When a rude stranger stole my bus seat, I never expected karma to hit him threefold during our journey. As I watched his day unravel, I wondered if my final act of revenge would be a step too far—or the perfect lesson he needed to learn.

I was having a good day until I boarded the bus. After helping an elderly woman, I found my seat taken by a suit-wearing jerk who tossed my bag aside. “That’s my seat,” I said, trying to stay calm. “Don’t care,” he replied. Furious, I moved to another spot.

The bus lurched, and a baby near the jerk began wailing. I couldn’t help but smirk as he tensed. “Can’t you shut that kid up?” he snapped at the mom. “She’s doing her best,” I retorted. The baby’s cries intensified, punctuated by kicks to the jerk’s seat. Karma was in full swing.

Rain began leaking from the roof hatch onto his head, and he couldn’t close it. “Having trouble?” I asked sweetly. “Shut up! This is your fault!” he snapped. I suggested, “Maybe it’s just… karma?”

An idea struck me. I placed a wad of cash under a seat and pretended to find it. “Did anyone lose this?” I asked. The jerk claimed it, lunging for the money but tripping and falling. I revealed the cash was mine, teaching him a lesson about karma.

At our destination, the mom with the baby thanked me for standing up to him. As we walked away, I felt satisfied. Sometimes, karma rides the bus.