After I bought my new home outright, my relatives organized a housewarming party to celebrate.

During dinner, my nephew Leo suddenly said, “You’re just a spinster living alone in a huge apartment. What do you need all that space for? I happen to be getting married soon. That’s a huge deal. You should transfer the place to me. I’ll even cover the transfer fee.”

I was stunned.

“Are you out of your mind?”

His mother Linda said, “How can you be so ungrateful? Him using your place for his newlywed life is doing you a favor. It’ll bring you good luck! Other people would jump at the chance!”

The son and mother were united against me. “Anyway, tomorrow’s a great day. Grab the property deed and come with us to transfer ownership!”

I rejected them without hesitation and called them crazy.

Who knew they would get so furious that they would storm into my brand-new apartment and go on a rampage, smashing everything in sight. They even said smugly, “We need to show you our family doesn’t get pushed around! Go ahead and call the police! What proof do you even have that it was us?”

What they did not know was that I had installed surveillance cameras on the day I moved in.

When I bought my new apartment and finished the renovations, my cousin-in-law, Linda Jackson, who I had not heard from in years, suddenly tagged me in our family group chat.

[Wendy, I heard you bought a new apartment! That’s such a big deal. You’ve got to treat the family to dinner to celebrate! By the way, there’s a new restaurant that just opened near my place. Your nephew and cousin really want to try it out. Let’s do it this weekend!]

Then, my cousin, Brad Jackson, chimed in and tagged me too.

[Wow, you’re really doing well, Wendy! If you can pay for an apartment in full, covering a simple dinner bill must be nothing for you.]

I was speechless.

All I could think of was, ‘What does me buying an apartment have to do with you? And you expect me to treat you? Are you kidding me?’

I retorted right in the group chat.

[Oh? Are you volunteering to help me move? Also, there’s a tradition of giving gifts to people who move into a new apartment. Nothing too much, five hundred dollars from each of you will do.]

I made sure to tag Brad and Linda directly.

Brad and his family were not decent people. They were sly, lazy, greedy, and fond of freeloading.

I thought that mentioning money would make them back off, but to my surprise, Linda actually responded. [Oh, come on, a house-warming gift is a must, but what really matters is the bond we share as family! It’s been so long since we’ve caught up. Let’s meet in person to talk!]

Brad chimed in as well. [Exactly! Moving into a new place is such a happy occasion, and of course, we’ll bring house-warming gifts! How about this? Dinner is on me this time. What do you say?]

I was stunned. Were these really my cousins?

At the restaurant, we were halfway through dinner when my nephew, Leo Jackson, suddenly raised his glass.

“Aunt Wendy, this toast is to you! I’ll empty mine first!”

What was this about?

I raised my glass as well and pretended to play along, but when everyone else was looking down, I discreetly poured the drink out.

After finishing the drink, Leo said, “Aunt Wendy, isn’t this perfect timing? I recently started seeing someone. We’re planning to get married soon. How about letting me stay at your place for a while?”

In that instant, I realized what they wanted.

No wonder they had gone out of their way to reconnect, invite me out, and even toast me. Their goal was clear as day!

I bluntly rejected him. “If you’re getting married and don’t have a house, that’s your parents’ problem. What does it have to do with me? If you don’t have a place, stop pretending otherwise and just be honest!”

Leo immediately lost his cool.

“You can’t talk to me like that! Just because you’re my aunt, you think you get to tell me what to do? Besides, you’re just a spinster living alone in a huge apartment. What do you need all that space for? My wedding is a big deal. You should transfer the place to me. I’ll even cover the transfer fee!”

I looked at Linda in shock.

“How long has your son been like this? After all these years, have you never thought about getting his head checked?”

“Watch your mouth! My son is a golden boy! Even without a house or a car, women are throwing themselves at him!” Linda glared at me. Her tone was sharp and cutting. “No wonder you’re still single at your age. With that nasty attitude, what man could put up with you?”

“Wow, your son must be a real catch if women are fighting over him. Yet somehow, he still needs my house to get married? Right, it makes total sense,” I retorted sarcastically.

Linda’s face turned bright red from anger.

“How can you be so ungrateful? Him using your house for his newlywed life is doing you a favor. It’ll bring you good luck! Other people would jump at the chance! Wendy, your sharp tongue won’t get you anywhere!”

Brad slammed his hand on the table and stood up. His tone was deadly serious. “We’re not joking. This is serious! My son is the rightful heir of the family. Everything should revolve around him! Now that he’s getting married to carry on the family line, it’s a major event. All of us should be paving the way for him! It’s just a house, do you really have to be so stingy?”

“Exactly! You’re Leo’s aunt. It’s not just the right thing for you to do, but your duty!” Linda chimed in. “Fine, we’ll trade houses with you. That way, you won’t be losing out!” she added.

I almost burst out laughing in disbelief.

My house was in a new building in the heart of the city’s most vibrant district. It was a spacious three-bedroom apartment of over 1,200 square feet.

