I rented my house to a recent graduate from a top university, and on the night she moved in, she sent me a photo at midnight. In the picture, a single strand of hair was lying in the corner of the wall.
[Landlord, this hair isn’t mine. I think it’s DNA left by the last tenant. Could you please come clean it up?]
I was speechless for a moment but still replied politely, asking her to take care of it herself.
Half an hour later, she sent another photo, this time showing the reading from the faucet’s water test.
[Value: 158. It’s above the normal level. Drinking it long-term could harm the kidneys. Please come install a water filter tomorrow.]
That was the last straw for me, so I blocked her right away, thinking the matter was over.
But the next day, a package from her arrived. Inside was a thirty-page report titled Report on Potential Safety Hazards of the Residential Environment, along with a lawyer’s letter written in a very formal tone.
——
“Did you get it?”
Her calm, almost superior voice came through the phone. I held the lawyer’s letter tightly, and the edge of the paper cut into my palm.
“Skylar Griffin, what do you mean by this?”
“Nothing much,” she replied slowly. “Ms. Murphy, I’m only following the law to protect my rights as a tenant.”
“A thirty-page report and a lawyer’s letter, all because of one strand of hair and some tap water?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“It’s not a strand of hair,” she said calmly. “It’s a biological sample left by an unknown person. And it’s not just the faucet; it’s that the total dissolved solids in the water are over the safe limit. Drinking it long-term can increase the risk of illness.”
She paused for a moment. “Since this is your first mistake, if you refund the full rent and deposit, pay compensation for emotional distress, and renovate the entire place according to my report within three days, I’ll consider withdrawing the lawsuit.”
I laughed in disbelief. “And if I don’t?”
“Then we’ll see each other in court.”
“Ms. Murphy, just a reminder, my lawyer will apply to freeze your property and bank accounts. Also, I’ll send the full report about your ‘haunted house’ to everyone in the building, so they’ll all know they’re living in a place full of DNA contamination and heavy-metal pollution.”
After saying that, she hung up.
Listening to the busy tone on the phone, my head went blank. In all my thirty years, I had never met anyone this ridiculous.
I opened the PDF report she sent, Residential Environmental Safety Hazards and Tenant Health Risk Assessment Report.
Good grief. If someone didn’t know better, they’d probably think it came straight from a national research institute.
The contents of the report left me completely speechless.
[Risk No. 1: The bedroom floor has a small tilt of 0.01 degrees, which could cause spinal problems during sleep.]
[Risk No. 2: The indoor air’s PM2.5 concentration is 15. It meets national standards but is still higher than in the Swiss Alps, so a new ventilation system is recommended.]
[Risk No. 3: The Wi-Fi router’s radiation level at night goes over the safe limit for pregnant women and babies by 0.001%, which may affect sleep and brain health.]
Each point came with detailed data charts from measuring devices and included quotes from research papers, both local and foreign, as supporting evidence.
I let out a long breath and called my property manager.
“Manager Moore, have you met the new tenant in my apartment?”
Miles Moore’s voice was hard to describe.
“Director Murphy… you mean that Ms. Griffin?”
“She came today with a lawyer and a few people in white lab coats. They were taking water, soil, and air samples from the public areas in the neighborhood, saying they were going to make a Health Risk Assessment Report for the whole community. The owners’ group chat is going crazy right now.”
My mind went blank for a moment. This wasn’t just strange anymore; it was complete madness.
“Director Murphy, about this situation…”
I rubbed my temples and said, “Got it. I’ll deal with it.”
After hanging up, I sent Skylar a message. [Tomorrow at 10 a.m., I’ll bring my lawyer. We’ll talk in person.]
She replied right away. [Please be on time. And make sure your lawyer is as professional as mine.]
Seeing the words “as professional as mine,” I almost crushed my phone in frustration.
The next morning, I didn’t bring a lawyer. I went alone to the apartment I had rented out.
The door opened, and Skylar stood there wearing a white dress and gold-rimmed glasses.
She looked elegant but carried a hint of arrogance. Behind her was the same lawyer who had threatened me over the phone the day before.
“Ms. Murphy, where is your lawyer?” Skylar adjusted her glasses and looked me up and down.
“To deal with you, I don’t need a lawyer,” I said as I walked inside.
Everything in the house looked the same as before I rented it out, clean and tidy. No, it was even cleaner now, so spotless it felt more like a lab than a home, with the faint smell of disinfectant lingering in the air.
The lawyer stepped forward and handed me a folder.
“Ms. Murphy, this is our client Ms. Griffin’s final request.”
“First, a full refund of the deposit and rent for this month, totaling twenty-four thousand dollars.”
