My mom placed her hand on the will and stared me straight in the eye: «You’re not getting a single cent!» «Alright,» I smiled. «Then don’t expect a dime from me.» I slowly put down my knife and fork, then stood up. That’s when the nightmare began….

I wasn’t shocked, nothing about them could surprise me anymore. But I was furious. Not because of their childish antics, but because of their arrogance.

The sheer stupidity of thinking they could do this and face no consequences. I reopened the security app and fast-forwarded through the footage. Just as I suspected, Parker appeared on the screen.

Wearing a gray hoodie, his cap pulled low to hide his face, but I recognized his lazy gait. I recognized the smug smirk, as he aimed the nozzle at my door, flooding every crevice with foam. Every movement was an insult.

He did this because he thought I wouldn’t fight back. He was wrong. Calmly I saved the video, took clear screenshots of his face and immediately called the police.

Thirty minutes later, a young police officer stood in front of my apartment. His expression a mix of sympathy and professionalism. I showed him the footage, explaining the situation in crisp detail.

Do you want to file a formal complaint, he asked, his tone neutral but hesitant, as if hoping I would let it slide. I let out a cold chuckle. I… didn’t call you here for a friendly chat.

He nodded, flipping open his notebook to start an official report. Parker. That’s your brother right? I met his gaze, my voice ice cold.

Not anymore. The next morning, my father called. Dad.

Sophia, sweetheart, does this really have to go this far? Me. Are you calling to ask me to drop the charges? Dad. It’s not that.

It’s just… You know Parker was just upset. He didn’t mean any harm. Me.

Scoffs. No harm, he sealed my door shut dad, what if I had an important meeting this morning? What if I had a cat, or a child inside? Dad. Silence.

Me. He thought he could intimidate me. I’ll show him he picked the wrong person.

Dad. Do you really want to push this that far? Me. It’s not me.

Parker did this. If he didn’t want consequences, he shouldn’t have acted like a reckless idiot. Dad.

What do you want to drop the charges? Me. $33,000? Dad. What? Me.

That covers the cost of repairing my door, legal fees if this drags out, and damages for harassment. I’d say that’s a pretty reasonable number. Dad.

This is extortion. Me. Chuckled coldly.

No dad, this is consequences. Dad. Parker doesn’t have that kind of money.

Me. Then you and mom can help him out. You’ve been covering for him his whole life, this is just one more time.

Dad. Claudrine gripped the Sophia. You’re tearing this family apart.

Me. This family tore itself apart a long time ago. Three days later my account received exactly $33,000, transferred from my parents’ joint account.

No messages from my mother, no complaints from Parker. Even Olivia, who relished every opportunity to be cruel, was completely silent. They thought that sending the money would make me go away.

But what they didn’t understand was this. I didn’t need them anymore. I stood in front of my apartment door, now fully repaired, my fingers running over the smooth surface…