{"id":10844,"date":"2026-02-28T10:41:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T10:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=10844"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:41:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T10:41:39","slug":"new-homeowners-demanded-10k-for-dog-smell-so-we-made-their-smart-house-a-petty-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=10844","title":{"rendered":"New Homeowners Demanded $10K for ‘Dog Smell’ \u2014 So We Made Their Smart House a Petty Nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Every dog lover needs to read this. After selling our sparkling clean home, we thought we’d closed the chapter with grace… until a letter arrived from the new homeowners, accusing our “stinky” dogs of ruining their carpet and demanding $10K compensation. My husband and I had other plans.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My name is Valerie, and until last year, I thought the worst thing about selling our dream home was saying goodbye to the memories. Boy, was I wrong. The worst thing is dealing with entitled buyers who think a purchase agreement comes with a personal servant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A picturesque house | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Jonathan and I had spent three years building our perfect smart home in Willowbrook Heights. Every corner gleamed and every system hummed with efficiency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Our two fur babies, Muffin and Biscuit, were practically royalty in that house. They got their professional grooming every week, organic food, and beds that cost more than most people’s furniture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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These weren’t just pet dogs; they were our furry children, and that house was their palace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Two adorable dogs | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When we decided to downsize after Jonathan’s job transfer, we treated that sale like a sacred ceremony. Professional deep cleaning, carpet steaming, duct sanitization… the works. I even had the cleaning lady come back twice because I wanted everything to be perfect.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“You know, Jon,” I told Jonathan as we did our final walkthrough, “this place smells like a spa.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Better than a spa!” he replied, running his hand along the gleaming kitchen counter. “At least Muffin and Biscuit won’t judge the new owners for their downward dog form!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We laughed, handed over the keys with pride, and drove away thinking we’d closed this chapter beautifully.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A couple holding a house key | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Three weeks later, the universe decided to test our blood pressure and introduce us to what we now lovingly call “Yoga Barbie and Yoga Ken.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I was enjoying my morning coffee when the mail arrived. Among the usual bills sat a cream-colored envelope with our old address written in loopy, pretentious handwriting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Inside was a letter that made my jaw drop so hard I’m surprised it didn’t crack the kitchen tile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman holding an envelope | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Dear Previous Owners,<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I hope this finds you well, though I’m certainly not. We’ve moved in, and… wow. I smell your stinky dogs!!! This is not the energy I envisioned. Total vibe killer. And I have to express my complete disappointment. The carpet situation is absolutely unacceptable. The dog odor is overwhelming. I literally cannot complete my morning meditation practice without feeling nauseous. Do you understand how this disrupts my spiritual alignment?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We’ve had to rip out all the carpeting immediately. The energy in this space was completely toxic. I didn’t spend this much money to live in what feels like a kennel.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We expect $10,000 in compensation for the carpet replacement & our inconvenience. I’m sure you understand. We’re homeowners now and we have standards.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Namaste,<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mrs. Campbell<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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P.S. – My husband says the smell is affecting his hot yoga recovery time.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A shocked woman reading a letter | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I read it twice. Then three times. Then I called Jonathan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Honey, you need to see this.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jonathan walked in, took one look at my face, and said, “What happened? Did Muffin chew your favorite shoes again?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Worse!” I handed him the letter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I watched his expression change from confusion to disbelief to something that resembled a volcanic eruption being held in check by sheer willpower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS??” He gasped. “For dog smell that doesn’t exist? From Yoga Barbie and Yoga Ken?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Apparently, we’ve disrupted her spiritual alignment. And his hot yoga recovery time.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A stunned man looking at a sheet of paper | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“What kind of people are these? Do they think we’re running a customer service desk for their imaginary problems?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I called our realtor, Jennifer, immediately. She answered on the second ring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Jen, we have a problem. The Campbells are demanding $10K because they claim the house smells like dogs.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Oh, honey,” Jennifer gasped between giggles, “I was in that house every other day for two months. The only thing it smelled like was success and lemon Pledge. These people are trying to shake you down.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“So what do I do?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“You tell them where they can stick their ten thousand dollar demand, that’s what you do. You don’t owe them a penny.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman engaged on a phonecall while holding a laptop | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After I hung up, I marched back to Jonathan, ready to draft a strongly worded response. But he was sitting at his laptop with a look I’d only seen once before… when Muffin got sick and the emergency vet said they were closing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“What are you doing?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He looked up with the most beautiful, devious smile I’d ever seen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Remember how we never disconnected from the smart home app?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Jon, what are you thinking?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I’m thinking our resident Yoga Barbie is about to learn that buying a smart house comes with some very intelligent consequences. And maybe Yoga Ken will finally break a real sweat instead of just complaining about his recovery time.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A couple practicing breathing exercises during a quiet yoga session | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That night, Jonathan became a digital artist, and his canvas was the Campbell’s comfort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He started small, setting the thermostat three degrees warmer at 2 a.m. Nothing dramatic, just enough to make the Campbell’s peaceful sleep feel like camping in July while wrapped in a heated yoga mat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“You sure this is a good idea?” I asked, watching him adjust the settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Val, Yoga Barbie wants to steal $10K from us because our dogs’ imaginary smell disrupted her chakras. I’m just helping her and Yoga Ken discover some new spiritual challenges. Maybe they’ll finally achieve enlightenment through suffering.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A thermostat | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The next morning, we got our first call.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“This is Mrs. Campbell,” came the shrill voice through the phone. “Something’s wrong with your house’s thermostat. It was scorching hot all night. I woke up looking like I’d been in hot yoga for 12 hours straight! My husband’s man-bun was literally dripping sweat onto his organic bamboo pillow!