Chapter 1My Vacant House Was Occupied – By Strangers

I bought a house four years ago but never moved in or renovated it. Two years later, I suddenly started receiving utility bills.

Confused, I returned to check on the house, only to find strangers living in it!

One day, after work, I got a notification on my phone for an overdue utility bill. Staring at the unfamiliar house number on the screen, it took me a moment to realize—I did own a house with that address.

It was the house my mom, Sharon Hawkins, had bought for me near my college, thinking I might not enjoy dorm life. But I made a last-minute decision to pursue studies abroad, so the house had been left empty right after renovation.

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. No one should be living in that house, so how on earth were there utility bills?

With growing curiosity, I followed the familiar route to Maplewood Heights, the neighborhood where the house was located.

…

Standing at the front door, I noticed something immediately off. The front door, which I remembered being a dull brown, had been replaced with a brand-new, shiny black security door. I checked the house number again, "808"—yep, this was definitely the right place.

Staring at the unfamiliar black door and catching a whiff of a horrible odor leaking from inside, I felt an overwhelming sense of unease. Without hesitation, I called a locksmith.

Charlie McIntyre, the locksmith, arrived quickly, giving me a suspicious once-over.

“This is your house?” he asked.

I quickly pulled out my property deed and ID, handing them over.

“Of course! Here are the documents. Check for yourself.”

He examined the papers carefully before handing them back, still looking uncertain.

“I really need to get inside. How about I pay you an extra hundred?” I offered anxiously.

That did the trick. He handed the documents back, crouched down, and opened his toolbox while mumbling, “Strange. Wasn't the last tenant here an old lady?”

“What did you say?” I asked, surprised.

Before I could probe further, a sharp voice interrupted behind us.

“What do you think you're doing?!”

Before I could react, my shoulder was shoved hard, and a white-haired old woman—Gloria Pittman—charged forward, pointing a finger at the locksmith's face.

“How dare you?! Trying to rob me in broad daylight? In my own home?”

Before we could even respond, her hand shot out, scratching Charlie across the face, leaving a deep red mark.

He yelped in pain, clutching his nose and pointing at me, “I’m not a thief! He told me to unlock it!”

Gloria turned to face me, her eyes scanning me before locking onto the Gold Lion Pendant hanging around my neck. Her expression shifted into one of greed, and she stomped toward me, cursing.

“You little punk! Starting a life of crime already? You need a good lesson today!”

She lunged at me, reaching out with her claws. I frowned and took a step back, causing her to miss. The old woman immediately changed tactics—collapsing to the ground, dramatically wailing.

“Oh Lord, this young man is breaking into my house and now he’s attacking me too! Somebody help me!”

Her voice was so loud that the neighbors began poking their heads out of their doors to see what was going on.

I’d never seen anything like this in my life. My instinct was to back away, but seeing the crowd, Gloria started screaming even louder. She reached out, clutching at my pant leg, pinning me in place.

“You can’t leave! You knocked me down, and now I can’t move! You’ll have to take responsibility!”

What?! I hadn’t even touched her!

“Ma’am, be careful with your accusations. I haven’t even laid a hand on you! The locksmith can testify!” I said, turning to Charlie for backup, but to my shock, he averted his eyes and remained silent.

Gloria’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she dug her sharp nails into my leg.

“You see? No decent person would back you up. So, how about you compensate me like a good boy?”

Her gaze returned to the gold pendant around my neck, her intentions clear as day.

With no help in sight, I took a deep breath, calming myself before letting out a small chuckle.

“And how exactly do you want me to compensate you?” I asked coolly.

Her eyes lit up. She pointed directly at my Gold Lion Pendant.

“I can’t even get up without going to the hospital, and that’ll cost at least a couple thousand! But I’m a kind person. Your little gold pendant looks nice. Why don’t you give me that, and we’ll call it even?”

I nodded. “Sure, but before I hand it over, could you answer two quick questions?”

Blinded by greed, Gloria agreed immediately. “What do you want to know?”

I gestured toward the black security door. “Is this your house?”

“Of course it’s my house!” she snapped without hesitation.

“Oh really? Then how did the house I bought become yours?”

Her face froze, and she stammered, “W-what do you mean? I don’t understand!”

“I mean, why are you living in my house?”

Her eyes flickered with guilt, but she stubbornly pushed back. “This is my house! I’ve been living here for years! Where’s your proof that it’s yours?”

“Oh, I’ve got proof.”