Meanwhile, Brad and Linda lived in a run-down, 30-year-old unit in the outskirts. It was a tiny, 700-square-foot two-bedroom walk-up in a crumbling complex.

How on earth did they have the audacity to propose an apartment swap?

With his parents leading the charge, Leo seemed emboldened. He puffed out his chest and declared proudly, “I’m the eldest grandson of this generation. The entire family should prioritize me!”

“Eldest grandson? So what?”

I slammed my spoon down on the table.

“If you’re sick, go get treated! Stop acting crazy in public!”

“Have you no manners, Wendy?” Linda immediately screeched.

“All the elders are fine with it. What right do you have to object? Anyway, tomorrow’s a great day. Grab the property deed and come with us to transfer ownership!

“That isn’t a question. It’s an order!”

The sheer entitlement in her tone! If anyone did not know better, they would have thought they paid for the house.

Absolutely ridiculous and laughable.

What was even more outrageous was that not a single person at the table spoke up for me, not even my own parents. They just sat there in silence.

I did not want to stay any longer. Grabbing my bag, I stood up and sneered at them. “Sure, go ahead. You can wait for me at the courthouse tomorrow!”

Later that night, after I got home, my parents actually came into my room to talk. They tried to persuade me to let it go. “You know how Brad’s family is. Just let it go.”

Of course I would not make a fuss. Who argued with lunatics anyway?

The next day, I hired a moving company. Just as I finished arranging all the furniture in my new place, I received a phone call from Linda.

“Wendy! Leo and I have been waiting at the courthouse all morning. Where the hell are you?”

I could not help but laugh.

“Seriously, Linda? You actually believed me? You must be out of your mind if you think you’re getting my house!”

Linda was furious. She yelled, “Wendy, how can you be so untrustworthy! You promised yesterday that you’d transfer the property, and now you’re backing out? Are you messing with us?”

I calmly replied, “Yep, I’m messing with you. What are you going to do about it?”

I moved the phone away from my ear right away. Even from a distance, her scream was loud and clear. “Wendy, you son of a…”

I hung up the phone without a second thought.

It was a great day for moving. I was not about to let a bunch of nasty people ruin my mood.

I focused on making the place feel like home: setting up the bed, cleaning every corner, decorating the living room. By the time I was done arranging everything, the sky had already turned dark.

I collapsed onto the big bed in my bedroom. My mind was filled with nothing but dreams of the happy life ahead.

A few days later, I came home from work. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of my parents sitting in the living room with Brad’s family. They were casually snacking on peanuts, chatting, and laughing like they owned the place.

As soon as my mom saw me, she smiled and greeted me. “Oh, there you are, Miss Busybody! You’re so hard to catch these days. Your cousin’s family has been here all day, and we’re starving. Go whip up something to eat, will you?”

I stormed into the living room.

“Mom, Dad, how many times do I have to tell you? Don’t bring outsiders into my place!”

“Outsiders?” Linda shot me a sideways glance. “This is my son’s marital home! Us being here is completely justified. Have you gone senile after just a few days?”

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm.

“The deed has my name on it. When did it become your son’s marital home?”

“You have the nerve to bring up the deed? I have yet to settle the score with you on that!”

Linda scattered peanut shells all over the floor.

“People are nothing without integrity! Don’t you understand this basic principle even though you’re in your thirties? You promised to transfer the place. Why did you bail on us?”

I clenched my teeth.

“Why should I transfer the place to your son? Doesn’t he have parents?”

“Wendy, you’re unbelievable! Leo’s getting married. That’s a big deal! You need to think about the bigger picture. Can’t you show some consideration for the family as a whole?”

Brad banged his hand clutching a cigarette on the table so hard it nearly cracked.

“Can’t you make a little sacrifice for the sake of the family? Besides, your parents didn’t object, so what gives you the right to say no?”

I could not help but marvel at the sheer audacity of Brad and Linda. They had the gall to dress up stealing my place as some noble act of family honor.

Reasoning with people like this is pointless. They were nothing but shameless bullies.

In that case, I decided to stop playing nice.

I plopped down on the couch and gave the three of them a scrutinizing look.

“All right, if Leo is willing to become my adopted son, I’ll happily provide the place and the money for his wedding!”

Linda jumped up from her seat and glared at me.

“Wendy, have you lost your mind? I gave you a chance, but you just didn’t know how to take it!”

I decided to fight fire with fire.

“If Leo’s marriage is such a monumental event for the family, then not just him, even Brad becoming my son would be perfectly reasonable! After all, Brad, you need to think about the bigger picture. What’s a little sacrifice on your part if it means Leo gets a place for his marriage? Even I am willing to compromise and call you my son. I’d give everything I have to help my grandson get married!”

Brad nearly exploded with rage. He jumped up and lunged at me.

“Wendy, you’re out of your mind! Single women like you always end up crazy…”

Before he could finish, I grabbed a nearby clothes rack and swung it hard. He did not see it coming and went crashing to the floor.

I glared down at him.

“You think you can cause trouble in my place? Get out of here before I beat the hell out of you!”