Marcus paused at the door and looked at me with a trace of impatience.
“Miss, give me some space so we can meet again someday.”
“I met you at work. You and I should be in the same company.”
“I’m your supervisor at the company. I hope you can be just as tough at work.”
I understood the threat behind his words. But it didn’t make any sense to me. After all, I worked at my own company. Of course, I was tough enough. So, I didn’t respond.
I just turned around and walked straight into the living room. He probably thought his words had frightened me because his tone turned smug.
“That’s right, you young women don’t have much social experience.”
“We’re neighbors, after all…”
Before he could finish, I pushed the Shrewsbury cake he had brought back into his arms.
“Sorry, I don’t usually eat cake.”
“You should take them back.”
The proud smile on his face froze. Marcus looked awkward for a second, his mouth moving as if to say something. But in the end, he stayed silent. He gave a short snort and walked away with the cake still in his hands.
Just as Marcus left, my phone buzzed. Another message from Yvonne appeared.
[Did my husband just go to see you? Hurry and clean up room 1209. My mother-in-law is coming from the countryside tomorrow with the kids and my brother.]
[By the way, my brother-in-law is quite handsome. I can introduce him to you. You live alone, so you probably don’t have a boyfriend, right?]
[From now on, we’ll be a family. It’ll be lively and wonderful.]
Her messages came one after another, popping up nonstop. I really couldn’t understand how this family thought. It was pointless to argue with fools. Every time I replied to her, I felt like my IQ dropped. So, I stopped responding completely and left the flatmates’ group chat.
I thought that would finally be the end of it.
The next morning was the weekend. I planned to walk my dog, Bella, in the morning. After that, I would visit my parents at my old house later in the day. But when I got home from walking Bella, I saw that the door to 1209 next door was wide open.
Startled, I quickly went inside with Bella. The moment I entered, I saw Marcus standing there. Next to him were a woman in her thirties, an older woman in her sixties and a little boy who looked around seven or eight years old.
The woman was clearly Yvonne. The older woman and the boy must have been the mother-in-law and child she had mentioned yesterday. They didn’t even notice me.
Instead, they walked slowly around the living room while their curious eyes examined the furniture and decorations like they were already moving in.
“Not bad, not bad. This flat is really nice,” Mrs. Eden said happily.
“I’m enjoying your blessing by living here.”
Anger rushed through me. I strode forward and shouted, “How did you get in? This is my house! Get out right now!”
Mrs. Eden frowned at my words.
“Yvonne, is this the girlfriend you mentioned introducing to Michael?” she asked.
“The house looks nice, but this girl doesn’t seem polite at all.”
“With such a bad temper, how could she ever serve Michael well in the future?”
While she spoke, her eyes suddenly landed on Bella. She took a quick step back, grabbing her grandson’s hand tightly.
“Why are you still keeping this beast? Get rid of it right away!”
“Look at the clothes it’s wearing! They must have cost a fortune.”
“My dear grandson, stay away from it, or that dog might hurt you.”
I was beyond angry.
“Get out of here right now!” I yelled.
“You’re trespassing! Get out of my house!”
