Eliza, a single mother of three, hired a contractor to rebuild her kitchen, but he fled midway through, leaving her with an unworkable kitchen. Little did he know, Eliza had a smart strategy to make him regret ever crossing her. I’ve always wondered why people thought being a single parent was difficult when my friends and family were always there for me when I needed it. When fate placed me in a predicament that left me furious with rage, I discovered the true reason. Before I go into what occurred that day, let me tell you a little about myself. I’m Eliza, a single mother of three. My ex-husband cheated on me with an old-school acquaintance. He gave me the standard excuses: “I won’t do it again,” “It’s not what you think,” and “We were just having fun.” I offered him several chances, but he wouldn’t change. The final straw came when I found him in our bedroom with her, when he should have been taking care of our children. It was such a poor decision on his behalf. Long story short, I booted him out and filed for divorce. That awful man didn’t even bother fighting for custody. I guess he knew I’d win because my case was so good. I’ve been living alone with my three kids, Chelsea (10), Trevor (8), and Kayla (6), for nearly two years. My world revolves around children, and I spend my days managing work, chores, and parenting. At first, living without a guy in the house was strange since I had always relied on my husband to do the heavy lifting. Although I worked and contributed financially to the home, I was not in charge of mending broken pipes or rewiring switches. That was his job. So I often rely on friends and family for assistance. My brother Adam frequently stops by to handle those things. However, this time, I had no choice but to employ a contractor.

That’s when I discovered how some people treat single mothers when they know there isn’t a guy in the house. I know that sounds dreadful, but it is a brutal truth that has struck me hard. So it all began a few months ago, when the kitchen drain became clogged. I was cleaning the dishes when I noticed the water was gathering in the sink. Mind you, I am quite careful when cleaning the dishes. I constantly make sure no food particles go down since I know they cluster together and cause clogs. Anyway, I promptly attempted a few techniques, like pouring a solution of baking soda and vinegar, but nothing worked. Finally, I had to do the dishes in the bathroom. Imagine! Later that night, I called my brother. “Adam, I think you’ll need to come over because there’s a problem with the kitchen drain,” I told you. “There’s a big blockage, and I can’t seem to solve the issue.” “Don’t worry, Liz,” he added. “I’ll be there tomorrow.” However, when Adam arrived, he recognized there was nothing he could do to resolve the situation. “Seems like a serious issue,” he muttered, scratching his head. “I guess you’ll have to look for a professional.” So I asked my pals about hiring a contractor, and one of them mentioned this man, Mark. She claimed he was “one of the best” in town. I wish I had not listened. Mark eventually turned up a few days later, claiming to be overwhelmed with work. He was in his forties, appeared polite, and had the “trust me, I’m a professional” air. “Can you tell me what the exact problem is?” As he inspected the drainpipe, I inquired. He explained that there was a blocked drain and seepage. “Consider renovating your kitchen. It will spare you from future hassles.” Remodeling? I thought. That seems like a lot of effort. Mark then explained why I needed to have it renovated, and he even gave me a reasonable price. He also promised to finish it in approximately six weeks, which sounded rather speedy. Talking with him confirmed his professionalism and understanding of his field. I promised him I’d respond the next day. That evening, I contacted Adam and told him about Mark. “I think he’s right,” Adam remarked. “You should go with the renovation.” The price also sounds good.” “Yeah,” I agree. “I’ll call him tomorrow to start the work.” “Sounds great,” he said. “Do you want me to be there?” “Thanks, Adam, but I’ll manage,” I told him. “The guy seems solid and doesn’t look like a troublemaker.” Adam had always been there for me, and I did not want to continue relying on him. He had his own life, so I took charge. I had no idea this would be the worst decision I’d ever make. I should have involved Adam.

Mark started working on the kitchen two days later. While he worked, my children Trevor and Kayla would come in to check what was going on. I expected Mark to be upset, but he was pleasantly friendly to them. I was relieved to see this. Everything was going smoothly for two weeks until Mark failed to show up. I assumed he had been ill, so I ignored it and waited for him to return the next day. a  He did not show up again. After three days, I decided to phone him. “Mark, where are you?” I inquired. “I’ve been waiting for you for three days.” “Oh, Eliza,” he said nonchalantly. “I’m working on another job. I’ll stop by later. Excuse me. I thought. Another job? How about the hanging cabinets in my kitchen? Who will fix them? I was outraged, but I chose to be nice and urged him to return soon. BIG MISTAKE. After another week, he still did not show up. I phoned, but he did not respond. I even left voicemail messages. “Hey, I get that you’re busy, but I need some kind of timeline here,” I told you. No answer. That was when I lost my composure since I understood exactly what was going on. He believed he could capitalize on my status as a single mother. There is no spouse to chase him down. He assumed he’d vanish, and I’d simply let it go.But I am not that sort of lady. I’ve gone through too much to allow anyone to fool me. So I got imaginative, and Mark was unprepared for what happened next. I snapped some photos of my half-finished kitchen, which had a few cabinets hanging at strange angles, exposed wiring, damaged pipes, and everything else that made my kitchen seem bad.Then I shared the photographs with a handful of local home improvement Facebook groups. I did not publish anything disrespectful. I just stated, “I hired this contractor named Mark on a friend’s recommendation.” He does excellent work, and I was nearly finished redoing my kitchen when he departed unexpectedly. Has anybody else had such delays? I let the photographs do the talking. I knew precisely what I was doing. It wasn’t long before the comments started pouring in. I know him. I scheduled him to fix my bathroom, but he never showed up! OMG! I’m certain this is the same Mark I’ve been calling for two months, since he left my house half-finished. I’m so delighted I discovered a better contractor. Mark makes the finest excuses. He disappeared with my initial money, and I’ve been hunting him for a month. I am very sorry that your kitchen looks like this. The list went on. The entire town appeared to be fed up with him, eagerly awaiting an opportunity to express their frustration. Even Adam was surprised when I informed him. He lamented not being with me. Anyway, when the message gathered traction, I was confident it would reach him, and it did. I received a call from Mark two days after I uploaded the images. “I’ve heard some stuff online. People think I’m not finishing projects. That’s not true, is it?” he questioned, almost imploring. His trembling voice told me he was in distress. I had certainly struck a chord by exposing him. “Well, Mark, I can’t control what people say,” I explained gently. “Maybe you should focus on finishing the work you started.” I did not shout at or accuse him. I wanted him to realize he came to this situation by himself. A few hours later, I received a message from him. I’ll come over tomorrow with the team, and we’ll finish everything. Please simply help me get those reviews removed. He was virtually begging me now, and I assumed he’d realized I wasn’t some single mother he could ignore. The next day, Mark and his squad arrived at my house. They worked quicker than I had ever seen, trying to complete everything. It was almost ridiculous how hard he struggled to finish as if I’d pull the post down once he was done. After completing the job, I expressed my gratitude to Mark, who then departed with his crew. Then he texted me and asked if I could erase my post and submit a positive rating instead. I told him I’d think about it. But, in truth, I wasn’t going to delete the post or compose another one. I wanted him to know he couldn’t simply walk away after betraying so many people. He assumed I was one of those individuals who did not raise their voices, especially because I was a single mother. However, I believe he misjudged me. Now, I believe I made the correct decision by managing it myself. Had Adam been there, Mark would not have attempted to influence me, and his actions would not have surfaced online. Everything occurs for a reason, and now I understand why.