Upon returning home from a work trip, Stella settled back into her normal routine, which included reviewing her home surveillance footage to ensure her property remained secure while she was gone. To her shock, she discovered that uninvited visitors had made themselves comfortable in her backyard, hosting a full Independence Day celebration. She sat at her desk in her loungewear, waiting for the video files to open, remembering a recent conversation with her boyfriend. The two of them had watched a documentary about a house-sitter who took over an estate, throwing wild parties and cleaning up just before the owners arrived. At the time, Nathan had remarked, “The mice really do come out to play when the cat is away,” adding, “You can’t trust people in your own home.” Stella had agreed completely, saying, “I know!”
Her main motivation for checking the cameras was to see if her neighbors, the Jacobs family, had caused any trouble. They had been a constant source of frustration, frequently complaining or contacting the authorities about noise. Their primary grievance had been the installation of her pool, which admittedly had been quite loud during construction. Nathan had comforted her once the project was finished, encouraging her to invite her friends over by saying, “You’re young, and you’re entitled to have pool parties, Stella.” She had replied, “I know that,” but noted, “But they seem to hate it. Also, they’re not an old couple, and their kids are teenagers, so they should be used to noise. I hear them having people over, too.” Nathan had simply advised, “Just keep doing your own thing,” and added, “We love our parties here at your house.”
Watching the footage of the Jacobs family enjoying a major holiday party in her backyard made Stella’s blood boil. There they were, relaxing and splashing around in her pool, enjoying her property without her knowledge or consent. Angry and feeling violated, she shut her computer, grabbed her keys, and marched over to their house. What bothered her most was the sheer hypocrisy of the situation, given how much they had complained about her in the past. To comfort herself slightly, she thought, “At least they didn’t go inside,” before knocking on their door.
Mrs. Jacobs answered, looking annoyed as if she were the one being bothered. She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Oh, it’s you.” Stella quickly replied, “Yeah, it’s me,” and asked, “Care to explain why you and your family were in my pool while I was gone?” Mrs. Jacobs winced briefly before regaining her confidence, crossing her arms and scoffing, “Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” before adding, “You barely use the pool anyway.” Stella was stunned by the response and countered, “But that’s not the point! You trespassed on my property! Do you even realize how illegal that is?” Mrs. Jacobs dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hand, saying, “Oh, goodness, Stella. Calm down,” and claimed, “We were just having a little fun. No harm done.”
