When sleep-deprived mom Genevieve discovers her car covered in eggs, she thinks it’s a prank — until her smug neighbor Brad admits he did it because her car was ruining the view of his elaborate Halloween display. Furious but too exhausted to argue, Genevieve vows to teach him a lesson.

I was bone-tired, the kind of tired where you can barely remember if you’ve brushed your teeth or fed the dog.

My days had become a blur since the twins were born. Don’t get me wrong, Lily and Lucas were my adorable darlings, but wrangling two newborns mostly by myself was a Herculean task. I hadn’t slept a full night in months. Halloween was just around the corner, and the neighborhood buzzed with excitement, but I just didn’t have it in me.

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I could hardly muster the energy to decorate, let alone keep up with all the suburban festivities. And then there was Brad.

The man took Halloween so seriously you’d think his life depended on it. Every year, he’d transform his house into a full-blown haunted carnival, complete with gravestones, skeleton dioramas, huge jack-o’-lanterns—the works.

The smug look on his face whenever someone complimented his display? Please.

The entire block seemed to adore his spectacle, but I couldn’t care less. I was too busy trying to keep my eyes open.

It was a typical October morning when things started to unravel.

I shuffled outside with Lily on one hip and Lucas cradled in my arm. That’s when I saw it—my car, covered in eggs. Bits of shell were stuck in the goo, which dripped down the windshield like some twisted breakfast experiment.

“Are you kidding me?” I muttered, staring at the mess. I had parked in front of Brad’s house the night before. I didn’t have much of a choice—the twins’ stroller was too hard to push from down the street, so I parked closer to our door.

At first, I thought it was some kind of prank, but when I noticed the egg splatters had reached all the way to Brad’s porch, my suspicions solidified.

This had Brad written all over it. Brad, with his over-the-top Halloween display, didn’t actually own the curb, but that didn’t stop him from acting like he did.

He was as territorial as a wolf during Halloween season.

Halloween decorations on a front porch
Source: Midjourney
Fueled by exhaustion and frustration, I stomped over to his house. I knocked—no, banged—on his door harder than I should have, but I was too furious to care.

“What?” Brad opened the door, looking smug as ever. He crossed his arms, oozing arrogance. His house was already decked out in full Halloween mode.

Fake cobwebs, plastic skeletons, and witches lounging in chairs—it was an eyesore, honestly.

A man glancing to one side
Source: Midjourney
I didn’t waste any time. “Did you see who egged my car?”

I demanded. Brad didn’t even flinch.

“I did it,” he said casually, like he was telling me the weather. “Your car’s blocking the view of my decorations.”

I stared at him, stunned. “You egged my car because it was parked in front of your house? You didn’t even ask me to move it, you just ruined it?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

He shrugged, completely unbothered. “How can people appreciate my display if they can’t see it from the road?”

For a second, I thought I had misheard. “Are you for real?” I asked, incredulous.

A man standing on his front step
Source: Midjourney
He had the audacity to shrug again. “I’m the Halloween King! People come from all over to see this display, Genevieve. I’m just asking for a little cooperation. You’re always parked there. It’s inconsiderate and it’s ruining the vibe.”

His lack of consideration left me speechless. Here I was, balancing two newborns, barely managing, and this man was worried about his display?

A smug man
Source: Midjourney
“Well, I’m sorry my life gets in the way of your spooky graveyard,” I snapped. “I’ve got twins, Brad. Newborn twins.”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied, leaning against his doorframe, still acting like it was no big deal. “Maybe you should park somewhere else.”

“I park there because it’s easier for me to reach my car when I’m carrying two babies and hauling a stroller!” I shot back, exasperated.

A furious woman
Source: Midjourney
Brad shrugged once again. “That’s not my problem, Genevieve. Listen, you can park there again after Halloween is over, okay?” he said with all the enthusiasm of someone who didn’t care at all.

