My mother went quiet because she knew that I was right, and ten minutes later, I received an email from the building manager, Mrs. Gable. She told me that a group had come to the office claiming they were family and demanding a key because they were locked out.
I replied immediately to clarify that no one except me was authorized to access the unit and that the group had attempted to enter without my consent. I attached the screenshots and the video footage for her records so that there would be a formal audit trail of the incident.
The next morning, Tiffany sent a text saying that I would need my mother for childcare eventually and warned me not to freeze her out. I realized that every past favor was being inflated and held over my head, so I started a folder on my laptop to document everything.
A few days later, Mrs. Gable asked me to come to the office where she showed me the hallway footage of my family crowding the corridor with luggage. She also showed me an email from Tiffany claiming that I was being emotionally volatile and that the building should honor a family agreement.