Chapter 6
Then I went back inside, turned off the lights, and opened the camera app. I waited.
Just as I expected, around one in the morning, the door across the hall cracked open.
Someone slipped out quietly.
It was Tiffany. She was in her pajamas, moving on tiptoe toward my door.
She looked left, then right, making sure the hallway was empty.
Then she crouched down and pulled out a small blade.
She slashed the trash bag hard.
I heard the rip even through the recording.
Oil and soup spilled out, spreading across the floor.
She didn't stop there. She kicked the bag hard.
It rolled away, spilling leftovers and garbage everywhere.
Then she smiled. It was a mean, satisfied smile.
She muttered something under her breath.
I couldn't hear the words, but I could see her lips moving. I knew they weren't kind.
After that, she went back inside as if she had just won something.
The camera caught everything. The video was clear. I could even see the twisted expression on her face.
I didn't rush out to confront her. I didn't send the video to the group chat either.
That move would only work once.
For someone like Tiffany, public pressure only made her behave temporarily. She would just find another way.
This time, I wanted something different. I wanted her to feel real fear. I wanted her to know that she should never mess with me.
I saved the video and backed it up to the cloud and my computer.
Then, I slipped back into bed, feeling calm.
I slept well that night.
*****
The next morning, I waited until ten.
By then, most people were awake, but it wasn't quite time for the lunchtime chaos yet.
I got dressed, picked up my phone, and walked across the hall. I rang the doorbell.
It rang for a long time. Finally, Rocky's voice came from inside, annoyed. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Belle from 1702," I replied.
My voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough.
The noise inside stopped.
After a moment, the door opened.
Jeremy stood there in his pajamas with messy hair, looking like he had just woken up.
When he saw me, he froze and looked a little embarrassed. "Belle? What are you doing here?"
I ignored him and glanced past him into the living room.
Tiffany and Rocky were sitting on the sofa, watching TV.
The moment Tiffany saw me, her face darkened.
"What do you want?" she snapped. "You're not welcome here."
I didn't waste time. I raised my phone.
The video was already playing.
It showed everything she did the night before.
Every move and every expression on her face was crystal clear.
Jeremy's eyes went wide in disbelief.
Rocky stood up from the couch, looking completely stunned.
Tiffany's face changed in an instant. The color drained from it.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
The video hit her like a slap.
I spoke then, my voice steady. "Mrs. Shelton, I'm giving you two choices.
"First, you and your husband go to my door right now. You clean up everything. I want the floor spotless.
"Then you go to every apartment on this floor and apologize. You tell them the mess in the hallway was done on purpose."
I spoke slowly, making sure they all understood every word.
Tiffany's body started to shake. It was not from fear, but from anger and shame.
For her, cleaning trash and apologizing in public was unbearable.
"You must be dreaming!" she shouted. "Why should I—"
"Because of this." I lifted my phone slightly. "This is your second choice. If you refuse, I'll call the police right now.
"You damaged my property on purpose. It may not cost much, but it's enough to get you in serious trouble.
"And this video goes to every group in the neighborhood. I'll write everything out. I'll explain how you tried to force me to pay, the noise you've been making, and the things you've been doing at night.
"Then we'll see who ends up leaving. You, or me."