone, Im paying you in full upfront.”
Dad burst out laughing, pulling me into a big bear hug. “Thats my girl!”
As we sat there, laughing and watching the sunset, I couldnt help but think about the Carlyles and their bug-infested bathroom. It was a reminder that sometimes, karma comes with six legs and a sweet tooth.
An older man laughing | Source: Midjourney
Heres another story: When a couple turned Tobys 14-hour flight into a nightmare, he taught them an unforgettable lesson in airplane etiquette.
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.
