I asked: "And what about mine?"

He frowned.

"You’re a girl, stop being so stubborn. The house will be part of the family later anyway."

I laughed.

"When did the pre-marital property my mother left for me become your family’s face?"

The thin veil of pretense finally fell off Liam’s face.

"There’s no point in talking like that."

He took a printed document out of his bag.

"Sign this supplementary agreement. It clearly states that you agree to let Mr. Henderson stay for three months, that he will advance the costs for the initial renovation, and that after we marry, the house will be officially turned into our marital home."

I looked down at the paper.

Party A: Chloe.

Party B: Mr. Henderson.

Witness: Liam.

My name was already printed.

It just needed my signature.

I asked: "Do the jewelry box and the copy of the property deed in my bedroom drawer also count as part of the initial renovation?"

Liam’s face tightened.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Who authorized you to enter my bedroom?"

"I’m your fiancé!"

A classmate walking by slowed down.

I handed the agreement back to him.

"A fiancé is not a property owner, nor is he my mother’s son."

His hand hung in mid-air.

"Chloe, think this through. My family paid the deposit for the hotel; all our relatives and friends have been notified. If you flip the table now, everyone will think you’re making a big deal out of nothing."

"Whatever they think doesn't change the facts."

Liam stared at me.

"The fact is, Mr. Henderson has an agreement in his hand. Property management can testify. I can also testify that you agreed to it."

I looked at him.

"You’re going to commit perjury, too?"

He tugged at his collar.

"Don't put it so harshly."

I walked around him.

He grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

He didn't pull; he just blocked my way.

"Sign it, and we can still have a proper wedding."

I stopped.

"Liam, the path you’re blocking today isn't mine."

I looked into his eyes.

"It’s your own way back."

He let go.

I got into a taxi.

As the door closed, he stood by the roadside, his phone pressed to his ear.

His lips moved quickly.

As if he were notifying someone.

Chapter 7

On Friday afternoon, I returned to the county town.

Julia met me at the station.

She was wearing a black jacket and holding a document folder.

"Regarding the public surveillance at your entrance, I had the lawyer send a letter demanding that the property management preserve it. They weren't happy about it, but your own camera and door lock records are sufficient."

I got into the car.

"What about the drawer?"

"Your bedroom door lock has an unlocking log. The manufacturer can provide an explanation. Give me your account."

I handed her my phone.

Julia scrolled through the logs, her expression darkening.

"Look here. On the seventh day after you left, at 1:08 AM, the bedroom door was opened with the spare key. Ten minutes later, the living room camera was unplugged."

I closed my eyes.

There was only one spare key.

It was kept in a small box behind the pen holder in the study.

The only person who knew about it was Liam.

Last year, on the anniversary of my mother's passing, I had too much to drink, and when he came to bring me medicine, I told him about it once.

He had laughed then.

"You hide things like a primary schooler."

Julia continued: "Stay calm. The more disgusting this is, the more complete our evidence will be."

When the car entered the compound, the guard at the gate looked at me several times.

Martha quickly came out from the property management desk.

"Ms. Chloe, you’re back?"

Her smile was stiff.

I didn't exchange pleasantries.

"I’m going back to my own home."

Martha blocked the elevator hall.

"Mr. Henderson’s family is inside right now. I suggest you avoid direct confrontation before your dispute is settled."

I took out the property certificate.

"I am the owner."

Martha glanced at it but didn't move aside.

"The management office is just worried about an incident."

Julia stepped forward and handed over the legal notice and authorization documents.

"Please cooperate with the owner so she can enter her own property. Otherwise, the fact that you are blocking an owner from returning home will be documented as well."

Martha’s smile faltered.

She turned to look at the security guard.

The guard lowered his head and didn't move.

The elevator doors opened.

Sarah stepped out.

She was wearing my beige slippers.

The ones my mother bought for me.

They had a small gardenia on the top.

She froze when she saw me, then lifted her chin.

"So you’re Chloe?"

I looked at the slippers on her feet.

"Take them off."

Sarah looked down, then laughed.

"It’s just a pair of slippers? Don't be so stingy."

I didn't raise my voice.

"Taking someone else’s things without permission is called theft. Wearing them on your feet doesn't make them yours."

Several owners in the lobby looked over.

Sarah couldn't handle the attention, but she wouldn't yield.

"My dad said we have an agreement. You coming back to kick us out now is a breach of contract."

I walked toward the elevator.

Martha blocked me again.

"Ms. Chloe, Mr. Henderson said everyone can talk together at seven o’clock tonight. An owner representative will be there, so it’s best not to go up now."

I glanced at my phone.

6:20.

They had even set the stage.

Public humiliation.

Forcing me to sign.

Pressing a fake agreement into a real fact.

I put the documents away.

"Fine."

Martha breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then will you wait in the management office meeting room first?"

"No."

I looked at the elevator numbers.

"I’ll wait at my front door."

At 7:00 PM sharp, my door opened.

The smell of stir-fried pork with chili drifted out from inside.

Mrs. Henderson poked her head out, wearing my pajama jacket.

When she saw me, her first words were:

"Oh, the landlord is back? Right on time to enter your own home, aren't you?"

Several neighbors nearby laughed.

Mr. Henderson was sitting in the main seat of my living room.

A stack of documents was spread across the coffee table.

Liam was standing by the window.

Martha placed her meeting logbook on the coffee table.

Uncle Zhou, the owner representative, had arrived too.

He was a neighbor from upstairs, usually quiet, but today he was clearly invited to be a witness.

I stood at the door.

Watching my familiar home occupied by them.

My mother’s memorial photo had been moved to the corner of the TV cabinet.

My study door was half-open.

The bedroom drawer had been ransacked.

Mr. Henderson pointed to the sofa.

"Sit down, Ms. Chloe. Let’s get this settled today."

Chapter 8

I did not sit.

"First, return my mother’s jewelry box to me."

Mrs. Henderson rolled her eyes.

"Searching for things the moment you return, as if someone stole from you."

Mr. Henderson pushed the agreement toward the edge of the coffee table.

"Sign the supplementary agreement, and it will save everyone the trouble. You acknowledge the boarding relationship, and we stay for the full three months. The renovation costs will offset the compensation, and as for how the marital home will be handled later, I’ll discuss it with Liam."

I looked at Liam.

He avoided my gaze.

Seeing this, Mr. Henderson’s smile deepened.

"See? Even your fiancé has no objections."

Uncle Zhou frowned and advised me.

"Young Lin, if there really is an agreement, it’s best to follow it. Between neighbors, let’s not take it to the point of calling the police."

I looked at the people filling the room.

They thought that because there were many of them, they could turn a lie into the truth.

But a house is not a stage for a play.

A crowd does not represent righteousness.

I walked into the bedroom.

The drawer was empty.

The jewelry box was gone.

The copy of the property deed was gone.

I returned to the living room.

Mrs. Henderson stood with her arms crossed.

"Finished looking? Don't say we took your things. Who would even want your trash?"

Sarah sat by the dining table, laughing under her breath.

"Some people just want to welsh on their debts."

Martha quickly added: "Ms. Chloe, don’t speak so harshly. The Henderson family moved in according to the agreement."

Liam finally spoke up.

"Chloe, don't call the police. If you call the police now, you’ll be ruining the marriage between our two families."

I looked at him.

"You know in your heart who ruined this marriage."

Mr. Henderson tapped the agreement.

"Today, you either sign the supplementary agreement or compensate me for my losses. Also, you said things went missing—where is the evidence?"

Mrs. Henderson pressed in as well.

"If you can't produce evidence, don't slander people. Our family of three is innocent."