Fresh out of college, I decided to move in with three of my roommates. The apartment was mine, right in the heart of the city and a short walk from my office-a world away from the dump they’d been sharing out in the suburbs. For three months, everything was perfect. Harmonious, even. Then one day, I came home early from work and found them-Madison, Brittany, and Jessica-huddled in the living room, voices low. “I looked it up,” Madison was saying, her tone hushed but eager. “A place this size in this neighborhood goes for at least ten thousand a month. We’re only paying four, right? What if we sublet the master bedroom? We could pocket an extra four thousand.” “Let’s do it,” Brittany cut in, her voice sharp. “Why should Chloe get that whole room to herself?” “I’ve always hated her superior act,” Jessica added with a sneer. “Just thinking about her ending up on the street is already satisfying.” Listening to their plan, a slow smile touched my lips. They wanted to see me homeless? Funny, since I was the landlord.
The voices from inside carried on. “Anyway, the lease is up in three days. We just won’t renew hers.” “Serves her right! Who does she think she is, ordering us around like that?” “And that story about it being her ‘relative’s’ place? That’s why it’s so cheap and we should ‘take good care of it’? Please.” “I actually reached the real landlord. He agreed to rent to us next quarter-same price.” Just like that, in a few sentences, they decided my fate. But they’d forgotten one thing. After graduation, they couldn’t afford anywhere near work. They were stuck in a cramped apartment way out in the suburbs, waking up at four every morning for a three-hour commute by bus and train. It was out of pity that I lied. I told them my “relative” owned a place we could get cheap, and invited them to live with me. This apartment was actually a graduation gift from my parents. It was right next to my office, a five-minute walk away. Prime real estate, four bedrooms, two bathrooms-it was never hard to rent out. My parents had always taught me to be discreet about money, so I never revealed I was the landlord. I just symbolically collected a thousand dollars in rent from each of them, covering all utilities and maintenance fees myself. Now, my kindness had been completely twisted. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door. The laughter inside abruptly ceased, and the air instantly froze. Madison was the first to react, forcing a smile onto her face. “Chloe, you’re home early today. Have you eaten? We made noodles, you should have some.” She pulled me to sit at the dining table. She cleared her throat and began, “Chloe, the landlord called to ask if we’re renewing the lease.” I kept my head down, eating my noodles, not saying a word. She secretly watched my expression, then continued, “We’re not planning to renew.” My hand paused, and I looked up, feigning a bewildered look. “We found a cheaper place,” she said, her eyes darting nervously. “You asked us to move in with you because the rent for the whole place was too much for you alone, right? Now that we’re not renting, you’ll move out too, won’t you?” My voice was flat. “No worries. If you guys aren’t renting, I can take the whole place myself. I just finished a big project at work and I’m getting a nice bonus.” Madison’s face visibly changed. “But it’s such a big place, isn’t it a waste for just one person? Listen to me, you should get a smaller studio. You could save a lot of money.” If I hadn’t overheard their scheming with my own ears, I might have actually believed she was looking out for me. “I’m used to living here. Too lazy to move.” “Chloe!” Brittany, who had been quiet until now, finally snapped. She slammed her fork down on the table. “We wanted to spare you some dignity, but you’re being incredibly dense!” “Fine, I’ll spell it out for you. We don’t want to live with you anymore. We hope you’ll move out willingly, don’t make us have to get ugly!” I stared at her coldly. “I found this place. I signed the contract. Why should I be the one to move out just because you say you’re not renting anymore?” Jessica, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. “Chloe, it’s been awkward living with you. If we keep going like this…I don’t think we can even stay friends.” Jessica was my best friend. Her family was a mess. Her mother left after she was born. Her dad gambled and drank, and took his anger out on her when he was drunk. She fought her way into college anyway, only for her father to try and sell her off. One night, I helped her run away. I helped her apply for student loans, and throughout college, I shared every bit of my living expenses with her. We scraped by, and I supported her until she graduated. After graduation, I couldn’t bear seeing her frail frame squeezed onto buses and subways every day. That’s why I suggested we rent together. And to spare her pride, I even brought the other two in. Jessica bit her lip, looking at me with timid eyes. “You’ve always put me first, Chloe. Please just agree to move out today. We can still be good friends.” I looked at her blankly, then suddenly laughed. “Fine, I’ll move.” Their eyes lit up at my words. They kept telling me that even if I moved out, we’d still be good friends. I didn’t want to hear another word from them, so I turned and went back to my room. Closing the door, I pulled out my phone and called my dad’s contact. “Raise the rent to twelve thousand.”
