Chapter 2 - The Sunday Invasion
Sunday morning arrived with crisp, almost mocking sunshine. I sat at my kitchen island sipping black coffee, watching the live feed from my new doorbell camera on my phone.
At exactly 10:00 a.m., a massive moving truck rumbled down my quiet street and parked directly across my driveway. My parents' SUV pulled in right behind it.
My heart hammered against my ribs — not from fear anymore. Pure, cold anticipation.
Through the camera I watched Kayla hop out of the passenger seat in leggings and a baseball cap, looking like a woman on a mission. My parents followed close behind. Kayla marched up to my blue front door, gripped the handle, and twisted.
Nothing happened.
She frowned and pumped it harder, then pulled out the old copy of my apartment key — the one my mother had used to dig through my closing documents — and jammed it into the new deadbolt. It wouldn't turn a single millimeter.
"Jenna!" Kayla pounded her fist against the wood. "Open the door! The movers are on the clock!"
I unlocked the door and opened it just a crack, the security chain still engaged.
"What are you doing, Kayla?" My voice came out completely flat.
"What does it look like?" she snapped, gesturing wildly at the moving truck. "I told you I was moving in today. Why'd you lock the door? My key isn't working."
"Your key doesn't work because I changed the locks Thursday night," I said. "And you're not moving in, because I already told you no."
My mother pushed past Kayla, her face twisted into a mask of maternal outrage. "Jenna Louise! Cut this childish nonsense out right now! Your sister already packed up her entire apartment. We have a lease ending. Stop being so incredibly selfish and let us in!"
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"I'm not letting anyone in," I said softly. "This is my house. Go away."
Before they could scream anything back, I closed the door and turned the deadbolt. The click echoed down the whole hallway. Outside, the shouting started.
