The security footage flickered on the conference room screen during our Monday morning stand-up. It was a grainy, high-contrast video of the apartment building’s third-floor hallway. In the frame, a woman with thinning silver hair and a slightly bent spine was hovering over a row of black trash bags lining the wall. It was my grandmother, Helen. I reached for the remote to turn it off, my chest tightening with a sudden, sharp anxiety. But before my fingers could touch the plastic, Jessica, our newest intern, slammed a thick sheet of paper onto the center of the mahogany table. “Matthew,” Jessica said, addressing the company’s CEO, her voice ringing with performative outrage. “I’m formally submitting a petition on behalf of the entire staff. Nina has been housing her relatives in the employee apartments, violating collective housing policies and severely disrupting everyone’s daily life.” I looked down at the paper. There were forty-nine signatures in blue and black ink—a united front from my entire department, leaving mine as the only empty space. I swept my gaze over the faces around the room, keeping my voice as calm as I could manage. “Is this really how you all feel?” Several coworkers immediately looked down at their laps, refusing to meet my eyes. “Nina,” Lisa, a junior designer, muttered, shifting in her chair. “The company apartments aren’t your personal estate. Bringing guests in without prior approval isn’t fair to the rest of us.” “Exactly,” another voice chimed in from the back. “You’re treating the place like a free boutique hotel for your family vacations.” I didn’t answer them. Instead, I turned to look at Matthew. My boyfriend. The man who sat at the head of this table because of the late nights and endless sacrifices we had shared. “Do you agree with this, Matthew?” Matthew didn’t look at me. He adjusted his collar, his expression hardening into a mask of professional detachment. “Nina, the apartments are a benefit meant to ease the financial burden on our employees. It’s not your family’s personal guest house.” A cold, hollow feeling settled in my chest. I forced a small smile. “So, what is the plan?” Jessica raised her chin, her eyes flashing with triumph. “You have three days to vacate the apartment. Furthermore, you need to reimburse the company for the unauthorized time your family occupied the space, calculated at market-rate hotel prices.” Nods of agreement rippled through the room. They had all seemingly forgotten that the entire apartment building belonged to me. I had only leased it to the company for free because I had sat in this very room, listening to them complain about how they couldn’t afford Boston’s soaring rents. … “Nina, because your guests have severely disrupted the lives of your colleagues, you need to pack up and vacate the apartment within three days. As for the financial restitution for unauthorized occupancy, HR will send you the bill once the calculation is complete.” Matthew’s voice was clinical, devoid of the warmth we had shared just last night. I picked up the petition from the polished conference table, looking at the names. “How exactly did my family disrupt your lives?” Lisa sneered. “Last month you had some older man staying there. He walked down the hall half-undressed, looking into the girls’ rooms. Who knows what he was planning?” She was talking about my Uncle Paul, who lives in rural Maine. He wore a tank top on his first hot summer day in the city, but after I gently reminded him of the building rules, he was always fully dressed. The apartments are individual one-bedroom units; nobody lingers in the hallways unless they’re coming or going. And if I recalled correctly, Uncle Paul spent his week off carrying heavy packages for Lisa, fixing her leaky bathroom pipe, and replacing a blown fuse. Now, he was a predator in her narrative. Tyler, a sales rep, chimed in with a mocking laugh. “And your grandmother. Sneaking around the doors, rifling through trash bags. Did she bring those backwoods shoplifting habits with her?” The paper crumpled in my grip. I stared at Tyler. Last month, he had collapsed from acute gastroenteritis in the hallway. It was my grandmother who found him, called the ambulance, and brought him home-cooked broth every day of his recovery. She walked the halls because she was worried about him, terrified another young person would collapse with no one there to help. The complaints kept rolling in, each one more distorted than the last. They complained about my cousin’s golden retriever being “vicious,” forgetting that the dog had barked at a suspicious trespasser who was cornering a female coworker late at night. They complained about my Aunt Beatrice being “loud and argumentative,” forgetting that she was the one who marched down to the local farmers’ market to demand a refund for them when they were scammed and brought to tears. They had forgotten everything. Jessica grinned, crossing her arms. “Well, Nina? Your relatives have caused nothing but trouble. What do you have to say for yourself?” I looked at them calmly. “Are you all absolutely certain my family made your lives miserable?” No one looked me in the eye. “It’s the truth, Nina,” someone muttered. “But you’re the boss’s girlfriend, so