Excitement for the weekend trip quickly turned to frustration when Sarah’s friends didn’t pay their part of the $2,000 cabin rental. But what they didn’t know was that Sarah had a plan to make sure they didn’t get away with it.
Each year, my friends and I plan a girls’ weekend trip. We take turns organizing, and this year was my turn! I was thrilled to find the perfect place: a cute cabin right by a beautiful, sparkling lake.
Everyone was excited and loved the photos I sent. We couldn’t wait!
The place looked like it came straight out of a magazine. It had a cozy cabin with a fireplace, beautiful views of the lake, and even a hot tub.
The total cost was $2,000 for the three-night stay, which came out to just $250 each for our group of eight.
“I went ahead and booked the cabin, so I paid the full amount,” I told my friends. “To keep it simple, I’d appreciate it if you could all pay me back before the trip. Does that work for everyone?”
“Sounds perfect, Sarah!” Mary was the first to speak up. “Thanks for handling that.”
“Absolutely, no problem at all,” Ella added.
“Great, that works for me too!” said Brittany.
One by one, everyone around the table agreed.
“Yep, sounds good.”
“No worries, I can do that.”
Everyone promised to pay their share before the trip started. It seemed like everything was set and would go smoothly.
Easy, right?
Wrong.
As the trip got closer, the “easy peasy” quickly became oh-so-frustrating.
First, it was Mary. “Hey Sarah,” she said cheerfully, “my car needs new brakes, so I might be a little late on my payment. I’ll get it to you next week.”
A week later, Brittany spoke up. “Ugh, student loans are killing me this month. Can I hold off until next payday?”
“I just need to wait until my next paycheck,” Melissa added.
Weeks went by, and every time I reminded them to pay me back, they came up with more excuses.
Each excuse was different, and none of them overlapped. It started to feel like they were all in on this together.
Then came the silence. Nothing. No texts, no calls, not a word from Ella, Dana, or even dependable Lisa.
By the week before the trip, I was out $2,000 and felt completely taken advantage of.
The same people I called my “friends” had quietly refused to pay me back. The people I trusted the most seemed to have teamed up against me.
Why were they doing this?
Had I done something wrong? Or were they just testing how I’d handle such a tough situation? I didn’t know for sure, but it was making me really angry.
I knew I had to take action, something bold to show them I wasn’t going to be a pushover.
So, I decided it was time to teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget. I’m not usually one for confrontation, but this situation was beyond ridiculous.
The night before the trip, I took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and started the first step of my plan.
I sent a group text, full of fake excitement: “Can’t wait to see you all at the cabin tomorrow! It’s going to be the perfect weekend getaway!”
Little did they know, I had a sneaky plan in mind.
The next morning, I woke up extra early and jumped out of bed. I quickly got dressed and rushed out the door, ready to turn the cabin into our own special retreat.
At the grocery store, I pushed my cart down the aisles, gathering everything I needed.
A giddy smile spread across my face as I filled the cart with fresh fruit, cheese, and enough snacks to feed an army. I even picked out the best wine and juices. I wanted to make sure my friends would be well-fed and comfortable.
After paying for all the snacks and drinks, I got back in my car and drove to the cabin. It was even more stunning in person, with sunlight sparkling on the lake like a million diamonds.
I stocked the fridge with everything I had bought, preparing for the weekend.
I even set up a bonfire for that night, complete with cozy blankets and marshmallows.
The place looked perfect. I knew my friends would have the time of their lives here.
But here’s the catch: I took the keys and the garage door opener with me when I left for an “errand.”
Before locking up, I texted my friends, saying I had an urgent task and would be back by the time they arrived. They trusted me, just like I trusted them to pay me back.
But they broke my trust, and now, so did I.
If they wanted to enjoy the weekend at the cabin, they had to follow my rules. They needed to earn their getaway.
I wasn’t going to let them have a good time after they ignored my texts and calls.
By lunchtime, my phone started blowing up with frantic messages and calls from my friends.
“Hey, Sarah, we’re at the cabin, but the doors are locked!” Ella said.
“Did you forget something?” Mary asked.
I stayed calm and replied with a simple, “Oh no! So sorry, guys. I must have left the keys at home. But hey, the good news is I’m on my way back now!”
Was I really on my way back? No!
