Chapter 1

I'd lent my newlywed house to my pregnant cousin, Flora Fletcher, so she could stay there for a while.

After my business trip, I came home, dragging my suitcase behind me.

An old lady opened the door, frowned, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

The living room was packed with seven or eight people eating and laughing around the table.

My house was now basically their family cafeteria.

Flora came out of my bedroom, grinning. "Hey Jade, you're back! My in-laws are all here, and your place is perfect for all of us."

I didn't say a word. I quietly backed out, shutting the door.

Then I pulled out my phone and opened the smart lock app.

*****

The hallway light activated as the door closed, casting a cold glow on my face.

Inside, the noise suddenly stopped, like someone had hit pause.

I saw their stunned faces.

I gave them no time to react.

The cold phone light lit my blank face as I opened the smart lock app.

Its golden key icon symbolized my dreams for a future home.

Now, it was my weapon to settle the score.

My finger slid across the cold screen without hesitation.

"Change Password."

I created a new 16-character password with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.

A password even I would struggle to recall, complex, cryptic, mine alone.

I hit "Confirm."

A green message appeared, "Password changed successfully." It felt like a victory.

Next, I opened up the fingerprint manager.

On the screen, a few saved fingerprints were listed out.

"Jade Rivers"

"Flora Fletcher."

I pressed Flora's fingerprint, and a red trash can icon appeared.

"Are you sure you want to delete this fingerprint?"

I tapped "Confirm."

In that moment, it felt like removing a long-standing toxicity inside me.

I finally found the rarely used "Lockdown Mode" feature.

Once on, only the admin inside can grant entry, even with a key.

I tapped it.

A red warning flashed, "Once Lockdown Mode is on, no one can enter. Think twice before proceeding!"

I didn't flinch hitting "Confirm."

I heard the lock's soft whir.

It's done.

For now, this house, forged with my blood, sweat, and shame, was mine once more.

I only breathed after everything was done.

My phone screen flashed "Backstabber" almost instantly.

That was the contact name I set for Flora.

I watched it light up, picturing Flora's fake, desperate face.

I declined immediately.

For a split second, the world was quiet.

Another call came from an unfamiliar number, likely Flora's in-laws.

It was obvious one of her in-laws was trying their luck.

I hung up again.

My phone flooded with notifications, all full of accusations and curses.

[Jade, what are you doing?]

[Open the door! What are you trying to pull?!]

[Are you out of your mind? Open up!]

I didn't open them; I just swiped down, tapped the airplane icon, and turned on airplane mode.

Put my phone in airplane mode.

The world suddenly went silent.

I pulled my 24-inch suitcase down the empty hallway to the elevator.

The elevator doors showed my pale, calm face with cold eyes I barely recognized.

I took a cab to a five-star hotel downtown instead of going home.

I showed my ID as the front desk clerk smiled politely, contrasting my inner turmoil.

I swiped my keycard and entered, the carpet muffling every sound.

I threw my suitcase in the corner and collapsed onto the soft bed.

With my face in a fragrant pillow, I finally gasped for air.

The city's hustle was just a wall away.

I pictured their shock, fury, and cursing as they hammered on the locked door.

Flora's harsh mother-in-law was likely shouting fierce curses in her hometown slang.