we didn’t want to ruffle feathers.” I nodded slowly. “Understood. My mistake.” My mistake was being soft-hearted enough to let them live in my building for free. Matthew smiled, satisfied with my silence. “Good. Since you accept the terms, Nina, pack your things. Hand over the keys and the building access cards to Jessica. Once you pay the reimbursement fee, we’ll put this behind us. I won’t hold it against you professionally.” I let out a soft laugh. “Matthew, do you actually remember where those ‘company apartments’ came from?” Matthew’s eyes flickered. He shifted in his leather chair, irritation crossing his face. “The company leased them to make life easier for our staff. Nina, embezzling company resources is a fireable offense. I’m letting you stay because of our relationship and your seniority. Stop making a scene and cooperate.” His anger was defensive. He knew exactly who owned the building, but he didn’t want to admit it in front of the staff. He was using Jessica to seize my property and turn it into a permanent company asset. Jessica tossed her hair, beaming like a victorious pageant queen. “Nina, as the boss’s girlfriend, you should be setting an example. Fighting this just puts Matthew in a terrible position.” Matthew looked at Jessica, patting her shoulder. “If only everyone were as understanding as you, Jess.” Jessica placed her hand over his, giving me a sharp, triumphant look. “If I had a boyfriend as wonderful as you, Matthew, I’d never dream of making his life difficult.” The room was thick with their mutual heat, the coworkers watching us like spectators at a soap opera. I stood up, pulling my bag over my shoulder. “Are we done? Or should we leave you two to get a room?” Jessica’s face flushed red. Matthew’s expression turned incredibly sour. “Nina, watch your mouth. Jessica and I are strictly professional.” “No need to explain,” I said, walking toward the door. “We aren’t blind.” Matthew’s jaw tightens. “Nina, you’re just acting out because I asked you to move. Fine, let’s compromise. You can stay, but you’ll pay three thousand a month in rent, and no more guests.” I felt a hysterical laugh bubble up in my throat. Pay three thousand dollars a month to live in my own building? “Sure,” I said, leaning over the table. “Show me the deed to the building, Matthew. The second you produce the deed, I’ll write you the check.” I didn’t wait for his answer. I turned around and walked out. That evening, I got home and found the apartment empty. I was about to call my grandmother when a shrill scream echoed from the hallway. I rushed out. Jessica was gripping my grandmother’s arm, pulling her roughly. “Please, just give me my gold locket back!” Jessica was crying, her voice carrying through the corridor. “I’ll pay you for it. It was my mother’s heirloom!” The noise drew a crowd of coworkers from their units. “I came back to my apartment and found my mother’s gold locket gone,” Jessica sobbed to the onlookers. “I checked the hallway camera. This old lady was the only one who entered my place this afternoon.” Grandma Helen’s voice trembles as she tried to pull away. “Her door was wide open, and I smelled gas. I saw her stove burner was left on, so I went in to turn it off. I didn’t touch anything else, I swear.” Tyler stepped forward, shoving my grandmother back. “Don’t lie, you old thief! You’ve been lurking around our doors for weeks, just waiting for a chance to rob us.” “That locket is a dead woman’s memory. Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?” Lisa added. “Give it back, or we’re calling the cops!” Grandma Helen was crying, her fragile hands shaking. “I didn’t take it. I was only trying to turn off the gas.” Jessica wasn’t careless enough to leave her apartment unlocked with a burner running. This was a setup. I stepped in, placing myself firmly in front of my grandmother. “What proof do you have?” “She was caught on camera going into Jessica’s room!” Tyler sneered. “Who else could it be? This is what happens when you let low-class people stay here. Everyone needs to check their valuables.” My grandmother clutched my hand. “Nina, I didn’t steal anything.” I squeezed her hand back. “Jessica, where did you leave the locket?” “In my vanity drawer. No one else has been in my room.” I pulled out my phone. “Perfect. I’ll call the police. My grandmother says she only touched the stove. We’ll have the forensic team dust the vanity drawer for fingerprints. That will clear up exactly whose hands were on your mother’s locket.” Jessica’s face went pale. She lunged and grabbed my phone. “Forget it, Nina. There’s no need to involve the police over something this small.” “My grandmother is being called a thief for saving your apartment from a fire,” I said, my voice cold as ice. “If we’re going to investigate, let’s do it right.” Matthew walked into the corridor. “Nina, can you stop causing trouble for one day? You bring guests in violation of company rules, and now you want to call the police over a misunderstanding? You’re embarrassing me.” My hands curled into fists. When Jessica was screaming at my grandmother, he was nowhere to be found. But the moment I mentioned the police, he accused me of ruining his reputation. I looked at Jessica. “Did you actually see my grandmother take it?” Jessica looked around, her confidence crumbling under my stare. “Maybe… maybe I misplaced it. I’ve been so stressed lately. Let’s just drop it.” “If you accused my grandmother falsely, you need to apologize to her. Right now.” Matthew stepped between us. “Nina, don’t push it. It’s a minor misunderstanding. Why do you always have to ruin the mood?” “An innocent elderly woman was publicly humiliated. If she doesn’t get an apology, I’m calling the authorities.” Jessica shot me a venomous look, then turned to my grandmother. