Chapter 1 · When Neighbors Crossed The Line

Housing prices had crashed, and I bought a house with cash right at the bottom of the market.

On the first day I moved in, a couple from next door stood in front of my door and blocked my way.

Rocky Shelton spoke first. He looked at me and asked, "You bought this house with cash, right?"

I nodded.

His wife, Tiffany Shelton, jumped in right after him. "Then you must have plenty of money," she said. "We still owe 100 thousand dollars on our mortgage. You should pay it off for us."

At first, I thought she was joking. I let out a small laugh and said, "You are very funny."

But her face turned stiff and serious. "I'm not joking. House prices dropped, and we lost money. You bought your house with cash, so you should make up for our loss."

*****

Housing prices had crashed, and I bought a house with cash right at the bottom of the market.

It was 1,200 square feet, fully renovated, and move-in ready.

I liked the neighborhood. I liked the layout.

But what mattered most was the price. It was almost half of what it had been at the peak.

My name is Belle White. I was twenty-eight. I ran a small business and had saved up over the years.

Buying this house drained everything I had.

Still, it gave me my first real home in this city.

The night I signed the papers, I was so happy I didn't sleep at all.

On my first morning there, I woke up early.

Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows and spread across the floor like a sheet of gold.

The whole place felt warm and full of promise.

I hummed to myself while I cleaned, enjoying every second. Then the doorbell rang.

I thought it might be property management or a delivery, so I opened the door without thinking.

A middle-aged couple stood outside.

The man looked to be in his early fifties. He wore an old tank top and kept his eyes down, avoiding mine.

The woman looked about the same age. Her hair was tightly permed, and her expression was sharp, almost judgmental.

They lived across from me.

I had seen them once when I moved in. I had smiled and said hello.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

The man, Rocky Shelton, said nothing. He nudged his wife forward.

Tiffany Shelton cleared her throat and leaned slightly to look past me into my living room.

"You bought this house with cash, right?" she asked.

I paused for a second. Then I nodded. "Yes."

Her eyes lit up right away. She stepped closer, like she had been waiting for that answer.

"Then you must have plenty of money," she said, her tone full of entitlement. "We still owe the bank 100 thousand dollars on our mortgage. You should pay it for us."

For a moment, I thought I had misheard her.

The hallway went quiet.

I looked at her, then at her husband. He still kept his head down.

Neither of them looked like they were joking.

I forced a smile. "That's funny."

Her face hardened instantly. A sharp, calculating look flashed in her eyes, the meanness plain to see. "I'm not joking.

"We bought at the peak. Back then, ten square feet cost over 20 thousand dollars.

"Now it's dropped to less than 10 thousand dollars. We've lost a fortune."

Her voice kept rising. She jabbed her finger toward my face. "Every single day, we wake up thinking about the mortgage. We can barely get by.

"And you? You paid cash and got a huge bargain.

"Since you benefited, you should compensate those of us who lost money.

"100 thousand dollars isn't much for someone like you, right?"

The smile disappeared from my face.

That was the moment it really sank in. This wasn't a bad joke. It was absurd.

It felt like being robbed in broad daylight.

I straightened and said calmly, "Mrs. Shelton, first, housing prices rise and fall because of market forces. It has nothing to do with me.

"Second, every dollar I used to buy this house was earned through my own work. It didn't fall from the sky.

"Third, I have no responsibility to cover your investment loss."

My voice stayed even, but every word was clear.

Her expression darkened.

Rocky finally looked up. His voice was soft, almost pleading. "Belle, we're neighbors. Neighbors should help each other, right? We really don't have any other choice."

I looked at him. "If you don't have a choice, does that mean you can just take from me?"

That set Tiffany off. She shoved him aside. "Why are you talking so nicely to her?

"Listen to me. You are giving us that money today.

"If you don't, we'll sit right outside your door every single day. Let's see how you live here then."

As she spoke, she tried to push past me into the house.

I didn't expect her to get physical. My body moved back on instinct, and I braced my shoulder against the doorframe to block her.

She didn't manage to get inside. She ran into the door instead and stumbled.

Her face twisted with anger. "You dare stop me, huh?

"You're heartless. You took our hard-earned money. How do you even sleep at night?"

She started shoving my shoulder with both hands while shouting.

I held the door with one hand and pushed her back with the other. "Please show some respect.

"If you touch me again, I won't be polite."

"You won't be polite?" she screamed. "Let's see what you can do."

