The silence was thick enough to hear the paper tremble.
“What is this?” she muttered.
“A formal notice,” I replied.
“You have fifteen days to leave this house.”
A ripple of whispers spread across the room.
“You can’t do this to me!” she snapped.
“I live here. I’m the homeowner’s mother!”
“I’m the homeowner,” I said evenly.
“Your daughter and my son are tenants. And you… are not authorized to stay.”
She turned to Emily.
“You knew about this?!”
Emily’s voice shook—but she didn’t look away.
“Mom… you’ve been hurting us for months. I can’t live like this anymore.”
Alexander stepped beside her.
“I called my mom,” he said. “We want peace.”
Patricia laughed bitterly.
“Peace? With her controlling everything?”
I didn’t argue.
Facts were enough.
“There’s more,” I said.
“They’re moving next month.”
I placed another document down.
“A new place. Just for them.”
Her face went blank.
“Where will I go?” she whispered.
“To your own apartment,” I said calmly.
“The one you rented this week. I covered the deposit—anonymously.”
Even Alexander looked shocked.
I walked to the hallway and brought back a small suitcase.
Placed it beside her chair.