It wasn’t long before there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find the three of them standing outside, glaring furiously at me. Brittany shoved me hard. “You contacted the landlord to raise the rent, didn’t you?!” My back hit the corner of a table, making me wince in pain. Jessica’s eyes were red. “How about this, Chloe? If you talk to your relative and tell him to rent to us for four thousand again, and you move out of the master bedroom, we’re still willing to live with you.” I crossed my arms, looking at her with cold eyes. “Where would I sleep?” “You can just sleep on the couch, can’t you?” Madison replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m paying rent, and I have to sleep on the couch?” “Get real, you’re the one clinging to us, desperate to stay. Letting you sleep on the couch is already pretty generous.” Jessica took my arm. “We’re good friends, how could I not think of you? I’ve already found you a new place. It’s fully furnished, you can just move right in. Most importantly, it’s only ten feet from your office. Perfect for a workaholic like you.” “Where is it?” She covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. “In the security guard’s doghouse, of course!” “Right outside the company’s security office! How’s that for close? And in winter, the guard dog can even keep you warm for free!” Brittany chimed in mockingly, “Oh, wow, and you call yourself her best friend, telling her to live in a doghouse? How mean! But…” Her gaze landed on me, a nasty smirk on her face. “Chloe, remember to pay Jessica a finder’s fee! Fully furnished places like that are hard to come by!” Jessica waved her hand. “We’re friends, no need for a finder’s fee.” I watched their performance coldly, not saying a word. Jessica looked at me, her face serious. “Chloe, living with you has been utterly exhausting, mentally and physically. You’re such a control freak. You wouldn’t let us put anything on the walls, wouldn’t let us decorate our rooms. You even nagged us about a single strand of hair on the floor. We just couldn’t stand it anymore.” “You’ve driven me to depression. For next quarter’s rent, why don’t you pay for us? Consider it compensation for our emotional distress.” I almost laughed out loud. I didn’t let them stick things on the walls because the emulsion paint was custom-mixed. Once damaged, it was almost impossible to restore it perfectly. I didn’t let them decorate their rooms because they wanted to knock down a load-bearing wall to expand their space. I nagged them about hair because they never cleaned the drain after washing their hair. It clogged the plumbing, flooded the downstairs neighbor’s apartment, and I had to quietly pay a huge sum to settle it. In the six months they’d lived here, the money I’d shelled out far exceeded their paltry rent payments. Now, they wanted me to pay them for emotional damages? What a joke! “Either you move out, or I move out, and you pay the twelve thousand rent yourselves.” With that, I closed the door. Outside, their furious shouts erupted. “Chloe, you’re really asking for it, aren’t you?!” “Don’t you dare push us!”