She lunged again, surprisingly strong.

Chapter 1

Housing prices had crashed, and I bought a house with cash right at the bottom of the market.

On the first day I moved in, a couple from next door stood in front of my door and blocked my way.

Rocky Shelton spoke first. He looked at me and asked, "You bought this house with cash, right?"

I nodded.

His wife, Tiffany Shelton, jumped in right after him. "Then you must have plenty of money," she said. "We still owe 100 thousand dollars on our mortgage. You should pay it off for us."

At first, I thought she was joking. I let out a small laugh and said, "You are very funny."

But her face turned stiff and serious. "I'm not joking. House prices dropped, and we lost money. You bought your house with cash, so you should make up for our loss."

*****

Housing prices had crashed, and I bought a house with cash right at the bottom of the market.

It was 1,200 square feet, fully renovated, and move-in ready.

I liked the neighborhood. I liked the layout.

But what mattered most was the price. It was almost half of what it had been at the peak.

My name is Belle White. I was twenty-eight. I ran a small business and had saved up over the years.

Buying this house drained everything I had.

Still, it gave me my first real home in this city.

The night I signed the papers, I was so happy I didn't sleep at all.

On my first morning there, I woke up early.

Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows and spread across the floor like a sheet of gold.

The whole place felt warm and full of promise.

I hummed to myself while I cleaned, enjoying every second. Then the doorbell rang.

I thought it might be property management or a delivery, so I opened the door without thinking.

A middle-aged couple stood outside.

The man looked to be in his early fifties. He wore an old tank top and kept his eyes down, avoiding mine.

The woman looked about the same age. Her hair was tightly permed, and her expression was sharp, almost judgmental.

They lived across from me.

I had seen them once when I moved in. I had smiled and said hello.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

The man, Rocky Shelton, said nothing. He nudged his wife forward.

Tiffany Shelton cleared her throat and leaned slightly to look past me into my living room.

"You bought this house with cash, right?" she asked.

I paused for a second. Then I nodded. "Yes."

Her eyes lit up right away. She stepped closer, like she had been waiting for that answer.

"Then you must have plenty of money," she said, her tone full of entitlement. "We still owe the bank 100 thousand dollars on our mortgage. You should pay it for us."

For a moment, I thought I had misheard her.

The hallway went quiet.

I looked at her, then at her husband. He still kept his head down.

Neither of them looked like they were joking.

I forced a smile. "That's funny."

Her face hardened instantly. A sharp, calculating look flashed in her eyes, the meanness plain to see. "I'm not joking.

"We bought at the peak. Back then, ten square feet cost over 20 thousand dollars.

"Now it's dropped to less than 10 thousand dollars. We've lost a fortune."

Her voice kept rising. She jabbed her finger toward my face. "Every single day, we wake up thinking about the mortgage. We can barely get by.

"And you? You paid cash and got a huge bargain.

"Since you benefited, you should compensate those of us who lost money.

"100 thousand dollars isn't much for someone like you, right?"

The smile disappeared from my face.

That was the moment it really sank in. This wasn't a bad joke. It was absurd.

It felt like being robbed in broad daylight.

I straightened and said calmly, "Mrs. Shelton, first, housing prices rise and fall because of market forces. It has nothing to do with me.

"Second, every dollar I used to buy this house was earned through my own work. It didn't fall from the sky.

"Third, I have no responsibility to cover your investment loss."

My voice stayed even, but every word was clear.

Her expression darkened.

Rocky finally looked up. His voice was soft, almost pleading. "Belle, we're neighbors. Neighbors should help each other, right? We really don't have any other choice."

I looked at him. "If you don't have a choice, does that mean you can just take from me?"

That set Tiffany off. She shoved him aside. "Why are you talking so nicely to her?

"Listen to me. You are giving us that money today.

"If you don't, we'll sit right outside your door every single day. Let's see how you live here then."

As she spoke, she tried to push past me into the house.

I didn't expect her to get physical. My body moved back on instinct, and I braced my shoulder against the doorframe to block her.

She didn't manage to get inside. She ran into the door instead and stumbled.

Her face twisted with anger. "You dare stop me, huh?

"You're heartless. You took our hard-earned money. How do you even sleep at night?"

She started shoving my shoulder with both hands while shouting.

I held the door with one hand and pushed her back with the other. "Please show some respect.

"If you touch me again, I won't be polite."

"You won't be polite?" she screamed. "Let's see what you can do."

She lunged again, surprisingly strong.