“Second, compensation for Ms. Griffin’s emotional distress, lost income, and health risk assessment costs, totaling one hundred thousand dollars.”
“Third, a complete renovation of the property according to this Renovation List, estimated at two hundred thousand dollars.”
“In total, three hundred twenty-four thousand dollars. If you agree, we can sign the settlement right now.”
I picked up the list and skimmed through it.
“Replace all flooring with sterile materials imported from Germany.”
“Install a medical-grade smart air purification and ventilation system from Switzerland.”
“Change all the pipes to 316L stainless steel and add end-point water filters.”
“Remove all existing paint and repaint the walls with zero-formaldehyde coating imported from Finland.”
I let out a dry laugh and threw the list onto the table. “Skylar, do I really look that easy to push around to you?”
Skylar slowly walked up to me and looked down, her eyes cold and direct. “Ms. Murphy, I’m only following reason and the rules.”
“Rules?”
“Yes. In today’s world, the most important thing is the rules.”
She tapped her temple and said, “And I just happen to be the one who understands the rules best, and knows exactly how to use them.”
A small, confident smile formed on her lips, the kind that showed she felt smarter than everyone else.
“Forgot to introduce myself. I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Vanderbilt University Law School, majoring in economic and procedural law.”
“No matter what kind of lawyer you hire, you won’t win against me.”
“My suggestion is to just pay what you owe, or your house will be seized, and your name will go on the credit blacklist.”
The lawyer beside her added, “Ms. Murphy, our Ms. Griffin is truly gifted. Her report is perfect, and you don’t stand a chance of winning.”
Watching the two of them take turns showing off, I couldn’t help but find the whole thing strangely funny.
Just then, Skylar’s phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID and instantly changed to a sweet, spoiled voice.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hmm, I’ve already rented the place. The landlord’s kind of slow, but it’s fine. I’ve already had the lawyer send her a letter.”
“Don’t worry, she can’t win against me. Soon she’ll hand over the money and fix up the house just the way we want. By the time you and Dad come, you can move straight into a brand-new home.”
After hanging up, she looked at me proudly. “Did you hear that? Everything I’m doing is for my parents. I’m such a good daughter, even heaven will side with me.”
I stood there, stunned by how shameless she was.
So this whole thing wasn’t even for herself; she wanted me to pay for her parents’ new retirement home.
“Ms. Murphy, have you decided?” the lawyer asked.
I looked straight at Skylar and said slowly, “If I’m right, you’ve already sent your so-called report to the owners’ group chat, haven’t you?”
Skylar shrugged lightly, pretending innocence.
“I was only doing my part as a resident, reminding everyone to stay alert about potential safety risks. After all, DNA contamination and heavy metal pollution weren’t small issues.”
My phone began to buzz nonstop.
Miles, a few neighbors I knew, and even the community director, all called one after another.
Each of them demanded an explanation about the house. As I struggled to handle the chaos, Skylar’s smile grew brighter.
“See that? That’s the power of rules. Water can lift a boat, but it can also sink one. Public opinion is the flood that decides which it’ll be.”
She leaned back on the sofa, crossing her legs with ease.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Sign it, and we’ll still be good neighbors.”
“If not, I don’t mind taking it further. Maybe I’ll call a few reporters and let the news feature you, the so-called ‘heartless landlord.’ You wouldn’t want to see your name on the front page, would you?”
Every word from her lips pushed the last of my patience.
As I looked at her smug, self-satisfied face, I couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of family could raise someone this arrogant and self-absorbed?
I took out my phone and turned on the recording right in front of her. “Skylar, are you sure you want to take this to court over a hundred thousand dollars?”
She looked at me as if I had just told the funniest joke in the world.
“Not a hundred thousand, three hundred twenty-four thousand. Looks like your math isn’t very good, Ms. Murphy. And besides, this isn’t about money. It’s about principles.”
She adjusted her glasses, and the light in her eyes turned cold.
“I just want you to understand, ignorance and arrogance both come with a price.”
“Alright then.”
I turned off the recorder and stood up. “I know your terms. You’ll get my answer in three days.”
Then I turned and walked away.
“Trying to buy time with tricks, Ms. Murphy?” Skylar called after me, her tone full of sarcasm.
“It’s pointless. I’ve already submitted a pre-litigation injunction. The court will contact you soon.”
I didn’t look back.
Stepping out of that maddening house, I let out a long breath. The sunlight outside was bright and harsh, yet it couldn’t warm me at all.
When I got back to the car, I didn’t start it right away. I just sat there, thinking.
Facing someone like Skylar, I couldn’t be sure I would win.
