Chapter 4

The lights inside were on, and a brand-new decorative wreath was hanging right on the front door.

I bolted up the stairs like a crazy person and stopped dead in front of the apartment. Through the crack beneath the door, familiar laughter drifted out.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my key and shoved it into the keyhole. It wouldn't turn, as the locks had been changed.

Just then, the door swung open.

Ruby was standing right at the threshold, holding a half-eaten box of cake. When she saw me, she blinked in surprise.

"Penelope? What are you doing here?"

I looked past her into the apartment, and my whole body turned to stone.

The vintage wooden cabinet my grandmother left behind was gone. The rocking chair by the window was gone. Even the landscape painting she had framed herself was no longer on the wall, and the antique radio she could never bring herself to throw away was nowhere to be seen.

The entire place had been redecorated from top to bottom, completely stripped of any sign that my grandmother had ever lived there.

"Where are my grandmother's things?"

Ruby blinked innocently, her tone sickeningly sweet. "Oh, those? They were so old and took up way too much space, so I just threw them out. They were all just junk anyway, not really worth keeping."

My fingernails dug so hard into my palms they almost drew blood. "Why are you in my house?!"

Ruby shrugged, putting on a helpless look. "Sam gave me the key. He said the place was sitting empty anyway, so he told me I could move in while studying for my exams. Penelope, didn't you know?"

I was at a loss for words.

Back in our junior year of college, Sam insisted on keeping a spare key, claiming he was worried I'd lose mine since I was so scatterbrained. I never dreamed that spare key would lead to this.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed up the stairwell.

Sam ran up the stairs, completely out of breath. The moment he saw me confronting Ruby, he rushed over and stepped in front of her, shielding her behind him.

"Penelope, why did you track us down all the way here? It's late. How long are you planning to keep this up?"

I stared at him, pointing a shaking finger at the open door. "Sam, my grandmother left me this place! What right do you have to give it to Ruby?! What right do you have to change my locks?!"

Sam looked down at me, his brow creasing into a tight frown. "Ruby needed a quiet place closer to campus for her final exams. I'm just letting her stay here for a few days. As for changing the locks, the old ones were worn out and unsafe."

He spoke as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.

"Then where are my grandmother's belongings?!" I glared at him.

Sam went quiet for two seconds, his voice remaining cool and steady. "Old furniture and vintage knick-knacks only collect dust. She cleaned them out so you could have a much more comfortable place to stay when you come back."

A hollow laugh almost burst out of my throat. "This is my grandmother's house. Get Ruby out of here."

Sam grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me away from the doorway. "Penelope, look at yourself right now. You're hysterical and out of control."

He pulled out his phone and transferred two thousand dollars to my account.

"Stop making a scene here. Go find a hotel nearby and stay there for tonight."

In that moment, I suddenly found the whole thing hilarious. I laughed at myself and how completely unnecessary my existence was in this world.

My family had abandoned me, my love had been trampled on, even my last shred of trust had been turned into a weapon to stab me in the heart.

"Fine. I'll go," I nodded slowly. "Enjoy the house."

I turned around and walked down the stairs, step by step. Behind me, the heavy security door slammed shut.

The rain had stopped. However, a fire was igniting deep inside my heart.

I pulled out my phone and dialed emergency dispatch.

"Hello, officer? I'd like to report a crime.

"I have an illegal break-in and criminal trespassing. I also want to press charges for defamation, criminal harassment, and the distribution of explicit non-consensual deepfake media."

I took a deep breath and added, "Yes, I have all the evidence."