I was sitting at a nearby cafe, sipping my favorite iced latte. I enjoyed reading their messages as they arrived at the cabin one after another.
After I sent that last message, the number of their texts started to drop. They felt relieved that I was on my way back, but the truth was very different.
As their brief relief faded, they started calling and texting me again. This time, their messages were much more desperate. Some of my friends were angry, while others were trying hard not to lose their cool.
“How can you be so forgetful, Sarah?” Lisa asked.
“I can’t believe you’re making us wait like this!” Dana said. “I thought this was supposed to be a fun trip.”
Finally, I decided it was time to drop the bomb.
I sent a calm message: “Look, I’ll be happy to come back and let you all in, but only once everyone has sent over their share of the rental cost.”
Silence followed.
Then, a flurry of activity.
It seemed that the idea of a fun weekend getaway suddenly mattered more than car troubles, student loans, and all the other excuses they had come up with.
My phone buzzed with Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle notifications as the payments started coming in.
Within an hour, every penny was accounted for.
“You guys could have done this earlier!” I thought to myself as I grabbed the keys and headed back to the cabin.
Their faces lit up when they saw my car. Some walked toward me, while others went to the door.
“Sarah! Finally!” Mary exclaimed, relief clear in her voice.
I stepped out of the car, keys in hand. “Oh, so now I’m ‘finally’ here? How convenient,” I said, my voice full of sarcasm.
The group fell silent, and guilt spread across their faces.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Brittany began. “But you have to understand, I really—”
I cut her off. “No, Brittany. You all made excuses. I trusted you, and you took advantage of that.”
Lisa stepped forward, trying to mediate. “Sarah, we messed up. But can’t we just move on and enjoy the weekend?”
“Enjoy the weekend?” I scoffed. “After you all made me feel like a fool? After I had to practically blackmail you to get my money back?”
“We didn’t mean to hurt you,” Ella said softly. “We just didn’t realize—”
“Didn’t realize what? That $2,000 is a lot of money? That friendships are built on trust and respect?”
A tense silence fell over the group. For a moment, I worried that confronting them was a bad idea. I thought they might say they didn’t want to be there anymore.
I stood my ground despite the fear, letting the weight of my words sink in.
Finally, Mary broke the silence and wrapped me in a big hug.
“Sarah, I’m so sorry about the car thing. You were totally right to be mad.”
Brittany added, “Yeah, me too. I’m sorry. We’re all sorry.”
They all finally understood what they had done.
I took a deep breath and looked at each of them. “I’m glad you see it now. But remember, respect is a two-way street.”
We might not be planning any luxury cabin trips anytime soon, but at least we’ll do it with a new sense of understanding and responsibility.
This whole experience definitely made for a memorable story, even if it wasn’t the relaxing weekend I had planned.
But hey, sometimes the best lessons come wrapped in a little frustration and a lot of determination.
Сlаudiа Саrdinаlе: Неrе’s whаt thе Itаliаn film iсоn lооks likе аt 85
Claudia Cardinale is Italy’s counterpart to France’s Brigitte Bardot. She quickly rose to stardom to almost just as quickly disappear from the scene later on. Now, Claudia Cardinale celebrates her 85th birthday.
The Italian star was originally discovered at a beauty contest held in 1957 by the Unitalia film company. The “most beautiful Italian woman of Tunis” subsequently won a trip to the Venice Film Festival that was to become a decisive turning point in her life. The sultry young woman was born on April 15, 1938, in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Her mother was French, and her father Italian.
In 1958, Cardinale, known as CC, played her first role in “Goha” opposite Omar Sharif before being trained as an actress at the Italian Film Academy in Rome. Her talents as an actress renowned for her dauntless rambunctiousness gained her fame, and her gaze into the camera became legendary.
Famous director Luchino Visconti gave her minor roles in “Rocco and his Brothers” (1960), as well as in the historical drama “The Leopard” (1962) with Alain Delon. As she later recounted in a biographical interview, she rebuffed all of her famous film partners, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marcello Mastroianni, Alain Delon and Burt Lancaster.
A beauty queen turned into a film diva
Cardinale is Italy’s counterpart of Brigitte Bardot. But in contrast to Bardot, Cardinale never appeared nude in a film: “I always thought it was more erotic to leave some room to imagination, hinting at things rather than showing everything,” she told the German magazine Stern in 2014.
