When my brother announced his engagement to Nancy, the girl who had tormented me throughout childhood,

I was shaken. Nancy’s cruel words had made school unbearable for me, and even though I had moved on in college,

the news brought it all rushing back. I agreed to attend their engagement party, hoping to prove

I was over it, but Nancy hadn’t changed—her backhanded compliments were just as sharp as before.

Then I remembered her fear of butterflies—something I’d witnessed in high school when she panicked

at the sight of one. That gave me an idea. I ordered 200 live butterflies to be delivered to Nancy’s

house after the wedding. When they were released, Nancy screamed in terror, and for the first time, I saw her helpless, just as I had once felt.

The next day, my brother called, furious, accusing me of traumatizing his wife. I reminded him of the years of

suffering I endured because of her, and told him I had filmed the incident. After that, I never heard from Nancy again. For the first time in years, I felt free.