I am 15. My dad married my stepmom two months ago, and it’s been hell since they moved in with us.

We have a three-bedroom house. Before, my dad and I each had our rooms with bathrooms, and the smaller room was my dad’s study. Now, Penny, my stepsister who’s 16, took my room, and I’m stuck sharing the small room with Peter (11) and William (10). All my books, telescope, and stuff are packed in the basement because there’s no space.

Penny, Peter, and William have zero respect for boundaries and treat me poorly. They took a watch my mom gave me before she died of cancer and lost it. I found it weeks later in the basement with the glass broken. They also broke my Xbox.
Before they moved in, I got a $100 allowance. Now, Penny gets $75, I get $35, and Peter and William each get $30.
I told my dad about all this last week, and he said family is about sacrifices, and I have to make mine. Haven’t I made enough sacrifices already? I feel like I’m the only one sacrificing. I was excited for them to move in, but now I feel like an outsider in my own home. I had enough and decided to teach my stepsiblings a lesson.

The next morning, I got up early and went down to the basement. I found an old toolbox and took out a screwdriver and some nails. I had a plan that would teach Penny, Peter, and William a lesson about respecting others’ property and space.

First, I went into Penny’s room while she was at breakfast. I carefully unscrewed the legs of her bed just enough so they’d give way when she sat on it. Then, I moved on to Peter and William’s room. I took some of their favorite action figures and hid them in the attic, where they’d never think to look.

After that, I took my broken watch and taped a note to it saying, “Remember this? Respect other people’s things.” I placed it on Penny’s pillow.

Finally, I went into the kitchen and poured a tiny bit of soy sauce into each of their water bottles. It wasn’t harmful, but it would definitely make them think twice before messing with me again.

Throughout the day, I waited for my plan to unfold. The first sign of success came when I heard a loud crash from Penny’s room followed by a shriek. “What happened to my bed?!” she yelled. I could barely contain my smirk.

Next, Peter and William spent the entire afternoon searching for their missing toys. They were whining and complaining to their mom, but she had no idea where they were. Lastly, the look on their faces when they took a sip from their water bottles was priceless. They spit it out and looked at each other in confusion and disgust.

Later that evening, my dad called for a family meeting. “It seems there have been some pranks today,” he said, looking around the room. “Does anyone want to confess?

I stood up, feeling a surge of confidence. “I did it,” I said. “But only because I’m tired of being treated like my things don’t matter. Penny, Peter, and William have been disrespectful and have broken my stuff. I just wanted them to understand how it feels.”

There was a moment of silence. My stepmom looked angry, but my dad looked thoughtful. “Is this true?” he asked the others. Reluctantly, they nodded.

“I think we need to have a serious talk about respect and boundaries in this house,” he said. “Everyone should feel valued and have their space respected. We’ll come up with new rules to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

I felt a wave of relief. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. That night, I slept with a smile on my face, knowing I had taken a stand for myself. And the best part? My step-siblings never messed with me or my stuff again.