It was a normal day until I walked into the kitchen and stopped short. Flour and sugar covered every surface, making it look like a tornado had ripped through. Alice and Sarah were there, glaring at me.

“Did you try to bake last night?” Alice asked sharply.

I shook my head, confused. “No, I wasn’t even home.”

“Sure,” Sarah muttered, rolling her eyes. “Just clean it up, okay? You’re on cleaning duty this week.”

I sighed and grabbed a cloth, starting to clean the mess. As I wiped down the counter, a nagging feeling grew in my mind.

Why were they so hostile all of a sudden?

I glanced at Alice and Sarah. They were whispering to each other, throwing suspicious looks my way. My stomach churned with unease. Something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

As I cleaned, I thought about the past few days. Everything had seemed normal until now. What changed? Why were they blaming me for this mess? I wasn’t even home last night, so I knew I wasn’t behind the mess.

When I finished cleaning, I left the kitchen, feeling more confused than ever. I needed to find out what was going on and why my roommates were acting this way.

Little did I know this was just the beginning of the terrible events that awaited me.

A few days later, I came home to find Sarah’s favorite vase shattered on the living room floor.

“Look what you did!” Sarah yelled at me in tears.

I stood there, shocked. “I wasn’t even here!” I protested, feeling the unfairness of the accusation.

“Stop lying!” Alice said harshly. “We know it was you! You’ve been so careless lately!”

“WHAT?” I felt cornered and defensive. “Why would I break Sarah’s vase? I had no reason to! Besides, I was out all day!” I said in my defense.

But Alice and Sarah weren’t listening.

They continued to glare at me, their faces twisted with anger. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Their sudden hostility, the mess in the kitchen, and now this broken vase — it all felt too convenient.

Since I was on cleaning duty for the whole week, of course, I had to deal with this mess, too.

I bent down to pick up the pieces of the vase, and it was then I overheard Alice and Sarah whispering in the hallway.

“Once she’s out,” Alice said, her voice low, “we can finally have the place to ourselves.”

“And then he can move in,” Sarah replied. “He’s already agreed, right?”

My heart sank. Could they be setting me up to get rid of me? The thought made my stomach churn.

“Why are you doing this?” I finally asked, my voice shaking. “Why are you blaming me for things I didn’t do?”

Neither of them answered.

Instead, they exchanged a look that made me feel even more isolated. I felt tears welling up in my eyes but fought them back. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

I finished cleaning up the vase and retreated to my room, feeling more confused and hurt than ever. I had to figure out what was going on.

Were they determined to make me look bad because they wanted me out? And who was this person they were talking about moving in?

As I lay on my bed, I resolved to find out the truth. I couldn’t continue living like this, under a cloud of suspicion and blame.

Two days later, I was called to a house meeting. I walked into the living room, and the air was thick with tension. Alice and Sarah were visibly upset.

“We’ve had enough!” Alice shouted, her face flushed with anger. “You don’t contribute anything and just take up space.”

I was taken aback. I couldn’t understand her sudden outburst. Taking a deep breath, I tried to keep my composure.

“That’s not true, Alice,” I replied, finally finding the courage to speak up. “I’ve always paid my share and kept things clean! It’s you guys who are making things difficult for me without any reason!”

Sarah stepped forward with a smug expression. “We’ve convinced Ms. Anderson not to renew your lease!”

My heart sank, but I refused to back down. “Why are you doing this? What did I do to deserve this?”

Alice and Sarah exchanged a glance. “You’re in the way,” Alice finally said, her voice quieter but still hostile.

“In the way of what?” I demanded.

Alice hesitated, and Sarah jumped in. “It doesn’t matter. You need to leave!”

I knew something was off. “Is this about someone else moving in? You mentioned someone the other day.”

Sarah’s face turned red, and Alice’s eyes widened. “That’s none of your business!” Alice snapped.

But it all started to make sense. “Or maybe it’s about your boyfriend, Steve?” I guessed, watching their reactions closely.