CC achieved her breakthrough with her performance in the highly popular Italo western “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1969). The classical western directed by Sergio Leone and starring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson was shot in Rome’s Cinecittà studios and in Spain with some scenes set in Utah’s Monument Valley. The film that flopped in the US only acquired cult status in Europe.
CC’s career already saw a downswing in the 1970s. She then turned to television films, especially entertainment films where she showed some talent as a comedian. She got her last main role in a movie in 1971 when she starred opposite her main rival, Brigitte Bardot, in the Italo western comedy “Frenchie King.”
Spending time in a jungle with Werner Herzog
Ten years later, CC starred in German director Werner Herzog’s historical film “Fitzcarraldo” (1981). Although Claudia Cardinale had a difficult time enduring the bouts of anger of her eccentric film partner Klaus Kinski, she greatly enjoyed shooting and working with director Werner Herzog: “Being in the middle of the jungle with insects all around me and nothing to eat was one of my most wonderful adventures,” she later stated.
Claudia Cardinale and other heroines of European film
Claudia Cardinale is seen as Italy’s counterpart to France’s Brigitte Bardot. The actress who became a star in the 1950s and 60s now celebrates her 85th birthday.
Claudia Cardinale
She’s the youngest of Italy’s three major female stars. Claudia Cardinale worked with outstanding directors like Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini. She fascinated audiences with her charming smile and acting skills in westerns, among them “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “The Professionals” (pictured).
Gina Lollobrigida
One of the most highly acclaimed European stars of the 1950s and 60s was Gina Lollobrigida who was born in the East of Rome in 1927. “Lollo” even made it to Hollywood where she was equally showered with praise. In the 1970s, however, she withdrew from showbiz.
Sophia Loren
Another Italian actress, Sophia Loren, who was a few years younger than Lollo, became her fiercest rival. The mutual hatred and jealousy of the two stars was a frequent topic in tabloids. In contrast to Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren continued to perform in movies even as an older woman.
Brigitte Bardot
During the same time, another sexpot rose to stardom in France with movies like “And God Created Woman” and “Love is my Profession.” Brigitte Bardot, the superstar of the Grande Nation, withdrew from film production in the 1970s to devote herself to animal rights causes.
Catherine Deneuve
A decade later, Bardot’s compatriot Catherine Deneuve broke onto the film scene. Deneuve differed much from both Loren and Lollo by playing roles as aloof and myterious women early in her career. Deneueve’s talent as an actress guaranteed her success throughout her life.
Romy Schneider
The two decades between 1960 and 1980 were also the golden era of German-French actress Romy Schneider. Born in Vienna, she made her breakthrough in the German-speaking world as “Sissi” before moving to France. In Paris, she became one of the most charismatic and impressive actresses of European film scene. But in her private life, she was anything but lucky. She died in 1982.
Penélope Cruz
One of the most famous Europen actresses in recent decades is Spanish actress Penélope Cruz. Cruz started her career in her home country before achieving fame in other European countries and, finally, Hollywood. Her performances received a lot of acclaim, especially in films by director Pedro Almodóvar, among them “Volver” (pictured).
Irene Papas
After 1945, actresses from smaller European nations were able to conquer the hearts of audiences across Europe. One of them was Irene Papas who is also renowned as a singer in her home country, Greece. She celebrated her biggest success in “Zorba the Greek” (1964) before also working in other European countries, and in Hollywood.
Tatjana Samoilova
While films from Italy, France, Germany and England dominated the film scene during the postwar era, it should not be forgotten that eastern Europe had much to offer too. One of the biggest female stars of Russian film was certainly Tatjana Samoilova who achieved world fame with the movie “The Cranes are Flying” (1957).
Krystyna Janda
Polish actress Krystyna Janda became known in the 1970s for her performances in films by Polish director Andrzej Wajda. She then performed in international co-productions with stars like Lino Ventura. In her home country, Krystyna Janda is also known as a singer and an an author.
In 1993, CC received a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival to be followed in 2002 by an “honorary bear” at the Berlinale. The spirited actress performed in more than 100 films.
In 2017, CC once again drew attention at an international film festival. A photo depicting her as a young actress embellished a placard in Cannes where she had often been invited as an honorary guest. On April 15, Claudia Cardinale will turn 80. Happy birthday!
This article was originally published April 15, 2018 and updated.
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