The Neighbor From Hell My Sweet Revenge

Mrs. Lawrence next door mooched off my family's internet for three years without paying a dime. Out of neighborly goodwill, I'd always looked the other way.

Then yesterday she texted me out of nowhere: What garbage broadband does a broke loser like you even have? If you screw up my son's Harvard admission, can you even afford to pay us back?!

Before I could reply, she was already at my door, kicking the security gate with a bang bang bang, hands planted on her hips.

"What trash internet did you install?! Upgrade it to gigabit, NOW. If you ruin my son's future, you couldn't pay it back even if you sold yourself!"

I watched the door rattle under her kicks and said nothing.

Went back inside. Changed the Wi-Fi name to "Connect and your whole family gets sterilized." Unplugged the router.

Then I glanced at the rats' nest of illegally spliced wires outside her window, smirked, and called the power company to report her for stealing electricity.

If she wanted to make my life hell, her whole family could ring in the New Year together at the detention center.

"Who reported me?!"

"Which son of a bitch reported me for stealing electricity?!" Rachel's shriek echoed through the hallway.

Through the peephole, I watched the power company crew ripping out that tangle of wires outside her window. Two uniformed workers kept their faces blank.

"Ma'am, please cooperate."

"Unauthorized wiring like this isn't just theft of public utilitiesit's a serious safety hazard."

Rachel dropped to the floor and started wailing.

"I didn't do anything! I'm being framed!" "I'm a widow raising my son alonedo you know how hard that is?!" "Electricity's so expensive, I just wanted to save a little!" "You're trying to drive us to our deaths!"

Even while sobbing, she shot a venomous glare at my door.

The workers had clearly seen this act before. They didn't flinch.

"You'll be fined according to regulations, and your power will be temporarily cut."

"Service will only be restored after you pay the back charges, the fine, and submit a safety compliance report."

Fine. Power cut.

Those two words hit Rachel like a bomb.

She scrambled off the floor and hurled herself at my door.

"Get out here, you piece of shit!" "I know it was you! You heartless bastard!" "My Josh is about to take his college entrance examsyou cut my power, cut my internetyou're trying to destroy his whole future!" "What's your problem?! You're just jealous my son's going to Harvard!"

She pounded on the security door, bang bang bang.

I stayed silent. Just watched her perform.

That's when her precious son, Joshua James, strolled out.

Designer clothes head to toe. Black-rimmed glasses. Looking every bit the polished scholar.

But the moment his eyes flicked toward my door, contempt flickered across his face. The corner of his mouth curled down.

When he spoke, the arrogance in his bones showed through.

"Mom, why even bother with bottom-feeders like him?"

He glanced at my door with open disdain.

"People who can't make it themselves can't stand seeing anyone else succeed."

"Once I get into Harvard, we're out of this dump. Never have to breathe the same air as this trash again."

Rachel latched onto his words like a lifeline: "Exactly! My son's absolutely right!"

Her voice cranked up another notch.

"You hear that? Trash! My son is destined for greatness, and you're nothing but dirt under his feet!" "Mess with him nowwhen he makes it big, you'll regret it!"

Neighbors started gathering in the hallway, whispering and pointing our way.

"Wow, Isaac's really somethingneighbors and all, does he have to be so extreme?"

"Mrs. Lawrence has it hard enough on her own. She's just borrowing a little internet, saving a bit on electricitywhat's the big deal?"

"Exactly. Her kid's about to take the Harvard entrance exam. This isn't holding anything up, is it?"

I listened to the chatter outside my door. My fingertips touched the ice-cold doorknob, but my heart was colder.

These people only saw Rachel crying and making a scene. They didn't see how she'd kicked my door like she owned the place. They only heard her son was Harvard-bound. They didn't hear the venom that spewed from their mouths.

In this world, the kid who cries gets the candy. And the woman who screams the loudest gets the crowd on her side.

I pulled out my phone and hit record.

Then I called the property manager.

"Hello, Mr. Lambert? This is the owner in 1402. My neighbor in 1401, Mrs. Lawrence, is pounding on my door, threatening me, and hurling insults. Yes, it's seriously affecting my daily life. I'm genuinely frightened right now. Please come handle this."

After hanging up, I leaned against the door and listened to the cursing outside.

This was only the beginning.

Ryan Lambert, the property manager, arrived quickly. A born peacemaker, he jumped straight into smoothing things over.

"Hey now, Mrs. Lawrence, Isaacwhat's all this about? You're neighbors. What's so bad it can't be talked out?"

The moment Rachel spotted him, the tears started flowing again.

"Mr. Lambert, you have to help me! This Fox guyhe sees my son doing well in school and he's jealous! He cut off my internet, reported me for stealing electricity, and now the power company's shut off everything in my unit! My son's about to take his college entrance examwhat am I supposed to do?!"

Ryan glanced at my door, his face pinched with discomfort.

"Isaac, open up. Let's all talk this through. You know Mrs. Lawrence's situation. Just be a little flexible here."

