For a few weeks, things were civil. Kayla moved in. She brought a single duffle bag and a stack of books. She chose Mason’s room first—he was younger, less territorial.
On the first Sunday, Nicole found a note slipped under her door. Four sentences, handwritten:
Nicole read it three times. She smiled.
The next Sunday’s letter was shorter. Then one week, there was no letter at all.
The sleeping rotation didn’t last long, either. Emily complained about sharing space. Mason started sleeping on the floor in protest. And Kayla—well, she withdrew even further.
By week six, the unspoken tension in the house was thick. Derek noticed. He tried to intervene, suggesting a family game night. Kayla didn’t show.
One night, after Nicole asked Kayla to take out the trash, the girl snapped: “You only want me here if I follow your rules. If I don’t, I’m out, right?”
Nicole froze.
Derek heard. So did Emily, from upstairs.
That was the beginning of the unraveling.