People like her were like stones stuck deep in the mud, filthy and impossible to move. She used the law to corner others and stirred public opinion to protect herself, making it almost impossible to deal with her.
To deal with her, I couldn’t rely on ordinary ways. I had to find her weakness, something beyond her so-called “rules,” that one flaw that could bring everything she built crashing down.
I didn’t go home. Instead, I drove straight to the company. Cognitech Technology is one of the top enterprises in the country. And I, Luna Murphy, was its founder and CEO.
I rarely showed up in the media, and most of my employees had only seen me from afar during company events, so it was natural that Skylar didn’t recognize me.
My assistant, Violet Webb, knocked on the door and walked in.
“President Murphy, you’re back.”
“Hmm.”
I took off my coat and sat down in the leather chair.
“Bring me the final list for this quarter’s Star of Cognitech program.”
The Star of Cognitech program was our company’s special talent recruitment project.
Every year, we choose fewer than ten outstanding graduates from top universities around the world and train them to become our future leaders.
Those who made it into the program were the best among the best, true standouts in every way.
Violet quickly handed me the file. “President Murphy, here’s the list, eight people in total. All of them were interviewed earlier.”
I opened the folder and scanned the page. Each name looked familiar yet distant: a PhD from Harvard, a postdoc from MIT, a math genius from Cambridge.
My finger slid down the list until it stopped at the last name, one that instantly caught my eye.
Skylar Griffin.
Graduation: Vanderbilt University Law School, Faculty of Law (Bachelor’s & Master’s).
Assigned Department: Legal Affairs and Risk Control.
Employee ID: 10327.
I stared at her name, and the corners of my lips lifted without meaning to. Well, well, look what fate has brought my way. What a satisfying surprise.
Even more amusing, the lawyer she had hired was from Caldwell Law Firm, and Caldwell just happened to be one of Cognitech Technology’s biggest business competitors.
So, a reserve staff member from my company’s Legal Department, not even officially onboard yet, had already teamed up with a competitor’s lawyer to sue her own boss. I picked up my phone and dialed Skylar’s number.
“Hello.” Her tone carried that same arrogant calm.
“Ms. Murphy, have you made up your mind? Are we settling this or not?”
“I told you, I’ll give you my answer in three days.” My voice stayed calm.
“Changed your mind already?” She let out a small laugh. “I knew it. Ordinary people like you can’t win against me.”
“How about this, I’ll give you another chance.”
“Tomorrow, bring the settlement agreement and come find me. And remember to be polite.”
I smiled.
“Alright. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, same place,” I said slowly and clearly.
“I’ll personally bring you the answer you’re waiting for.”
The next morning, I arrived at the apartment right on time.
Skylar and her lawyer had been waiting for a while, their faces barely hiding their smug confidence.
“Ms. Murphy, it seems you were a smart woman after all,” the lawyer said first, sliding a prewritten settlement agreement across the table toward me.
Skylar leaned back on the sofa, lazily sipping water from a glass.
“Good. You’ve finally come to your senses. Wouldn’t it have been easier if you had done this earlier?”
“Sign it. Once you do, you can start the renovation right away.”
“Oh, by the way,” she added casually, “my parents are getting old, so you might as well hire two full-time caregivers for them. Pay their salaries monthly and link your bank account to my phone.”
“As for me, just get a cleaning lady to come every day. I’m not asking for much; ten times a day will do. After each cleaning, I’ll be kind enough to ‘help’ you pay, so make sure your highest-limit payment account is connected to my number.”
“Remember to move out of the house you’re in now ahead of time. My boyfriend and I are getting married soon, and my parents are getting older. Your place is right next door, so we’ll just move in there.”
“You’re not afraid that I might be your boss?” I cut in before she could finish.
“You?” Skylar gave me a look full of disdain. “Just you?”
She laughed, the sound filled with mockery. “Do you even know where I work? And you dare to talk like that?”
“Take a good look at yourself. In what way do you even compare to Cognitech Technology?”
“Even the cleaning ladies there have more class than you.”
“Stop dreaming, old woman! You’re already a washed-up hag.”
I raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word. Instead, I opened my briefcase and took out another document, placing it calmly on the table. It was an employment contract from Cognitech Technology.
I pointed to the name printed neatly at the top of the page. “Skylar Griffin.”
The smile on her face disappeared instantly. She stood up in shock, her eyes fixed on the paper.
“This… what is this?” Her voice was shaking.
The lawyer beside her leaned forward to take a look, and his face turned pale in an instant. I leaned back in my chair, watching the two of them quietly.
“Skylar, employee number 10327, welcome to Cognitech Technology.”
I smiled slightly and introduced myself, “I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Luna, your direct superior and the CEO of Cognitech Technology.”
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