Through the door, I replied coldly. "She kicked my door, insulted me, and threatened mewhy aren't we talking about that? Mr. Lambert, my request is simple: make her stop harassing me, and have her apologize."

"Apologize?" Rachel shrieked. "You ruined my son's future! You're lucky I'm not fighting you to the deathand you want an apology?!"

Josh chimed in from the side. "That's right. You're just some broke wage worker. What gives you the right to demand anything from us?"

Ryan stood trapped in the middle, sweat beading on his forehead.

"How about each side takes a step back?"

I said nothing.

You can't reason with people like this.

Ryan tried persuading her for a while longer, but Rachel wouldn't budge. If anything, her cursing got worse. Eventually, he gave up and left, defeat written all over his face.

The moment he was gone, Rachel's arrogance cranked up another notch.

But maybe all that screaming had worn her out. She didn't pound on the door againjust stood in the hallway cursing for a while before finally retreating inside.

Silence at last.

But I knew it wasn't over.

Sure enough, that night, a rustling sound came from outside my door.

I opened it to find a bag of kitchen scraps reeking on my doormat. Soupy liquid had seeped across the floorsticky, foul, revolting.

No need to guess who was responsible.

Expressionless, I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo. Then I put on gloves and cleaned up the mess.

The next morning, another bag.

The third day. The fourth. Like clockworktrash at my door every single day without fail.

And every single day, I photographed it and cleaned it up without fail.

I didn't confront her. Didn't go to property management either.

Without evidence, she'd never admit itworse, she'd flip the script and play victim.

I ordered a pinhole camera with night vision online and mounted it in an inconspicuous corner above my doorframe.

On the fifth night, I parked myself in front of the monitor. At 1 a.m., her sneaky figure appeared on screen. She carried a black trash bag, deposited it at my door with practiced ease, then pulled a marker from her pocket and drew a giant turtle on my door. When she finished, she smugly dusted off her hands and slipped back to her unit.

I saved the footage. Crystal clear.

But I didn't post it. Not yet. I was waiting for the perfect moment.

A few days later, the neighborhood HOA group chat blew up. Someone launched a charity drive called "Cheer On Our College-Bound Kids," rallying everyone to support the seniors about to take their entrance exams.

Rachel pounced on the opportunity. She posted a sob story so long it could've been a novella.

First came her greatest hits: the struggling widow, the sacrifices she'd made, her brilliant son studying until 2 a.m. every night, destined for an Ivy League, the pride of our whole community.

Then the pivot.

"...But fate is cruel. Recently, we've been tormented by a vicious neighbor. They cut off our internet. They filed malicious reports that got our power shut off."

"My poor boy has to study by candlelight every night. His eyesight is failing."

"I'm just a helpless mother. I'm begging you allplease, talk some sense into that heartless person. Please ask them to stop tormenting us."

She attached a photo of Josh "studying hard" by candlelight. The staging was immaculate: warm yellow glow, furrowed brow, textbooks stacked like a fortress.

She and Josh had maintained this "future Harvard genius" act for years. She bragged about him to anyone who'd listen, and whenever you ran into him, he played the partquiet, studious, laser-focused. It fooled a lot of people.

The group chat erupted.

"Isn't the owner of 1402 going too far?"

"Right before his college entrance exams? How could you do this!"

"Leave some roomyou still have to live here."

"Just apologize already. Don't ruin the kid's future."

Watching the tide of public opinion surge in her favor, Rachel sent a smug voice message:

"Thank you, everyone. Thank you to all my kind neighbors. On Josh's behalfthank you."

I stared at my phone and smiled.

I didn't type a single word in my defense.

I just dropped the video into the chat. Rachel at 1 a.m., creeping to my door, dumping trash, scrawling a turtle on my door, then strutting home like she'd accomplished something.

The footage wasn't long. But every frame was razor-sharp.

The group chat went dead silent.

Thirty seconds later, it exploded.

"Holy shitthat's Mrs. Lawrence?! Sneaking around at 1 a.m. doing THAT?"

"This plot twist gave me whiplash."

"My God. You really never know people. I actually felt sorry for her."

"Dumping trash AND vandalizing? That's disgusting."

"I literally just defended her. I feel like such an idiot."

The same neighbors who'd been ready to crucify me instantly switched sides.

Overnight, everyone's target shiftedfrom me to Mrs. Lawrence.

She'd obviously seen the video too. She panicked.

Voice messages flooded the group chat, her pitch climbing with each one.

"It wasn't me! That wasn't me!" "It's fake! That Lin guy set me up!" "Don't believe him! He's just a petty villain!"

I ignored her dying struggle.

Instead, I sent another recording.

Everything she and her son had said the day the power company camehow they'd cursed me out at my own door.

"Bottom of society." "Trash." "Mud." Those filthy, unbearable words echoed through the group chat.

And Josh's line"Once I get into Harvard, I won't ever have to be neighbors with this kind of trash again"set the whole crowd ablaze.