The next day, I got off work at 11 PM. When I reached my front door, I froze. My luggage was piled in the hallway like trash. I tried the door code several times, but it wouldn’t open. They had clearly changed the password. A surge of anger shot to my head. I dialed my dad. “Dad, can you send a driver over? I need something delivered…” Hanging up, I started banging hard on the door. Bang, bang, bang. My knocking echoed piercingly in the dead of night. The noise drew complaints from neighbors, who came out to demand why I was disturbing the peace. Someone even called security. More and more people gathered. There was movement inside the door. Click. The door opened. Brittany, wearing pajamas and a face mask, frowned. “What’s with all the racket in the middle of the night, Chloe? You’re ruining my beauty sleep!” I forced myself to suppress my rage, pointing at my luggage on the floor. “How dare you throw my things out?” Hearing the commotion, Jessica walked up, looking at me timidly. “Chloe, we really had no choice. Please, just do us a favor and leave us alone…” She shot a glance at Madison, who caught it instantly. Madison raised her voice, calling out to the neighbors and the security guard. “Everyone, you be the judge! We’re her roommates, and she brings different men home every night. The noise from her room is so loud we can’t even sleep!” Then she turned to me, putting on a pleading tone. “We know you have…a special job, and you have to work at night. We don’t judge what you do, but we have to get up for work in the morning! Please, just find another place to live.” The moment she finished, the neighbors’ eyes shifted toward me-full of disgust, as if I were something filthy. Jessica offered the crowd an apologetic bow. “I’m so sorry, everyone. Her lease is up, and we’ve made it clear we won’t renew. Even the landlord won’t rent to her anymore. But she just won’t leave, so we had no choice…We’re really sorry for keeping you all up so late.” The neighbors began to whisper. “She looks so decent. How could she do such dirty work?” “No wonder she comes home at all hours…” “Just our luck, living on the same floor as her!” A middle-aged woman jabbed a finger toward me, furious. “Weren’t you the one blasting music that night? The bass was shaking my ceiling. I didn’t sleep a wink!” I’d been away on a business trip all last week and only got back yesterday. Brittany’s face flashed with guilt before she pointed at me. “Yes! It was her!” Another neighbor stepped forward. “And wasn’t it your hair that clogged the drain and flooded my place last time?” Jessica, who had the longest hair and never cleaned the drain, paused for a beat before frowning at me. “Chloe, how many times do I have to tell you? Clean your hair out of the drain after you shower. Why do you never listen?” “And wasn’t she the one who wanted to tear down a wall? She practically put the whole building at risk!” Madison, who had been the one wanting to knock down a wall to enlarge her room, rubbed her nose. “Yeah, that was her! We tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t back down!” The neighbors’ anger was fully ignited. “She’s a menace! Get her out of our building!” “Security! Kick her out immediately!” “Call the police, arrest her!” Seeing the situation, the security guard grabbed my arm and tried to drag me away. Furious and desperate, I yelled, “I’m the landlord! You can’t just kick me out!” Brittany scoffed. “If you’re the landlord? I’ll eat dirt!” Jessica put on a trouble look. “Chloe, I’ve already called the landlord. He’ll be here any minute. If you leave now, at least you’ll save face. It’ll be so much worse if he has to drag you out himself.” I was trembling with rage. “Fine! Call the landlord! I’d like to see who dares to throw me out!” “Who’s looking for me?”
