When I pulled into the driveway, I wasn’t expecting anything unusual. I had been gone for a month, attending a college prep program, and I was looking forward to coming home, sleeping in my own bed, and maybe even reminiscing about my mom in the quiet of the house she left behind.

But the moment I stepped onto the porch, my stomach twisted into a knot.

Suitcases. Several of them.

My suitcases.

My breath caught in my throat. I shoved the door open and stopped dead in my tracks.

A woman, someone I had never seen before, was sprawled across the couch in the living room, legs crossed, looking as comfortable as if she owned the place. And worse? She was wearing my late mother’s robe. The one I hadn’t been able to bring myself to move from the closet.

She tilted her head, sizing me up with an amused smirk.

“Oh,” she said, drawing out the word lazily. “You must be the girl Rick’s been letting stay here.”

The girl. That’s what she called me. Not the owner of the house. Not even by my name. Just “the girl.”

I clenched my fists. “Who are you?”

She leaned back, stretching as if she had all the time in the world. “I’m Sylvia. Rick’s girlfriend.”

I didn’t ask, but she continued anyway. “He said you’d be gone for good by now. Thought you’d come back to pick up your things. Well, no worries! I already did the packing for you.” She nodded towards the suitcases by the door.

I felt my body go cold.

“This is my house.” My voice was steady, but inside, I was fuming.

Sylvia laughed. “Oh, sweetie. No. This was your mother’s house. Rick’s been kind enough to let you stay, but it’s time for you to grow up and move out.”

I had never wanted to hit someone in my life. Not until that moment.

Instead, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “I’ll wait for Rick to give me my deposit back.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “No need for that.” Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it onto the table. “Here, take it. I want you out as soon as possible.”

For a moment, I stared at the money, my mind racing. Then, I made a decision.

Without a word, I grabbed the cash and picked up my bags. I stepped outside, walked to my car, and sat down in the driver’s seat. But I didn’t leave.

I stayed.

For an hour, I sat there, gripping the steering wheel, my knuckles white. Sylvia kept glancing out the window, her smug expression never wavering. She thought she had won. She thought I was nothing more than an inconvenience she had just handled.

And then my lawyer arrived.

I stepped out of my car just as David, my lawyer, pulled up. He was a sharp, no-nonsense man in his mid-forties, the kind of person who didn’t waste words. As soon as he saw my suitcases on the porch and Sylvia watching us from inside, he sighed.

“I figured it was something like this,” he muttered.

I didn’t need to explain much. I had already given him the heads-up about Rick, the promise I made to my mother, and how I had honored it for a full year. But this? This was a whole new level of betrayal.

David adjusted his tie, grabbed his briefcase, and walked straight to the front door. I followed behind, keeping my distance, letting him do what he did best.

Sylvia’s smirk faltered when she saw him. “Who are you?” she demanded.

David didn’t even blink. “I’m the lawyer representing the legal owner of this house.” He pulled out some papers from his briefcase and held them up. “And that owner is not Rick. It’s her.” He gestured toward me.

Sylvia’s face twisted. “That’s ridiculous! Rick lives here! He’s been taking care of things—”

David didn’t let her finish. “Rick was allowed to stay here temporarily. Out of generosity. That time is now over.”

Right then, the front door opened again, and Rick walked in.

He froze the moment he saw me standing next to David. Then his gaze darted to Sylvia, who was now looking very uncomfortable.

“What’s going on?” Rick asked, his voice guarded.

David turned to face him. “You’ve overstayed your welcome. The house belongs to my client. You need to leave. Both of you.”

Rick scoffed, trying to regain his composure. “Oh, come on, that’s not necessary. We just thought—”

“No, you thought,” I cut in, my voice firm. “You thought you could take over my house while I was gone. You thought I wouldn’t fight back.” I crossed my arms, feeling a surge of confidence. “But guess what? You were wrong.”

Sylvia let out a nervous laugh. “This can’t be possible,” she muttered, looking at Rick. “You told me I could live here! I have nowhere to go!”

Rick ran a hand through his hair, his face pale. “I— I thought we’d have more time.”

David didn’t give them an inch. “You don’t. You have exactly until tonight to remove your belongings, or we’ll call the police for trespassing.”

Sylvia snapped. “You can’t do this! We have rights!”

David raised an eyebrow. “Do you? Because unless you can prove you have a lease agreement, which you don’t, you have no rights here.”

Rick’s jaw clenched. He knew he was cornered.

I watched as Sylvia’s expression crumbled. She turned to Rick, whispering furiously. He looked down, avoiding her gaze. Clearly, he hadn’t been entirely honest with her either.

David extended a hand toward Rick. “The keys. Now.”

Rick hesitated, but he knew he had no choice. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the house key, and placed it in David’s palm.

Sylvia huffed, crossing her arms. “This is so unfair.”

I exhaled, finally feeling the weight on my chest start to lift. “No, what’s unfair is trying to kick someone out of their own home.”

With that, I turned and walked back to my car, my heart pounding but my mind clear.

I watched from the driver’s seat as they scrambled to gather their things, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. Sylvia kept muttering under her breath, throwing glares my way, but I didn’t care.

I had won.

I stepped out one last time just as David locked the front door and handed me the key.

“Welcome home,” he said, offering a small smile.

I smiled back, gripping the key tightly. “Thank you.”

And as Rick and Sylvia drove off, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

I had honored my mother’s last wish. I had given Rick time.

But now? Now it was time for me to move forward.

If you enjoyed this story, don’t forget to like, share, and comment! What would you have done in this situation? ⬇️