Chapter 4

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains.

I wasn't sleeping very deeply anyway, and the continuous buzzing of the phone beneath my pillow woke me right up.

Some people simply didn't deserve peace, and they refused to let anyone else have it either.

When I unlocked my phone, the homeowners' association group chat was predictably lively again. Only this time, Jacob wasn't throwing a tantrum.

Instead, he sounded eerily calm.

He fired off a rapid series of screenshots.

The first was an old article from a local news site with a glaring headline, "Jorham Rolls Out Its Strictest Housing Purchase Restrictions To Date."

The key paragraph was aggressively highlighted in neon yellow.

"Local registered families, including spouses and children, may purchase no more than two residential properties within the city's restricted purchase zones. Unmarried adult individuals, including divorcees, are capped at a maximum of one residential property."

The second screenshot was a follow-up policy amendment.

"A strict crackdown will be enforced against any attempts to bypass purchasing limits. The number of residential properties under an individual's name shall be determined in accordance with the law."

And the third screenshot was a clipping of our community's original promotional launch, which proudly declared in bold print, "This development strictly complies with Jorham's housing purchase restriction policy."

Jacob tagged me. "Go on, Celia. Explain this."

Even through the screen, I could practically feel the excitement in his text.

"Look closely, everyone! The housing restrictions are right here in black and white! A single individual in this city can only legally buy one apartment!

"And you posted eight deeds yesterday? Please. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. Eight apartments? Why don't you just claim you bought the entire complex while you're at it? Forging official government documents is a felony, you know.

"Carlos, everyone, this isn't a petty argument anymore. I suggest we involve the authorities. We have someone actively using forged deeds to disrupt our community!"

Bringing up laws and official policies certainly carried more weight than the trash-talking from the night before.

The group chat instantly went into overdrive.

"Wait, really? Are those the actual restrictions? A single person really can only buy one property?"

"Then those deeds she posted…"

"Are they actually fake? You've got to have some nerve to pull a stunt like that!"

"I knew something was off. How would someone that young own so many units?"

"Management needs to verify this right away. This isn't just some petty argument anymore."

"I'm in favor of involving the authorities. We can't have someone like that living in our community."

The tide turned instantly. Every ounce of suspicion and vitriol locked right back onto me, even worse than the day before.

After all, forging government documents was a massive red line.

Carlos panicked and quickly fired off a text into the chat.

"Please calm down, everyone. We're urgently reaching out to the relevant departments to verify the claims."

At that, Jacob's ego swelled even more.

"Verify? What else is there to verify? The policies are written right there. The evidence is as clear as day! A single woman owning eight apartments? Who do you think you are, the mayor?

"I'm putting this out there right now. If she legally owns all eight of those units, I will literally eat my own deed to Unit 708.

"Celia, why are you so quiet all of a sudden? You had plenty to say last night. That car of yours, and those apartments you supposedly own, I think it's time we launch a formal investigation into where all your money comes from."

I calmly watched the circus unfold on my screen, finding the whole thing deeply amusing.

It was always the people with the most microscopic worldviews who tried to measure everyone else's reality by their own tiny metrics.

Backing out of the homeowners' association group chat, I clicked on two newly created group chats.

The names of the groups were "Block 4-1, Unit 608 Renovation Updates" and "Block 4-1, Unit 808 Renovation Updates."

Inside, the renovation agency's contractor and project managers had just sent over the day's construction schedule, along with photos of the materials arriving on-site.

I skimmed through and replied, "Proceed as planned. Stay safe."

Then, I switched right back to the homeowners' association group chat and tagged Jacob directly.

"You live in Block 4-1, correct?"

The question came completely out of left field.

Jacob probably assumed that I was finally getting ready to cave, so his reply came back instantly, dripping with arrogance.

"Yeah! Block 4-1, Unit 708. My name is on the deed! What's the matter? Now that your fraud is exposed, are you trying to come over and beg for mercy? Or are you trying to threaten me?

"News flash! I'm screen-recording this entire chat. You try anything funny, and I'll call the cops on you!"

I took my sweet time typing out my response, keeping my tone as casual as if I were discussing the weather.

"Oh, nothing like that. I just suddenly realized there was a small detail I forgot to mention to my neighbors ahead of time.

"Starting today, Unit 608 and Unit 808 in Block 4-1 are simultaneously undergoing a complete renovation. The construction phase is scheduled to last roughly three months.

"It may get noisy, and there will probably be some dust, especially when you're home during the day. I imagine the impact on your unit will be pretty brutal.

"Just wanted to give you a heads-up. If you have any issues, feel free to reach out to me anytime."