o teach Jake a lesson he wouldn’t forget.

The next day, Jake told me he was going out with his friends. Perfect timing.

“Have fun, Jake,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual.

I followed him discreetly to the café where he and his friends were hanging out. I watched from a distance, waiting for the right moment.

Mike entered the café in uniform, looking serious.

He approached Jake’s table.

“Excuse me, son. I need to talk to you,” Mike said.

Jake looked confused. “What?

Why?”

Mike pulled out one of the fake bills. “This money looks fake. Where did you get it?”

Jake’s face turned pale.

“I… I don’t know. I didn’t do anything.”

“Stand up,” Mike ordered. “You’re coming with me.”

Jake stood, trembling.

His friends watched in shock, whispering among themselves.

“Is this a joke?” one of Jake’s friends asked.

“No joke,” Mike said sternly. “Counterfeit money is a serious offense.”

I recorded the whole scene from outside, capturing Jake’s humiliation. He was on the verge of tears.

I walked into the café, acting surprised.

“What’s going on here?”

Mike looked at me. “Ma’am, do you know this boy?”

“Yes, he’s my stepson. What’s happening?”

“We found him using counterfeit money,” Mike explained.

“Oh no, there must be a mistake!” I said, pleading.

“Please, he’s a good kid. Can’t we sort this out?”

Jake looked at me with wide, teary eyes. “Please, Lisa, help me!”

Mike hesitated, then sighed.

“Alright, since it’s his first offense, I’ll let him go with a warning. But next time, there will be serious consequences.”

“Thank you, Officer,” I said, feigning relief.

Jake hugged me tightly. “Thank you, thank you!

I’ll never do anything like this again, I promise.”

We left the café, and once we were a safe distance away, I showed Jake the video.

“Jake, if you continue to behave like this, I’ll show this video to all your friends.”

Jake’s face fell. “You… you did this?”

“Yes, and it was for your own good. You need to understand that your actions have consequences.”

“I’m sorry, Lisa.

I really am,” Jake said, looking genuinely remorseful.

From that day on, Jake’s behavior changed. He started helping around the house, treated Emma and Noah with respect, and even apologized to them.

“Hey, Emma, Noah, want to play a game?” Jake asked one evening.

“Sure!” Emma replied, surprised but happy.

Mark noticed the change too. “Jake’s different lately.

What did you do?”

“Just gave him a little wake-up call,” I said with a smile.