Chapter 3The Nine Dollar Tenant

I thought that would be the end of it for a few days.

I was wrong. The next evening, she brought the battle to my doorstep.

I pulled into my spot in the building’s underground garage and saw her standing by the elevator bank with a middle-aged couple. They looked weathered and tired, their eyes darting around the pristine garage with a mixture of awe and discomfort.

As soon as I got out of my car, Jenna rushed over.

“Audrey, you’re home.”

She gestured to the couple behind her, her voice ringing with self-righteousness. “These are my parents. They came all the way from my hometown to see me, and to thank you in person.”

My brow furrowed.

Thank me?

Jenna’s mother hurried toward me, clutching a reusable grocery bag full of what looked like homemade goods. Her face was stretched into an eager, placating smile.

“You must be Audrey. Such a good girl. Our Jenna has been so much trouble for you.”

She tried to shove the bag into my hands.

I took a step back, avoiding it. “Ma’am, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Jenna’s father, a quiet man, sized me up before speaking in a low, heavy voice. “Jenna told us everything. She said you agreed to let her move in, and that you wouldn’t even charge her rent. As her parents, we can’t let you be so generous without showing our gratitude. This is just a little something from us.”

I looked past them to Jenna.

She was hiding behind her parents, a victorious smirk playing on her lips. She thought she had me. She thought she could use her parents to morally blackmail me into a corner.

“I have not agreed to anything,” I said, my voice ice-cold.

The smiles on her parents’ faces froze.

Jenna immediately jumped in, her voice thick with fake tears. “Audrey, how could you say that in front of my parents? You promised me yesterday!”

She turned to them, the tears now streaming down her face. “Mom, Dad, she’s bullying me! She’s looking down on us because we’re not from the city!”

Her mother instantly turned on me, positioning herself as a human shield. “Young lady, how could you? What did our Jenna ever do to you to deserve this?”

“You have to have a conscience! Our Jenna thought you were a friend, and you treat her like this!”

Their voices grew louder, attracting the attention of other residents passing through the garage. People started to stare, to point.

I was being cast as the villain, the cruel landlord bullying the poor girl from out of town.

Jenna, safely behind her parents, sobbed as if her heart was breaking.

Looking at this ridiculous family drama, I almost wanted to laugh.

Instead, I took out my phone and dialed a secure internal number.

“Ethan? Yes, it’s Audrey Ross. There’s a disturbance downstairs in the A tower garage affecting other residents. Could you please handle it?”

I hung up and crossed my arms, looking at them. “You can continue this scene if you like. However, building security will likely be escorting you out shortly.”

Jenna’s mother started to retort, but her father grabbed her arm. Years of hard work had apparently given him better instincts than his daughter. He knew I wasn’t bluffing.

A moment later, two uniformed security guards and a man in a sharp suit appeared, walking quickly toward us.

It was Ethan.

“Ms. Ross,” he said, giving me a respectful nod before turning his attention to Jenna’s family, his expression hardening. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

Seeing what she thought was a neutral party, Jenna immediately played the victim. “We’re relatives of a resident in this building! She won’t let us in!” she cried, pointing at me.

Ethan glanced at me. I gave a slight shake of my head.

He understood immediately.

“Ma’am, we have received no visitor notifications from any resident. Furthermore, your behavior is disturbing the peace. Per the building’s regulations, I must ask you to leave the premises immediately.” His tone was absolute.

“You!” Jenna choked out. “Do you even know who she is? She’s just a renter here, like me! Why are you listening to her?”

Ethan’s professional demeanor didn’t waver. “I only know that if you do not leave, I will be forced to take further action.”

He gestured, and the two guards took a step forward, their presence suddenly much more imposing.

Jenna’s parents were finally scared. They grabbed their unwilling daughter and scurried away.

Just before they disappeared, Jenna looked back over her shoulder and shot me a look of pure venom.

I knew this was only the beginning.