Jessica’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect that response. She huffed and puffed, clearly frustrated. “You’re being unreasonable, Susan.”

“Unreasonable?” I echoed. “For four weeks, I’ve put up with this nonsense! Last week, I almost couldn’t get to my mom who needed to go to the hospital! This stops now!”

Jessica stomped her foot and stormed off. I watched her go and smiled to myself. If she called the police, nobody would’ve been happier than me. Jessica had no idea she had fallen into my trap.

I closed the door and slumped on my living room couch.

A short while later, there was another knock on my door.

This time, it was the police. I grabbed a beer from the fridge, took a sip, and tried to look a bit wobbly before answering. When I opened the door, an officer stood there, looking serious.

“Good evening, ma’am. We received a complaint about a blocked driveway,” he said, glancing at the beer in my hand. His name was Officer Miller.

I put on my best “tipsy” smile. “Oh, hey there, Officer! Jessica… oh, her parties! Her party guests have been blocking my driveway for weeks. Tonight, I decided to return the favor!”

Officer Miller sighed. “I understand your frustration, ma’am, but you need to move your car.”

I shook my head dramatically, almost stumbling for effect. “I’d love to help, Officer, but I’ve been drinkin’. Whoops!” I pretended to lose my balance and caught myself on the door frame. “Legally, I can’t drive right now.”

Officer Miller scratched his head. “Are you saying you’ve had enough to drink that you can’t safely operate your vehicle?”

I nodded with exaggerated seriousness. “Yes, sir! I’m parked legally in my own driveway. I can’t move my car without breakin’ the law. Safety first! Hic!” I added a hiccup for good measure. “Maybe wait until next Tuesday? I’m taking a long weekend!”

Jessica, standing nearby, fumed. “This is ridiculous! She’s doing this on purpose!”

Officer Miller turned to her, barely containing his laughter. “Ma’am, if she’s been drinking, she can’t drive. And as long as her car is legally parked on her property, there’s nothing we can do.”

Jessica’s face turned red with anger. “This isn’t fair!” she fumed.

I gave a mock salute with the beer bottle.

Officer Miller looked at both of us, clearly trying not to laugh. “Alright, let’s all try to resolve this peacefully,” he said. Then to Jessica, he added, “Ma’am, you’ll need to make sure your guests don’t block Ms. Susan’s driveway in the future.”

Jessica stormed off, muttering under her breath. I closed the door and leaned against it, grinning. Maybe now, things would change for the better. Who knew acting tipsy could be so effective?

But it wasn’t over yet.

The next morning, I decided to visit the local police station to file a formal complaint. As I walked in, who should I run into but Officer Miller. He recognized me immediately.

“Well, good morning, Ma’am,” he said with a friendly smile. “What brings you here today?”

I explained the situation and showed him the videos I had taken of Jessica’s guests repeatedly parking in my driveway. Officer Miller watched the videos intently, nodding in agreement.

“This is solid evidence,” he said. “Let’s go have a chat with your neighbor.”

We went over to Jessica’s house together. She was outside, looking flustered when she saw us approaching.

“Morning, Ms. Williams,” Officer Miller greeted her. “We need to talk about your guests’ parking habits.”

Jessica’s face turned red. “What now?” she snapped.

Officer Miller remained calm. “We’ve reviewed some evidence, and it’s clear your guests have been parking illegally in Ms. Tanner’s driveway multiple times. I’m issuing fines for the illegal parking, and you’ll need to compensate Ms. Tanner for the inconvenience and moral damages.”

Jessica’s anger and embarrassment were evident. “Stop it, Susan! This is not right!” she protested.

“Maybe next time, you’ll think twice before letting your guests block someone’s driveway,” I said, unable to hide my satisfaction.

Jessica grumbled something quietly and stormed back inside. The neighbors soon heard about what happened and found it amusing. No one ever parked in my driveway again.

Meanwhile, my mom recovered, and I finally enjoyed my driveway in peace.

Sometimes, you have to stand up to entitled people and show them that their actions have consequences. It took a bit of planning and patience, but in the end, I got my sweet revenge and peace of mind.

What would you have done?