I turned to see a sleazy-looking guy with dyed hair, swaying as he walked over. “I’m the landlord. You looking for me?” He squinted, looking me up and down. “Where’s Mr. Peterson?” I frowned. My apartment had always been managed by Mr. Peterson, a very responsible property manager. “You did your homework, huh? You even know my uncle’s last name. Let me tell you, my uncle’s out of town. This place is my responsibility now!” He pointed at my nose. “I’ve heard all about your little drama from these pretty ladies. I’m not renting my place to someone as morally corrupt as you! Be smart, grab your junk, and get out!” I looked at him coldly. “Do you even know whose name is on the deed before telling me to leave?” “It’s my uncle’s place. Of course his name is on it. Not yours, got it?” The thug, Damon, smirked. Jessica tried to smooth things over. “Chloe, just stop. The landlord’s here. Accept it.” Damon ignored me, strutting into the apartment to look around. When he came back out, he snarled, “Hey! Where’s the LEGO set from the TV stand? Did you steal it!” “That was a limited edition, worth two hundred grand! Hand it over now!” That LEGO set? My niece, Lily, loved it last time she visited, so I gave it to her. “It’s my stuff. Do I need to inform you if I give it away?” “Your stuff? That’s the landlord’s-my uncle’s-stuff!” Damon stomped his foot in anger. Madison immediately jumped in to support him. “We can testify! That LEGO set was here since we moved in. How could it be yours? It clearly belongs to the landlord!” Jessica frowned. “Chloe, you really should get it back. Stealing is a crime. If the landlord calls the police, you’ll be in big trouble.” I watched their charade, finding it utterly absurd. “Then call the police.” My indifferent attitude completely enraged Damon. “You bitch! Stealing and acting so arrogant?!” He slapped me across the face. Smack! The crisp sound rang out, my ears buzzed, and I tasted blood in my mouth. Jessica held back Damon, who looked like he was about to hit me again. “Stop, stop. It’s hard to get back something that’s already been given away. Chloe, why don’t you just pay him some money? Since the landlord says it’s worth a hundred grand, just pay him two hundred grand. You… you make good money, it’s just pocket change for you. Pay him quickly, and this whole thing will be over.” I laughed, a humorless sound. That LEGO set looked big, but it was actually a model I bought for three thousand dollars. I finally understood. They had been secretly colluding with Damon, setting a trap to extort money from me. Seeing I was unmoved, Damon shoved me again. “Damn it, did you hear me?! Pay up! Two hundred grand! Every penny! Otherwise, you won’t be leaving this hallway upright tonight!” “I told you, that’s my property!” “Damn it, you’re asking for it!” Damon cursed, raising his hand for another slap. He hit me, and I stumbled backward, falling to the ground. My vision blurred. Brittany’s eyes darted around, and she pointed at my luggage, screaming, “She’s a thief! I need to check her luggage carefully, in case she stole any of my stuff too!” With that, she squatted down and started rummaging through my suitcase. She pulled out a gold necklace, a flash of envy in her eyes, then turned and shouted, “Oh my god! My gold necklace! It’s been missing for ages, I can’t believe I found it here!” “Jessica, Madison! Come help me search! She must have stolen a lot of our things!” Madison’s eyes lit up at the news, and she also started tearing through my luggage. They were like vultures, pulling out jewelry and brand-name cosmetics from my bags. They claimed everything was theirs, stuffing them into their pockets without a word. The other neighbors watching also began to stir restlessly. Jessica smiled sweetly at the crowd. “Everyone, feel free to look around too. See if she stole any of your things.” As soon as she spoke, the crowd surged forward like a swarm of locusts. CRASH. The trophy I won in college was smashed to pieces on the floor. RIP! The sweater my mom hand-knitted for me was torn to shreds. My down jacket was ripped open, feathers flying everywhere. I even saw a creepy middle-aged man pick up my underwear, sniff it deeply, then stuff it into his pocket. “Stop! All of you, stop!” I screamed, rushing forward to intervene, only to be roughly shoved back to the ground. Jessica looked down at me, a sickeningly innocent smile on her face. “Do you think the things she stole might be hidden on her body?” All eyes snapped to me. Damon licked his lips. “Strip her. Let’s see what else she’s hiding!” I yelled, “Touch me once, and I swear none of you will walk away clean!” “Oh yeah? Show me.” Damon reached for my collar. I fought like a wild thing, but Brittany and Madison pinned my arms and legs down. Jessica pulled out her phone and took a photo of me at my weakest. She mouthed three silent words. “You deserve it.” In that moment, I truly regretted ever letting these wolves into my home! “Excuse me, is Miss Chloe here?” A driver, sent by my father, stood holding a document envelope. “I have a document for her.” While everyone was still stunned, I gathered the last of my strength and shoved the people holding me down away. I ran toward the driver and tore open the envelope. Inside was the bright red property deed. I held the document high, my voice sharp and clear. “Look carefully! I am the landlord!”
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