When Candace offered to host my kids for a week of summer fun at her mansion, I was grateful. With a pool, trampoline, and her daughter Mikayla for company, it sounded like paradise. I even sent each child with $150 and gave Mikayla the same to keep things fair. But by day four, I got a chilling message from my daughter: “Mom, come save us.”

Racing over, I found my son scrubbing pool tiles and my daughter dragging trash, while Mikayla relaxed with juice. A clipboard listed chores like scrubbing bathrooms and making lemonade for Mikayla’s guests—chores required for cartoon time and pool access. My kids weren’t helping willingly; they’d been threatened with sleeping in the garage if they refused.

I demanded their phones back, packed them up, and left. The next morning, I sent Candace an invoice for $600 in unpaid labor—with a note about sharing photos with her book club. She paid within the hour. I spent the money on two days at an amusement park with my kids—no chores, just joy.

Candace tried to apologize, but I didn’t answer. What she thought was a fun “life lesson” turned into a harsh wake-up call—for her. My kids learned something powerful: their mom will always show up, their work has value, and no one gets to exploit them without consequences.