When my father-in-law Richard bulldozed my garden to dig an unauthorized pool, I was devastated. My backyard had been my sanctuary, and in one reckless weekend, he destroyed years of work. Tom exploded at him, but Richard just smirked, insisting we’d “thank him later.”

The next morning, karma arrived wearing pearls—our rule-obsessed neighbor, Mrs. Jensen. Spotting the chaos, she casually mentioned she’d call the city inspector. Within an hour, Richard was slapped with fines for illegal construction and told to fill the hole immediately.

As if that wasn’t enough, the contractors hit an old water pipe, flooding the yard into a muddy swamp. Richard, in his best suit, slipped face-first into the muck while screaming at the workers. His grand pool dream quite literally drowned before his eyes.

In the end, Richard paid every penny for the damage, repairs, and fines. He hasn’t mentioned a pool since, and my garden is slowly thriving again. Tom and I now laugh about it over dinner, grateful that karma showed up with perfect timing—and a sense of humor.