Chapter 2No Room For A Third

The hospital hallway reeked of disinfectant. I finished checking my mother out, picked up her bag, and hailed a cab to the nearby Grand Hyatt.

The lobby was gleaming and quiet. The receptionist checked my ID. "Ms. Vance, I have you down for an executive suite at two hundred and fifty dollars a night."

I handed over my credit card.

My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a text from Derek.

I booked the hotel. It'll charge directly to our joint household account. Don't pay out of pocket.

I glanced at the screen and didn't bother replying.

I took the key card, went upstairs, and helped my mother get settled in bed. She looked around the spacious room, clearly uncomfortable.

"Nora, sweetie, this is way too expensive. I should just go back home to rest."

"Mom, the doctor said you need a follow-up checkup in a week. The clinics back home don't have the right equipment." I poured her a glass of warm water. "Just relax and stay here. Don't worry about the money."

Once she fell asleep, I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out at the streaming traffic below. My chest felt heavy, like a soaked sponge pressing against my ribs.

I suddenly remembered that in my rush this morning, I had left my mother's health insurance card on the console table in our hallway.

I pulled out my phone and launched our smart home management app, intending to check the hallway camera to see if the card was actually there.

The screen buffered for two seconds before a pop-up window appeared.

Access Denied. Please contact the administrator "CutieGiselle" to request access.

I stared at those words for a full minute. My mind went completely blank.

I had spent three thousand dollars out of my own pocket to custom-install that smart home system. The primary administrator account had always been mine.

I clicked on the device settings.

System records showed that just an hour ago, the master admin rights had been transferred to "CutieGiselle."

My account had been demoted to "Temporary Guest." I didn't even have permission to view the security feed.

I dialed Derek's number immediately.

It rang five times before he picked up. The background noise was filled with video game sound effects and Giselle's light giggles.

"What's up?" Derek sounded completely relaxed.

"Why were the admin permissions changed on our smart home app?" My voice was devoid of emotion.

The line went quiet for a second. The game sound was muted.

Derek spoke nonchalantly. "Oh, that. After you left this morning, Giselle wanted to set a smart alarm, but she didn't have access. I just handed the admin rights over to her. It doesn't matter who holds the account as long as you can still unlock the door."

Handed it over.

Doesn't matter.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "Derek, I paid for that system."

"Yeah, I know you paid for it," he said, his tone turning irritable. "Nora, it's just an app account. Do you really have to be so petty? Giselle is at home all day looking for a job. She uses the system way more than you do. What's the harm in letting her manage it?"

Giselle’s soft, sweet voice drifted over from his end. "Derek, is Nora upset? You should give the permissions back to her. I don't need a smart alarm anyway, I can just use my phone."

Derek let out a heavy sigh. "Listen to how understanding Giselle is. Why do you always have to assume the worst of people? Fine, I'll add you back later tonight."

"Don't bother."

I hung up the phone.

I stared at the grey "Temporary Guest" badge in the app. Then I tapped the top right corner and unlinked my account entirely.

Since I was just a guest, there was no reason to stay in the system.