Chapter 2When My Mother-in-Law Destroyed My Deed, I Made Her Regret It

Slowly, I pulled out my property deed, flipped to the first page, and pointed to the line clearly stating that Rowena Carlisle was the registered owner.

Behind me, my neighbor Alvin “Al” Renfield muttered in surprise, “So, it’s not even hers?”

“Didn’t think she could afford a place like this,” another murmured.

The crowd’s growing murmurs left the old lady’s face turning red with anger. She lunged toward me, reaching for the deed.

I raised my hand just in time, laughing. “Weren’t you just unable to stand a second ago? Seems like you’ve made a miraculous recovery.”

Realizing her blunder, she flushed, then shoved me hard, snarling, “I’ve been here for three years, so it’s mine now! Who are you to come out of nowhere and claim it?”

I nearly laughed out loud. “So by your logic, anyone can move into any property and call it theirs after three years? Is that it?”

“Yes, exactly!”

Her shouting was so loud that finally, the complex’s security guard showed up.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

The old lady’s face lit up. “Oh, thank heavens you’re here! This girl was breaking into my home, saying it’s hers! You have to help me!”

Without missing a beat, the guard stepped between us, glaring at me. “What are you doing here, disturbing the residents?”

I’d never seen someone leap to conclusions so quickly. Exasperated, I shoved my deed toward him. “Why don’t you take a look and see who owns the property?”

As he took in the document, his face briefly went pale, but with a glance at the gathered neighbors, he snatched for it. I pulled it back just in time.

“What are you doing? I can hold it for you to read.”

The guard’s face darkened. “Who knows if this is real or fake? Just waltzing in with a phony deed to take someone’s place? Get lost!”

As he moved to push me away, the old lady took the chance to quickly unlock the door.

The moment it opened, a stomach-turning stench wafted out, strong enough to make me gag. Inside, I saw heaps of trash, and a rat scurried out through the crack.

The old lady darted inside and slammed the door shut. I started to knock, but the guard blocked my way, brandishing his baton.

“Still here? I’ll kick you out myself!”

Silas, the locksmith, finally spoke up in a low voice, “You might want to leave. That old lady is notorious for her antics. She’s always trying to take advantage of people, and no one wants to deal with her.”

With a final sympathetic glance, he left.

Glancing at the bulldog of a guard, I had no choice but to retreat for the moment.