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Please don’t take it to heart.” Matthew frowned. “Nina, if you hadn’t brought her here illegally, none of this would have happened.” Grandma Helen pulled my sleeve. “Nina, let’s go inside. The stew I made for you is almost cold.” I swallowed my rage, nodding, and lead her back to our apartment. The next morning, I walked into the office. Jessica stopped me in the lobby, throwing a printed spreadsheet at my chest. “Nina, here is the itemized bill for your family’s illegal occupancy over the years. At a standard rate of a thousand dollars a night, you owe the company a hundred thousand dollars.” I looked at the paper and laughed. A thousand dollars a night? They were charging five-star hotel rates for a mid-tier apartment building. I tossed the paper into the nearest trash can. “I’ll pay you when you prove this building belongs to the company. Show me the deed or the lease agreement. The moment I see proof of company ownership, I’ll write the check.” I push past her and walk into my office. Half an hour later, my office door was kicked open. Matthew stormed in, kicking my desk. The wood groaned, and the desk collapsed onto its side, sending my monitor, files, and personal items crashing to the floor. “Nina, have you no shame?” Matthew yelled. “You’ve been freeloading off this company for years. Jessica asks for the housing fees, and you play mind games? You just don’t want to pay!” I looked at the broken glass on the floor, then up at him. “Matthew, does this building belong to the company? Why should I pay them?” Matthew’s eyes darted away, but he quickly recovered his bluster. “The employees have lived here for years. Of course it’s company property! Stop trying to dodge the bill. Pay Jessica, and apologize to her.” “And if I don’t?” “Then pack your things and get out of my company!” I looked at him for a quiet moment. Then, I opened my drawer, pulled out the resignation letter I had prepared last night, and slide it across the tilted surface of the broken desk. Jessica stepped into the doorway, a smirk playing on her lips. “Nina, are you really resigning? Jobs are hard to find these days, and finding a boss who offers premium housing benefits is rare. You’ll easily spend three grand a month on rent out there.” Matthew looked at me, confident I’d break. “Nina, if you admit you were wrong and pay the hundred thousand, I’ll give you one more chance.” I pointed at the paper. “Just sign it, Matthew.” I grab my purse and walk out. Behind me, Matthew’s voice shook the walls. “Nina! Don’t you dare come crawling back to me when you’re desperate!” I decided to take a week off to rest. One afternoon, while I was at the grocery store, my phone rang. It was my grandmother, her voice breathless and trembling with tears. “Nina, please come back… your coworkers… they’re throwing our things out…” I dropped my basket and sprinted to my car. When I burst into our apartment, the scene was devastating. Our clothes were strewn across the floor, our books torn, our dishes smashed. My grandmother was on the floor, clutching her chest. She had tried to stop Tyler from smashing our family portrait, and he had shoved her. Her head was bleeding where it hit the corner of the wooden coffee table. Tyler stood over her, sneering. “Get up, old lady. Stop trying to fake an injury to sue us.” My vision goes red. I rush forward. “What the hell are you doing?!” Jessica stood near the doorway, looking down her nose at me. “Nina, you don’t work for the company anymore, which means you have no right to occupy company housing. Since you wouldn’t leave voluntarily, we decided to help you pack.” The other coworkers chimed in. “Seriously, I’ve never seen someone so shameless. Fired, but still squatting in company property.” My grandmother was pale, blood pooling on the hardwood floor. I pulled out my phone with shaking fingers, dialing 911 for an ambulance and the police. Within ten minutes, the paramedics wheel my grandmother out on a stretcher. Two police officers arrived, assessing the wreckage. Jessica spoke up immediately, her voice smooth and reasonable. “Officers, this is a civil matter. Nina was occupying company-owned housing after being terminated. We were simply assisting with her relocation, but she and her grandmother resisted and staged an injury to cause trouble.” I walked over to the hallway closet, open the safe, and pull out the deed to the building. I slammed it onto the kitchen counter. “I own this entire building,” I say, my voice steady but sharp as a razor. “Why would I move out of my own home? You’re the ones who are trespassing.”
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