Alice looked furious. “How did you know about that?”

“I overheard you talking. You want Steve to move in, don’t you? You think if you push me out, he can take my place.”

Sarah’s smug expression faltered as she looked to Alice for support. “So what if we do? Steve needs a place, and you’re just a burden.”

I felt a mix of anger and sadness. “You could have just talked to me about it instead of making up lies and setting me up,” I said. “We’re roommates, guys.”

Alice crossed her arms, glaring at me. “It’s too late now. We’ve already talked to Ms. Anderson.”

I took a deep breath, knowing I had to stay strong. “I’ll talk to Ms. Anderson myself,” I replied. “I won’t let you force me out without a fair fight.”

After leaving the living room, I knew I had to talk to our landlord directly. I made my way to her office, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door.

“Come in,” Ms. Anderson called.

I entered and sat down across from her, my heart pounding. “Ms. Anderson, I need to talk to you about my roommates, Alice and Sarah. They’ve been trying to force me out to make room for Alice’s boyfriend, Steve.”

Ms. Anderson looked concerned. “I’ve heard some complaints, but I didn’t know it was this serious. Tell me everything.”

I explained about the mess in the kitchen, the broken vase, and the hostile house meeting. “They’ve been blaming me for things I didn’t do, just to make me look bad,” I said, my voice shaking with emotion.

Ms. Anderson sighed. “I’ve allowed them some input on lease renewals, but you can move out anytime without penalty. Do you think that’s a good option for you? I know they’ve been unreasonable.”

I quickly did the math about the rent, and a wave of relief washed over me. “Thank you, Ms. Anderson. I think it’s best if I leave.”

She nodded. “I’ll make sure they follow the rules. Any new tenant needs to give three months’ notice so that Steve guy can’t move in right away.”

I felt a spark of hope. “That gives me some time to find a new place.”

Ms. Anderson smiled kindly. “If you need any help, let me know.”

I thanked her and left the office, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

A week later, while Alice and Sarah were visiting family, my friends and I moved all my belongings out quickly. We worked efficiently, taking everything that belonged to me, including the cat tower I built with my mom. It felt good to reclaim my space and belongings.

“This is the last of it,” my friend Jenny said, carrying a box to the car. “Are you sure you want to take the cat tower?”

I smiled, feeling a bit emotional. “Yeah, I built it with my mom. It means a lot to me.”

“Good call,” Jenny nodded, placing the box carefully. “You deserve to have all your stuff with you.”

Once everything was out, I neatly stacked Alice and Sarah’s things in the living room. “Make sure we get good pictures,” I said, handing my phone to my friend Mark. “I don’t want any confusion about what belongs to whom.”

Mark snapped a few photos, then looked up and nodded. “Got it. They can’t argue with this.”

After handing the keys to Ms. Anderson, I felt a sense of triumph. “Thanks for everything,” I said to her. “I’m glad this is over.”

Ms. Anderson smiled. “Take care, Bianca. I hope your new place brings you peace.”

“Me too,” I replied, feeling lighter.

As we drove away, Jenny turned to me and said, “Guess they shouldn’t have underestimated your contributions.”

I laughed, imagining their shock when they returned to find a half-empty house and the rent due for three more months because of the lease clause.

While sitting in Ms. Anderson’s office, I had made a plan. I knew that if I left, Alice and Sarah would struggle to cover the rent until Steve moved in.

“They’ll be in for quite a surprise,” I said, blocking Alice and Sarah on all platforms. I didn’t want them to contact me ever again.

Days later, I heard through the grapevine how furious they were. They hadn’t expected me to leave so smoothly and leave them with the financial burden. Their plan backfired spectacularly, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sweet justice.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one: Single mom Lucy was settling down for a quiet evening at home when a call from her son’s teacher sends her racing out the door. Her son was missing, and nothing was going to stop Lucy from finding him.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.