The Nine Dollar Tenant

It was midnight when a text from my coworker, Jenna, lit up my phone.

“Hey, I know the spare bedroom in your apartment is empty. Any chance I could rent it?”

I fought back a wave of sleep to type a one-word reply.

“No.”

I figured that would be the end of it.

But my phone immediately started buzzing again. A stream of texts.

“I can pay $9.99 a month. How does that sound?”

“I mean, it’s just sitting empty. This way, you could at least make a little something to cover utilities. It’s a win-win.”

I switched my phone to silent, done with her. But a moment later, the screen lit up with her name. She was calling. I ignored it. She called again. Fine.

“Audrey, don’t just ignore me. I think this is a great idea. Think about it—you’re all alone in that big place, it must get lonely. If I move in, I can keep you company, help out with chores. And $9.99 isn’t nothing. You can’t even get that much for a new user bonus on most apps these days.”

1

Click.

I hung up, tossed the phone onto my nightstand, and pulled the covers over my head.

The world went blessedly silent.

The next morning at the office, the elevator doors opened to reveal Jenna, blocking the entrance. She was beaming, a cardboard tray with two coffees in her hands.

“Audrey, good morning! I brought you a latte.”

She tried to press one of the cups into my hand.

I sidestepped her. “Thanks, but I’m not a fan.”

Her hand froze in mid-air, the smile faltering for a fraction of a second. A few of our colleagues glanced over.

She recovered quickly, placing the coffee on the corner of my desk. She kept her voice just loud enough for others to hear.

“Audrey, listen, I’m sorry if I called too late last night and woke you up. Don’t be mad, I’m just getting really desperate. My lease is up the day after tomorrow, and I still haven’t found a place.”

She lowered her gaze, her whole body slumping into a portrait of pitiable despair. A few of her work friends immediately flocked to her side.

“Jenna, what’s wrong? You don’t have a place to live?”

“Oh my god, where are you going to stay?”

Jenna sniffled, her eyes welling up. “I don’t know. Worst case, I guess I’ll have to crash at a 24-hour Starbucks or something.”

As she spoke, she shot a quick glance at me from under her eyelashes.

“Doesn’t Audrey have a spare room? Maybe she could put you up for a few days,” one of them suggested.

Another one chimed in instantly. “Yeah, you’re colleagues! You should help each other out. And Audrey, you live in that huge apartment all by yourself. It’d be nice to have some company.”

Jenna looked at me, her eyes shining with anticipation, though the calculation within them was impossible to miss.

“Audrey, please? Just for a few days. I promise I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I find something.”

I powered on my computer and logged into the system.

“It’s not convenient for me.”

My refusal was blunt, final, leaving no room for argument.

The color drained from Jenna’s face. The air around my desk grew still.

She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

“Audrey, what is your problem? You have a huge apartment with an empty room. What’s the big deal about letting me stay for a few days? You just can’t stand to see anyone else catch a break, can you?” Her voice grew shrill.

I didn’t look up, my eyes fixed on the screen. “My apartment. My decision.”

“You—!” She was trembling with rage. “Don’t think you’re so special just because you have money! Living in some fancy high-rise, driving that expensive car… you don’t have a shred of compassion! People like you deserve to be alone forever!”

The rest of the office was watching us now, whispering amongst themselves.

I finally lifted my eyes to meet hers, my expression calm.

“Are you finished? If so, you should probably get to work.”

She seemed completely thrown by my lack of reaction, just standing there, frozen.

I ignored her and started going through my emails.

During my lunch break, I went to the kitchenette to make some coffee. As I approached, I could hear Jenna’s voice.

“You should have seen the look on her face. Like she’s some kind of queen. So what if she has a little money? It doesn’t make her better than anyone else.”

“Totally. She seems so put-together, but I guess she’s just cold-hearted.”

“Jenna, don’t let it get to you. People like that are just selfish. We’ll just stay away from her from now on.”

I walked in, holding my mug.

The conversation stopped cold.

They all looked away, a mixture of guilt and embarrassment on their faces. All except Jenna. She stared right at me, her eyes filled with pure hatred.

I acted as if I’d heard nothing, walking over to the coffee machine and pressing the button. Hot water streamed into my mug, steam clouding the air.

I turned around, meeting her glare.

“Talking about people behind their backs isn’t a good look.”

Jenna scoffed. “I said it. So what? What are you going to do about it? Let me tell you, Audrey, this isn’t over.”

2

That afternoon, my director, Mark, called me into his office. He looked distinctly uncomfortable.