My anger was at its peak, but I was just too drained to argue further.

“Fine,” I muttered through gritted teeth.

A man standing in front of his house
Source: Midjourney
Instead of exploding, I just turned around and went back inside. The rage was there, but so was the exhaustion.

But as I washed the egg off my car later, a thought hit me. Brad wasn’t just a nuisance—he was a bully. I was too tired to yell, but I had another idea.

If Brad wanted to play dirty, I could outsmart him.

A woman standing near her car
Source: Midjourney
That night, as I rocked Lily to sleep, an idea took shape. Brad’s weakness was his pride—his need for his Halloween display to be the best. I didn’t have the energy for a confrontation, but revenge? That I could do. The next day, I strolled over to his yard while he was adding more decorations.

“Hey, Brad,” I said brightly. “I’ve been thinking, it really was inconsiderate of me to block your display. You always put so much effort into it… have you thought about giving it an upgrade?” I suggested, trying to sound helpful.

Spooky Halloween decorations
Source: Pexels
Brad paused, a little suspicious. “Upgrade?” he asked.

“Yeah, like some high-tech stuff. You know, fog machines, ghost projectors. You’ve already got such a great setup, but if you really want to impress people, those would take it to the next level.” I replied, knowing I had him hooked.

Brad was predictable, and I knew he couldn’t resist the idea of making his display even better. I started talking about all the fancy equipment he could get—fog machines, ghost projectors. Of course, I mentioned brands that were known for being unreliable, but he didn’t need to know that.

“You think so?” he asked, already envisioning his Halloween masterpiece.

An excited man
Source: Midjourney
“Oh, absolutely. You’d be the talk of the neighborhood.” I said with a smile, walking away. Now, all I had to do was wait.

Halloween night arrived, and Brad’s house looked like something out of a horror movie.

He had gone all out, as expected, and people were gathered outside admiring the display.

A determined woman
Source: Midjourney
There was a crowd of kids and parents, all marveling at the fog rolling out across Brad’s lawn.

He stood in the middle of it, basking in their admiration. From my porch, I watched, Lily and Lucas in my arms. Everything was going according to plan.

And right on cue, the fog machine sputtered. Instead of producing that creepy mist, it started spraying water everywhere. The crowd gasped, and kids started laughing.

Elaborate Halloween decorations
Source: Midjourney
Brad scrambled to fix it, but it was no use. His prized ghost projector started flickering, casting a jittery, cartoonish blob instead of a ghost.

Parents chuckled, and kids were outright laughing. Then, to top it off, one of his giant inflatables—a Frankenstein—began to deflate, rolling slowly across the yard.

A laughing child
Source: Midjourney
Some teenagers, thinking it was hilarious, grabbed a carton of eggs and started launching them at Brad’s house.

It was chaos, and Brad was running back and forth, trying to save his display. But it was too late. His Halloween masterpiece had turned into a disaster.

The next morning, just as I was feeding Lucas, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Brad, looking deflated—just like his Frankenstein. He wasn’t his usual smug self.

A man outdoors at night
Source: Midjourney
“I, uh, wanted to apologize,” he mumbled, not quite meeting my eyes. “For egging your car. I overreacted.” I crossed my arms, taking my time to respond. “Yeah, you did.” I said, making him sweat a little.

“I just… I didn’t realize how hard it must be, you know, with the twins and all.” he added, clearly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry.” he apologized.

A woman talking to a man on her front step
Source: Midjourney
I let him squirm for a moment longer. “Thanks for apologizing, Brad. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

I said finally. He nodded quickly, eager to escape the awkwardness. “No, it won’t.” he promised.

As he turned to leave, I couldn’t resist adding, “Funny how things have a way of balancing out, huh?”

A humbled man
Source: Midjourney
Brad glanced back, but for once, he had nothing to say.

This work is inspired by real events, but it’s been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names and details have been changed to protect privacy. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters, not the author or publisher.