When Ellie and her family returned home from their idyllic Christmas vacation, they expected to settle back into the holiday spirit.
But as they pulled into the driveway, their festive cheer evaporated.
Their house was a mess. Raw eggs dripped down the walls, the porch was covered in broken shells, and even Ellie’s carefully crafted holiday wreath was ruined, smeared with yolk.
“What the hell?” her husband Ethan muttered, stepping out of the car.“Mom, what happened?” their seven-year-old daughter Maddie asked from the backseat, her voice trembling with confusion.
Ellie tried to mask her own panic as she looked at her two children, Maddie and five-year-old Noah. “I don’t know, sweetheart,” she said, her voice tight.
Ethan crouched down to inspect the mess. “This wasn’t random,” he muttered. “Someone meant to do this.”
The kids were shuffled inside while Ethan discovered something even more unsettling: a note tucked under the doorframe. Ellie unfolded the damp, crumpled paper and read aloud, “This is for what you took from me before Christmas.”
Ellie’s stomach dropped. “What did we take? And who would do this?”
Determined to find answers, they reviewed the security footage that night. The camera revealed a hooded figure sneaking onto their property, egg cartons in hand. The person moved with precision, their posture oddly familiar to Ellie. As they hurled egg after egg at the house, something clicked.
“No…” Ellie whispered as recognition dawned. She froze the footage, her heart pounding. “It’s my mom.”
Ethan turned to her in disbelief. “Your mom?”
Ellie didn’t wait to explain. The next morning, she drove straight to her mother’s house.
Her mom, Irene, opened the door with a warm smile. “Ellie! What a surprise!”
“Why, Mom?” Ellie asked, skipping any pleasantries. “Why would you do this to us?”
Irene’s smile faltered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me,” Ellie shot back. “I saw the security footage. You egged our house. Why?”
Caught, Irene’s shoulders slumped. She invited Ellie inside, her expression a mixture of shame and frustration.
“It was because of Gloria,” Irene finally admitted, referencing Ellie’s mother-in-law. “She called me before Christmas, gloating about how you and Ethan took her on your fancy island vacation. She made me feel like I didn’t matter.”
Ellie was stunned. “Mom, that’s not true. Gloria wasn’t on the trip.”
Irene looked up, her brow furrowed. “But she said—”
“She lied,” Ellie interrupted, her voice softening. “She wanted to hurt you, to make you feel left out. Why would I take Gloria and not you?”