“Audrey… about this situation with Jenna…”

I stood in front of his desk, silent.

“She’s a young woman, you know, trying to make it on her own in the city. It’s not easy. She was just in here, crying her eyes out. Said her lease is up and she has nowhere to go.”

Mark sighed. “Look, you’ve got that spare room, right? Just… think of it as doing a favor for the team. Let her stay for a little while. We’ll make sure she pays her share of rent and utilities, of course.”

I looked at him and, to my own surprise, a small smile touched my lips. “Mark, is this an official company directive, or your personal suggestion?”

He was taken aback, his face flushing slightly. “I’m just looking out for my employees. We’re a team. We’re supposed to support each other.”

“Then I decline,” I said, my smile vanishing. “My home is my private space. I don’t allow anyone to interfere with it, for any reason. Not you, and not her.”

Mark’s expression hardened. “Audrey, what is that attitude? I’m trying to have a discussion with you, not give you an order!”

“And the discussion is over. My answer is no.”

I turned and pulled open his office door.

Jenna was standing right outside, pressing her ear against the wood. The triumphant smirk on her face hadn't had time to disappear. She jumped when she saw me, her eyes darting away guiltily.

I walked past her and went back to my desk.

It wasn’t long before a new post appeared on the company’s anonymous internal message board.

The title was: “Spill the tea on the cold-blooded coworker who drives a luxury car and lives in a penthouse.”

The post was a masterpiece of slander, painting me as a vicious, wealthy bully who got her kicks from tormenting new hires. It didn’t use my name, but every detail pointed directly at me.

Within minutes, there were over a hundred replies.

“I know who this is about. It’s gotta be Audrey. She always acts so high and mighty.”

“Wow, I never would have guessed she was like that. That’s awful.”

“Poor Jenna. I can’t believe she’s being treated this way.”

I scrolled through the venomous comments, my face a blank mask. My phone vibrated. A text from Ethan.

“Ms. Ross, it’s all been taken care of.”

I texted back a simple “Okay.”

I closed the browser tab and got back to work.

Just before five, Jenna appeared at my desk, dragging a massive suitcase behind her. A small group of curious colleagues trailed in her wake.

“Audrey, I’m moving in tonight. And you’re not going to stop me.” She looked like she was ready for a fight to the death.

I typed the last word of my document, saved the file, and shut down my computer. Then I stood up and grabbed my purse.

“I’ll say it one more time. You are not welcome in my home.”

“You—!” Jenna sputtered, then suddenly clutched her stomach, her face paling as she doubled over. “Oh god, my stomach hurts so bad.”

She collapsed dramatically to the floor, letting out a pained groan.

“Jenna, what’s wrong?”

“Someone call 911!”

Our coworkers descended into chaos.

Lying on the floor, through a gap in the legs of the people surrounding her, Jenna shot me a look of pure provocation.

I just watched her performance, unmoved.

Finally, someone from the on-site first aid office arrived and did a quick check.

“She’s fine,” the medic announced. “Just overworked herself and pulled a muscle. A little out of breath from the excitement.”

The color on Jenna’s face shifted through five different shades of humiliation.

I walked past her, the sharp click-clack of my heels echoing in the now-silent office.

“Nice performance,” I said as I passed. “You should try something more challenging next time.”

3

I thought that would be the end of it for a few days.

I was wrong. The next evening, she brought the battle to my doorstep.

I pulled into my spot in the building’s underground garage and saw her standing by the elevator bank with a middle-aged couple. They looked weathered and tired, their eyes darting around the pristine garage with a mixture of awe and discomfort.

As soon as I got out of my car, Jenna rushed over.

“Audrey, you’re home.”

She gestured to the couple behind her, her voice ringing with self-righteousness. “These are my parents. They came all the way from my hometown to see me, and to thank you in person.”

My brow furrowed.

Thank me?

Jenna’s mother hurried toward me, clutching a reusable grocery bag full of what looked like homemade goods. Her face was stretched into an eager, placating smile.

“You must be Audrey. Such a good girl. Our Jenna has been so much trouble for you.”

She tried to shove the bag into my hands.

I took a step back, avoiding it. “Ma’am, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Jenna’s father, a quiet man, sized me up before speaking in a low, heavy voice. “Jenna told us everything. She said you agreed to let her move in, and that you wouldn’t even charge her rent. As her parents, we can’t let you be so generous without showing our gratitude. This is just a little something from us.”

I looked past them to Jenna.

She was hiding behind her parents, a victorious smirk playing on her lips. She thought she had me. She thought she could use her parents to morally blackmail me into a corner.

