Chapter 2

2

Sure enough, heavy banging shook our metal gate only a few minutes later.

Gwen’s furious voice exploded through the hallway, accompanied by vicious curses.

“Open the damn door, Kendra! You lying, two-faced bitch, how dare you spread filth about me behind my back!”

“Open up right now! Don't play dead in there, because I am not leaving until we settle this!”

Hearing the violent shouting, Kendra flinched, her face draining of color.

My mother’s relaxed expression froze, while my father and brother bolted straight into the back bedroom.

The entire family was paralyzed with fear. My mother and Kendra exchanged frantic glances while Gwen continued rattling the metal gate.

Within moments, other residents stepped out of their apartments to watch the spectacle, shouting for our family to open up.

Knowing she was trapped, Kendra grabbed my mother and pushed her toward the door.

Frightened by Kendra’s menacing glare, my mother had no choice but to drag her feet to the entrance.

The moment the lock clicked, Gwen shoved the gate open, knocking my mother hard against the sharp corner of the entryway console table.

My mother gasped in agony, clutching her abdomen as she collapsed onto the floor.

Yet nobody in the room cared, because all eyes were locked onto Kendra.

“You filthy bitch, you're the one telling everyone I cheat on my husband, aren't you!” Gwen screamed, pointing a trembling finger in Kendra’s face.

“Cheating? I hired a certified technician to repair my air conditioning unit, you psycho! How dare you make up sick lies about me!”

“I saw you hanging around with some shady guy at the mall last week. Maybe you're the one sneaking around behind your husband’s back! Dirty-minded sluts see dirt everywhere they look!”

Gwen stepped closer, looking ready to slap Kendra across the face.

Kendra, spitting mad after being showered with insults, prepared to lash out.

However, knowing she had zero evidence to back up her claims, she desperately scanned the room for a human shield.

Her eyes landed on me, and she yanked my arm, pulling me in front of her.

“Gwen, it’s a total misunderstanding! Clara told me all of this!” Kendra shrieked shamelessly. “I was fooled by this little liar! I swear I had no idea!”

“Get on your knees and apologize to Mrs. Fletcher right now, Clara! You worthless troublemaker, always running your filthy mouth!”

Kendra tried to force my shoulders down to make me take the blame, giving me no room to speak.

Gwen was not an idiot.

She violently shoved me aside and landed a resounding slap across Kendra’s cheek.

“Nice try, you manipulative snake! Pushing your sister-in-law out to take the fall while you play innocent!”

“Bullshit! I heard your loud, obnoxious voice through the door with my own ears! Don't you dare try to pin this on her!”

Dazed from the slap, Kendra let out a shrill scream and lunged at Gwen.

“You miserable old hag! You were flirting and laughing with that repairman right on your porch!” Kendra screeched.

“You’re projecting your own disgusting behavior onto me! Don't drag me down into your gutter!”

Within seconds, the two women were rolling on the floor, clawing at each other’s hair and trading blows.

Several neighbors rushed in to break up the brawl, but both women were completely unhinged. A bystander who tried to separate them ended up with scratches across his face.

Having no other choice, a neighbor dialed 911.

Two police officers arrived shortly after, finally tearing the two bruised women apart.

Faced with a neighborhood dispute, the officers tried to mediate and de-escalate the situation.

However, Gwen stood her ground, threatening to file a civil lawsuit for defamation and demanding compensation for severe emotional distress, backed by hallway witnesses.

Kendra trembled with fury at the mention of money.

Terrified of a public trial, she had to swallow her pride, offering a humiliated apology to Gwen under the officers’ stern gaze.

After intense negotiation, Gwen agreed to drop the charges in exchange for a five-thousand-dollar settlement.

Kendra glared at the officers before bitterly transferring the cash.

Tucking the money into her purse, Gwen smiled with satisfaction and marched out.

The crowd dispersed, leaving our living room trashed with broken knickknacks and ripped clumps of hair.

Before the officers left, they helped my groaning mother onto the couch.

It took several minutes for my mother to catch her breath, and her eyes were filled with deep resentment as she stared at Kendra.

Hearing the commotion die down, my father and Garrett finally crept out of their bedroom.

Having lost all dignity in front of the entire building, Kendra’s rage boiled over.

Seeing my brother nonchalantly scrolling through short videos on his phone, she snapped.

“Garrett! All you do is stare at your stupid phone! Where the hell were you when I was being attacked? Are you even a real man!”

She charged forward, snatched his phone from his hands, and smashed it onto the hardwood floor, shattering it into pieces.

No matter how passive my brother usually was, this crossed the line.

“Kendra, cut the crap! If you didn't have such a loose, gossiping mouth, none of this would have happened!” he roared.

“You just destroyed my brand-new phone! How the hell am I supposed to handle my work tomorrow?”

Realizing she had pushed him too far, Kendra grew uneasy.

She cast pleading looks around the room, hoping someone would step in to defuse the tension.

Right on cue, Toby burst into earsplitting wails from his room. The previous fight had terrified him into silence, but now he was letting his lungs out.

“Can’t you just buy another phone? Whatever, our son is crying, so I’m going to comfort him. I won't lower myself to argue with you!”

Using the child as an excuse, Kendra hurried into the bedroom.

Garrett slumped into a wooden chair, lighting a cigarette with trembling fingers.

I picked up my purse and said calmly, “I have an early shift tomorrow, so I'm heading out.”

Walking down the street under the cool night breeze, an intoxicating sense of joy washed over me.

I would never walk down that tragic path again.

In this life, I was going to live entirely for myself.