Chapter 5

Just as the residents' group chat had quieted down, my doorbell suddenly rang.

I peeked through the peephole and saw Karen standing at my door with her hands on her hips, looking displeased.

Before I could think much, she started banging on the door aggressively.

Lily was behind her mother, tugging at her clothes, trying to persuade her to go home.

Karen spat out a curse, calling her daughter "useless girl," and pushed her away. She then crossed her arms and looked me up and down as if appraising merchandise.

"You weren't sleeping just now, so why didn't you say anything in the group chat? Are you mute or did your hands fall off?"

"Given that you live on the same floor as us, your household is the most suspicious. While others only need to pay one share, you must pay two. And you'll be responsible for all the fruit. Pregnant women need the most expensive fruits for nutrition and health. You'd better not try to fool us with cheap, pesticide-laden stuff."

I'm the only woman living in my apartment, and there's no medical miracle that could have made her daughter pregnant.

Having witnessed the whole thing, I was fully aware of Karen's shamelessness and was about to close the door.

There's no point in saying another word to someone like her.

Karen was surprisingly strong, forcefully holding the almost-closed door with one hand.

But her hand got caught, and a few spots of blood appeared where the skin broke.

"You black-hearted little whore, are you blind? If you don't pay a thousand dollars in compensation today, see if I'll let you off easy."

She then sat down on my doorstep, hugging my leg and wailing dramatically. No matter how much I tried to shake her off or how red-faced her daughter was trying to pull her away, it was all useless.

I glanced at my phone, which had vibrated a few times. It was a private message from Jenny in 501.

Jenny (501): "Hang in there, sister. I've called the police for you."

Jenny (501): "Let the police deal with this lunatic, otherwise you might not be able to get rid of her today."

Jenny (501): "Let the police lock her up for a few days, see if she dares to make trouble again."

Attached at the end was a gleeful emoji.

Unfortunately, Jenny's hopes were dashed. The police just wanted to smooth things over, suggesting I pay Karen $50 for medical expenses to resolve the matter.

Karen was like a victorious rooster. Seeing the police leave, she kicked my door hard and gloated.

"You little bitch, you think I can't deal with you? Pay up obediently, or else... Hmph!"

I was so angered by this shameless person that my heart ached. I took a pill of the heart medication my dad had left at my place, and only then did I manage to calm down.