Throwaway

tldr: I have a rare plant garden that's also a profitable side business. Neighbor’s kid climbed my locked fence to “play with a cat” and ended up destroying thousands of dollars’ worth of exotic plants. I’m suing the mom for damages, but she says I’m overreacting because “he’s just a kid.”

Ok so

I (29F) have what some people might call an obsession, but I prefer “passion project.” Over the last six years, I’ve cultivated a garden of rare and exotic flowers in my backyard. We’re not talking tulips and daisies—I mean orchids that bloom once every three years, cuttings I’ve flown across the country to pick up in person, and carnivorous plants that need daily misting and controlled humidity. The garden also doubles as a small but lucrative side business—enough to match my husband’s (32M) full-time income in the last few months.

Our backyard is fenced, locked, and posted with multiple “PRIVATE PROPERTY” and “NO TRESPASSING” signs.

Enter my neighbor “Lisa” (fake names), and her son “Noah” (6M). We’ve had minor issues with Noah before, he's trampled flowers in my front garden before (near the house, not the pavement) but Lisa just laughs it off. I kindly explained to her that while I understood kids don’t always know better, these plants can take years to grow. She gave me a half-hearted apology and promised to “keep a better eye on him.”

Last weekend, my husband and I went out for a few hours to celebrate our anniversary. We came home to what looked like a miniature tornado had hit the corner of my backyard garden. Several of my rare orchids had been snapped at the stem. Two pots were shattered. I stood there and cried. Not just because of the damage, but because it felt violating. Like someone had trampled a piece of my soul.

Our house camera security footage showed Noah climbing the locked gate with a backpack on, chasing what looked like our neighbor’s cat. He stomped through the beds like it was a jungle gym. At some point the cat disappeared but he stayed and caused more damage before wandering out again.

When I confronted Lisa, she was weirdly casual about it. Her actual words were, “He said he was just playing with the cat.” I lost it. I told her this wasn’t a playground, and she was going to be hearing from my lawyer.

Now I’m suing for damages—$8,900, which includes the loss of current plant inventory, repair costs to the irrigation system (he stepped on one of the buried hoses), and loss of business income for the next month while I try to salvage what I can.

Lisa is furious. She’s gone full drama-mode to our neighborhood group chats, calling me “vindictive” and “money-hungry.” She claims that “boys will be boys” and I should’ve had a better lock, or maybe “not put such expensive things outside if they’re so fragile.” A few neighbors are siding with her, saying suing over “some flowers” is extreme.

But I don’t see it that way. This isn’t just some hobby. It’s part of my livelihood. It’s years of hard work, patience, and honestly—love.

Some friends are telling me I should’ve just accepted her apology and moved on since “he’s just a kid,” this was made the whole situation more hurtful than it already was.

So, AITAH?