Who Said You Could Raise Rent?의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

After Kyle Jenkins dropped that line, a sudden quiet swept over the private booth.He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the tabletop, his face practically glowing with self-satisfaction.Whatever the person on the other end of the line said back made Kyle frown. "Just do what I told you and stop running your mouth. I'll take the fall if anything goes wrong."Without waiting for a reply, he hung up right then and there.Mason Walker was the first one to snap out of it, raising his glass with a grin. "Kyle's got real backbone, man. Being a landlord nowadays means doing things exactly like Kyle here. If tenants don't know how to behave, you just clear them out."Kyle soaked in the praise, though his eyes never left me.He was fishing for panic on my face.Too bad he came up empty.I picked up my hoodie from the back of my chair and slowly pushed myself to my feet. "Touch my stuff, and deal with the consequences."The smug smile froze on Kyle's face for a split

The door was dented, the frame warped and hanging off the wall.Kyle wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned back to the crowd, a cocky smirk plastered across his face."See that? That’s how you get things done."Mason instantly started clapping like a loyal lapdog. "Kyle, you're a freaking legend!"The rest of our classmates just exchanged uneasy glances. Nobody joined in on the laughter.I stood by the doorway, my body completely still. I hadn't raised a hand. Not out of fear.The security camera mounted down the hallway pointed directly right at us. The second Kyle raised his fist, I knew he was dead meat.Seeing me freeze up, Kyle figured I was terrified.He sauntered over to the doorway and kicked the pair of shoes resting on my shoe rack.They were faded, worn-out sneakers. The soles were peeling away from the cloth, but I could never bring myself to throw them out.They were the last gift my grandpa gave me before he passed away."Why are you keeping this trash ar

The police officers took one look at the splintered door frame and then at Mrs. Gable lying on the floor, their expressions instantly hardening."Don't move the injured person, the ambulance is on the way." One of the officers swept his gaze across the hallway. "Who pushed her?"Kyle immediately pointed a shaking finger at Mrs. Gable. "She grabbed me first! I was just defending myself!"Paige stepped forward."Officer, I saw the whole thing," she said clearly, "Kyle pushed her on purpose. After Mrs. Gable fell, he brought a bunch of people inside to trash the place."Several classmates hesitated for a moment before speaking up."I saw it too.""Kyle definitely pushed her.""And that guy Mason stomped on Liam's shoes and helped smash the door."The color drained completely from Mason's face. "I didn't smash anything! I was just standing around watching!"The police officer's voice cut through the noise like ice. "Whether you were involved or not, the security cameras will tell

Mason started sweating even harder, desperation creeping into his voice. "Liam, man, I've lived in this building for two years, you know I'm usually a quiet, decent guy. I can work as your security guard or help you collect rent. I won't even ask for a salary, I just want to keep living here. Can you cut me some slack on the rent?"I looked straight at him. "When you were grinding my shoes into the dirt, why didn't you think about today?"Mason’s fake smile completely froze. "I'll pay for them," he stammered, "I'll buy you a brand-new pair, ten pairs if you want!""You can't replace those shoes."I pulled up a screenshot of the hallway security footage on my phone. "Besides, your lease on your apartment expires next month. Don't bother renewing it."The color vanished entirely from Mason's face. "Liam, you can't do this to me. My job is right around the corner. Moving is such a massive pain."I kept my voice completely level. "When you were smashing up someone else's front door

Lily gripped William’s arm. "You can't walk away!" she screamed, "This family is already gone. If you leave too, what am I supposed to do?"William looked down at her with hollow eyes."This family didn't fall apart today," he said quietly, "It fell apart the moment you started lying to Kyle over and over again, enabling every single thing he did."With that, he pried her fingers loose.Then, step by step, he walked out into the cold night.Lily sat alone on the ground as the loan documents scattered across the pavement.All the pride and social standing she had fought so desperately to protect were completely gone, leaving nothing behind.Through the small, reinforced glass of the holding cell, Kyle watched his mother's pathetic collapse.He didn't scream anymore.He just slowly buried his face in his hands.In that heavy silence, he finally understood.Not everyone would stick around to clean up your messes forever.Parents grew old.Money ran out.Every single lie ev