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Oh my!” I said innocently. “That’s strange. Have you tried adjusting your chakras… I mean, the settings?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Of course I’ve tried checking the settings! I’m not some yoga newbie! This house is clearly defective, and it’s disrupting my morning flow!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A furious woman talking on the phone | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. After all, you’re homeowners now. Maybe try some cooling breath exercises?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I hung up and high-fived Jonathan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Night two: Jonathan dropped the temperature to arctic levels at 4 a.m., timing it perfectly for when most people hit their deepest sleep.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Day two brought another frantic call.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Your house tried to freeze us to death!” Mrs. Campbell shrieked. “We woke up shivering like we’d slept in a meat locker! My husband’s joints were so stiff he looked like a frozen yoga statue! He couldn’t even get into child’s pose!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man wrapped in blanket | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“How unusual!” I mused. “Maybe the house is just adjusting to new owners. Sometimes houses can be sensitive to energy changes, you know. Have you tried warming up with some vigorous sun salutations?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Energy changes? What are you talking about?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Oh, just something I read. Sometimes houses react to spiritual disruptions.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The silence on the other end was golden.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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By the third night, Jonathan had perfected his art. Heat wave at midnight, polar vortex at dawn, and tropical sauna during afternoon meditation time. He was conducting a symphony of discomfort, and Yoga Barbie and Yoga Ken were his unwilling orchestra.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man using his phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mrs. Campbell called every day, her voice progressively more frazzled and significantly less zen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“The thermostat is possessed!” she wailed during call number five while I enjoyed my morning coffee. “It changes on its own! We can’t sleep, I can’t meditate, my husband can’t do his hot yoga recovery routine because he’s already overheated from sleeping! My chakras are completely misaligned! I think I’m developing yoga PTSD!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Have you considered that maybe the house is trying to tell you something?” I suggested sweetly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Tell me what?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Maybe it misses Muffin and Biscuit.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The line went dead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A smiling woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Two weeks into our temperature terrorism, Jennifer called with an update.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I heard through the grapevine that the Campbells hired three different HVAC technicians. None of them can figure out what’s wrong.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Poor Yoga Barbie and Yoga Ken!” I said, not feeling bad for them at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“The best part? Mrs. Campbell told her yoga instructor that the house is cursed by dog spirits. Apparently, she’s been burning sage and doing cleansing rituals in every room. Her husband has started sleeping in the garage because he says the temperature changes are affecting his ‘masculine energy flow.'”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jonathan and I collapsed in laughter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman holding a candle | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Dog spirits?” he wheezed. “Muffin and Biscuit would love that. They always thought they were magical beings. And Yoga Ken sleeping in the garage because of his masculine energy? I can’t breathe!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Our reign of thermal terror ended abruptly when Jennifer called three weeks later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Well, it’s over! The Campbells figured out how to reset the system. They’re locked out of the original settings now.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Aww!” I said, genuinely disappointed. “Just when I was starting to enjoy our daily complaint calls.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man holding a remote | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“But here’s the kicker! Mrs. Campbell asked me if I knew any spiritual cleansers who specialize in pet hauntings. She also wanted to know if I had contacts for ‘masculine energy restoration specialists’ for her husband.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“She didn’t.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“She absolutely did! She’s convinced pet spirits are haunting her thermostat from beyond, and that they’re specifically targeting Yoga Ken’s manhood through temperature manipulation.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Oh God! Muffin and Biscuit should hear this!” I laughed. “They’re in our new backyard chasing squirrels!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman laughing while talking on the phone | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Six months later, I ran into Mrs. Campbell at the grocery store. She looked tired, frazzled, and was carrying what appeared to be sage bundles in her cart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Oh,” she said, spotting me. “It’s you.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Hello, Mrs. Campbell. How’s the house treating you?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She shuddered. “Fine. Mostly. Though sometimes I swear I can still feel… presence.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A terrified woman | Source: Freepik<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Well,” I said, patting her shoulder with mock sympathy, “maybe next time you’ll think twice before demanding $10K for imaginary dog smells.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Her face went pale. “What?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Nothing! If I were you, I’d be extra nice to any future four-legged spirits that might wander through. You never know when they might decide to haunt your heating bill.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I walked away, leaving her standing there with her mouth open and her sage bundles clutched to her chest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman walking away | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When I got home, Muffin and Biscuit greeted me at the door, tails wagging, completely unaware they’d become legendary ghost dogs. I gave them extra treats and told them all about their supernatural reputation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“You know what I learned?” I told Jonathan that night as we watched our dogs destroy a new squeaky toy. “Never mess with people who love their pets more than money. And definitely never mess with people who still have the smart house app on their phone.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Amen to that!” he said, raising his coffee mug in a toast. “Here’s to Muffin, Biscuit, and the sweetest revenge technology ever served!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man holding a white ceramic mug | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sometimes karma needs a little help. And that help comes in the form of a temperature control app and a husband with a wicked sense of justice. And sometimes, the good guys and their dogs win.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Now tell me, dear readers, have you ever dealt with entitled people who thought your hard-earned money came with a side of personal servitude? Share your stories. There’s nothing quite like a good revenge tale to warm the heart… or cool it down, depending on your preference!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman holding money | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every dog lover needs to read this. After selling our sparkling clean home, we thought we’d closed the chapter with grace… until a letter arrived from the new homeowners, accusing … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10845,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,22,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heathy","category-inspiration","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10844"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10846,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10844\/revisions\/10846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}