"Oh my god, the 'future Harvard genius' really said that?" "That level of character... getting into Harvard? Don't embarrass Harvard." "Too scary. He always looks so refined. Who knew he was this kind of person."

"Mrs. Lawrence's parenting is really something else."

Public opinion reversed completely.

However much they'd sympathized with her beforethat was how much they despised her now.

She got slammed in the group chat until she had nothing left to say.

Eventually Mr. Lambert from property management stepped in to smooth things over and forcibly shut it down.

I figured after this public execution, she'd at least quiet down for a few days.

I was wrong.

I'd underestimated her shamelessness. And I'd overestimated how much public opinion could restrain her.

The next morning, I was getting ready to head out for work.

The moment I opened my door, Mrs. Lawrence and Josh were standing therealong with a few burly men I didn't recognize, blocking my way.

Her eyes were bloodshot. Like a mother wolf about to tear someone apart.

"Lin, you ruined my reputation. This isn't over today!"

Josh stood behind her, his gaze venomous.

"You made it so I can't show my face in this building anymore. Don't think you'll have it easy either!"

One of the burly men stepped forward and jabbed a finger at my nose.

"Kid, I'm telling youapologize to my sister and my nephew, then pay ten thousand dollars for emotional distress." He cracked his knuckles. "Otherwise, don't even think about walking out of here today."

I looked at the scene in front of me.

My heartbeat steadied.

The dagger was finally showing itself.

From throwing trashto blocking my door and extorting me outright.

I didn't waste words. I stepped back, closed the door, and locked it from inside.

Then I dialed 911.

"Hello, I'd like to report a crime. Someone is at my door right now, illegally restricting my freedom and attempting to extort me. The address is..."

Outside, Mrs. Lawrence's voice rang out.

"Calling the cops? Go ahead!" She laughed. "You know who my cousin is? I've got people backing me! Let's see who dares get involved!" Her voice turned sharp. "If you don't hand over ten thousand dollars today, just wait to get beaten!"

I leaned against the door and listened.

She thought having a cousin with connections meant she could do whatever she wanted.

Too bad she didn't knowin this world, there are still laws.

Her shouting grew more vile by the minute.

"You coward! If you've got the guts, come out!" "You think hiding inside means you'll be fine? I'm staying right here and wearing you down!"

Josh fanned the flames beside her.

"Mom, stop wasting words on himjust kick the door open!" "When Uncle gets here, we'll see how he dies!"

I pulled out my phone and saved the recording.

Then I opened my work laptop and started handling emails.

Since I couldn't go out, I'd work from home.

The one who should be anxious wasn't me.

About half an hour later, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

The cops showed up.

"Cops! Who called the police?" The moment Mrs. Lawrence spotted them, she slapped on a wounded, victimized expression.

"Officer, thank God you're here! You have to help us! That person in there spread rumors about my son and me onlinemade our lives a living hell! We just came to talk it out, and he goes and calls the police!"

The lead officer was a square-jawed, middle-aged man with a no-nonsense face.

He took one look at the burly men blocking my doorway and his eyes narrowed. "Talk it out? You brought a whole crew to 'talk it out'? This is harassment."

One of the thugs stepped forward. "Officer, that's not fair. We're just here to mediate a family dispute."

"Right, right. Family dispute," Mrs. Lawrence chimed in, nodding frantically.

The officer wasn't buying it. "Open the door. Let the homeowner out."

Hearing his voice, I finally unlocked the door.

I looked at the crowd and said evenly, "Officer, they blocked my door, wouldn't let me leave for work, and demanded 0-000,000 in compensation."

Mrs. Lawrence fired back instantly. "Lies! When did I ever ask for money? We're just here to reason with you! What proof do you have?"

I raised my phone and hit play.

"...Hurry up and apologize to my sister and my nephew, then pay 0-000,000 for emotional damages!"

"...If you don't cough up 0-000,000 today, you're getting your ass beat!"

The recording rang out crystal clear in the hallway.

Mrs. Lawrence and the thugs went through about five different shades of pale.

The lead officer's face hardened. "Anything else to say? Take them all in."

Mrs. Lawrence panicked. "My cousin is Leon Chavez! You can't arrest me!"

The officer let out a cold laugh. "Leon Chavez? He just got reassigned to janitorial duty. You need him for something?"

Mrs. Lawrence went slack-jawed.

Two officers hauled her up, but she kept thrashing and screaming.

Josh was terrified. He tried to bolt, but another officer pinned him with one hand.

"Officer, this has nothing to do with memy mom made me come!"

I watched the whole circus without feeling a thing.

But then Josh suddenly snapped. He whipped toward me, howling like a rabid animal.

"This is YOUR fault! All of it, you piece of shit!"

The officers had him pinned, but he writhed like a worm, face twisted with rage, spit flying with every word.

"You RUINED me! I'm about to take my college entrance examsgetting dragged to a police station goes on my RECORD!"

His eyes were bloodshot, blazing with hatred.

"My dream of getting into a top university! You destroyed it! I curse you! I curse your whole family to die screaming! Even as a ghost, I won't let you go!"