When I pulled into the driveway, I expected to be greeted by the familiar sight of my childhood home, the one my late mother had left behind. After spending a month away at a college prep program, all I wanted was to sleep in my own bed and maybe even reminisce about Mom in the quiet, comforting space she had built.

But the moment I stepped onto the porch, my stomach dropped.

There they were—suitcases.

Not just any suitcases. My suitcases.

A cold sense of dread crawled up my spine as I shoved the door open. And that’s when I saw her.

A woman I had never seen before lounged on the couch, looking far too comfortable—as if she owned the place. But what made my blood boil?

She was wearing my late mother’s robe.

The one I hadn’t been able to move from the closet because it still smelled like Mom.

She tilted her head, eyeing me with an amused smirk.

“Oh, you must be the girl Rick’s been letting stay here.”

Not the owner of the house. Not even my name.

Just “the girl.”

I clenched my fists. “Who are you?”

She stretched lazily, like she had all the time in the world. “I’m Sylvia. Rick’s girlfriend.”

I hadn’t asked, but she kept going.

“He said you’d be gone for good by now. Thought you’d just swing by to grab your stuff. No worries! I already packed for you.”

She gestured to my suitcases by the door like she was doing me a favor.

My body went ice cold.

“This is my house,” I said, my voice steady, even though I was fuming inside.

Sylvia laughed. Laughed.

“Oh, sweetie. No. This was your mother’s house. Rick’s been kind enough to let you stay, but it’s time for you to grow up and move out.”

I had never, in my life, wanted to hit someone so badly.

But instead, I took a deep breath and did something smarter.

---

The Reality Check Begins

I crossed my arms. “I’ll wait for Rick to give me my deposit back.”

Sylvia waved a hand dismissively, pulling out a wad of cash from her purse. She tossed it onto the table like I was a beggar she was paying off.

“Here, take it. I want you out as soon as possible.”

I stared at the money. Then, I made a decision.

Without a word, I grabbed the cash, picked up my suitcases, and walked outside.

And then…

I didn’t leave.

I sat in my car, gripping the steering wheel, my knuckles white. For an hour, I waited. Sylvia kept peeking out the window, her smug little expression never fading. She thought she had won.

But then, my lawyer arrived.

---

Checkmate.

David, my lawyer, stepped out of his car with purpose. He was the kind of guy who didn’t waste words—and I had already told him everything.

Sylvia’s smirk faltered when she saw him. “Who are you?”

David didn’t blink. “I’m the lawyer representing the legal owner of this house.”

He pulled papers from his briefcase and held them up.

“And that owner is not Rick. It’s her.”

He gestured toward me.

Sylvia’s face twisted. “That’s ridiculous! Rick lives here! He’s been taking care of things—”

David cut her off.

“Rick was allowed to stay here temporarily. Out of generosity. That time is now over.”

Right then, the front door opened.

Rick stepped inside. The moment he saw me standing next to my lawyer, his face drained of color. His eyes darted to Sylvia—who was now looking increasingly uncomfortable.

“What’s going on?” Rick asked, his voice suddenly a lot less confident.

David didn’t waste time. “You’ve overstayed your welcome. This house belongs to my client. You both need to leave. Tonight.”

Rick scoffed, trying to play it cool.

“Oh, come on, that’s not necessary. We just thought—”

“No. You thought,” I cut in, my voice sharper than ever.

“You thought you could take over my house while I was gone. You thought I wouldn’t fight back. You thought you could get away with it.
But guess what?
You were wrong.”

Sylvia let out a nervous laugh. “This can’t be possible,” she muttered, turning to Rick. “You told me I could live here! I have nowhere to go!”

Rick ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I— I thought we’d have more time.”

David gave them none.

“You don’t. You have until tonight to remove your belongings, or we’ll call the police for trespassing.”

Sylvia snapped. “You can’t do this! We have rights!”

David smirked. “Do you? Because unless you have a lease agreement, which you don’t, you have no rights here.”

Rick knew he was cornered.

Slowly, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the house key, and handed it over.

Sylvia huffed. “This is so unfair.”

I took a deep breath, my chest feeling lighter than it had in months.

“No, what’s unfair is trying to kick someone out of their own home.”

And with that, I walked to my car, heart pounding but my mind clear.

From the driver’s seat, I watched as Rick and Sylvia scrambled to pack their things. Sylvia kept muttering angrily under her breath, shooting me glares, but I didn’t care.

I had won.

David walked over and handed me my key.

“Welcome home.”

I gripped the key tightly and smiled. “Thank you.”

As Rick and Sylvia drove off, I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

I had honored my mother’s last wish.
I had given Rick time.

But now?

Now, it was time for me to move forward.

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What Would You Have Done?

If this were your home, how would you have handled it? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to like and share this story! ⬇️⬇️⬇️