“I have not agreed to anything,” I said, my voice ice-cold.

The smiles on her parents’ faces froze.

Jenna immediately jumped in, her voice thick with fake tears. “Audrey, how could you say that in front of my parents? You promised me yesterday!”

She turned to them, the tears now streaming down her face. “Mom, Dad, she’s bullying me! She’s looking down on us because we’re not from the city!”

Her mother instantly turned on me, positioning herself as a human shield. “Young lady, how could you? What did our Jenna ever do to you to deserve this?”

“You have to have a conscience! Our Jenna thought you were a friend, and you treat her like this!”

Their voices grew louder, attracting the attention of other residents passing through the garage. People started to stare, to point.

I was being cast as the villain, the cruel landlord bullying the poor girl from out of town.

Jenna, safely behind her parents, sobbed as if her heart was breaking.

Looking at this ridiculous family drama, I almost wanted to laugh.

Instead, I took out my phone and dialed a secure internal number.

“Ethan? Yes, it’s Audrey Ross. There’s a disturbance downstairs in the A tower garage affecting other residents. Could you please handle it?”

I hung up and crossed my arms, looking at them. “You can continue this scene if you like. However, building security will likely be escorting you out shortly.”

Jenna’s mother started to retort, but her father grabbed her arm. Years of hard work had apparently given him better instincts than his daughter. He knew I wasn’t bluffing.

A moment later, two uniformed security guards and a man in a sharp suit appeared, walking quickly toward us.

It was Ethan.

“Ms. Ross,” he said, giving me a respectful nod before turning his attention to Jenna’s family, his expression hardening. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

Seeing what she thought was a neutral party, Jenna immediately played the victim. “We’re relatives of a resident in this building! She won’t let us in!” she cried, pointing at me.

Ethan glanced at me. I gave a slight shake of my head.

He understood immediately.

“Ma’am, we have received no visitor notifications from any resident. Furthermore, your behavior is disturbing the peace. Per the building’s regulations, I must ask you to leave the premises immediately.” His tone was absolute.

“You!” Jenna choked out. “Do you even know who she is? She’s just a renter here, like me! Why are you listening to her?”

Ethan’s professional demeanor didn’t waver. “I only know that if you do not leave, I will be forced to take further action.”

He gestured, and the two guards took a step forward, their presence suddenly much more imposing.

Jenna’s parents were finally scared. They grabbed their unwilling daughter and scurried away.

Just before they disappeared, Jenna looked back over her shoulder and shot me a look of pure venom.

I knew this was only the beginning.

4

Things escalated, just as I expected.

A few days later, I found my car keyed in the garage. A long, deep gash ran from the hood to the trunk, cutting straight through the paint.

The security camera in that section was, of course, broken. “Aging wiring,” the building management told me. “It’s being repaired.”

I didn’t need a camera to know who did it.

Next, my deliveries and takeout orders started to “disappear.” I’d find them overturned and spilled on the floor of the mailroom, or tossed directly into the trash.

I stopped ordering in and started cooking for myself.

Then came the late-night phone calls. Blocked numbers. When I’d answer, there was only the hiss of static. I’d hang up, and they’d call right back. Over and over, until dawn.

I blocked all unknown callers.

She was determined to wear me down.

At work, she became even more brazen. She somehow managed to get assigned to one of my project teams and used her limited access to create chaos. I’d ask her to schedule a meeting with a client, and she’d deliberately give them the wrong time, causing them to show up to an empty conference room.

The client was furious and complained directly to Mark.

Mark, in turn, chewed me out again.

When I walked out of his office, Jenna was waiting for me.

“How does it feel, Audrey?” she asked, clutching a stack of files to her chest, a smug smile on her face. “I told you this wasn’t over. As long as you refuse to let me in, I will make your life a living hell.”

I just looked at her, my own feelings a complete blank.

“Is that so?”

I walked away.

She watched me go, her expression shifting from simple hatred to something more cunning.

I’d heard that my building had recently switched management companies due to some operational issues, and there was a lot of new staff. She must have heard something too, and figured that I was just another tenant. She thought that by getting a job with the new company, she could control me from the inside.

She yelled after me, “Don’t look so smug! I found a new job! At the property management company for your precious building!”

I paused.

She caught up to me, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I pulled some strings to get in. From now on, I’m the one who manages your floor. Your water, your electricity, your gas—it’s all under my control. I can have it shut off whenever I want.”

The look on her face was a terrifying mix of madness and glee. “Audrey, our little game is just getting started.”

She thought she held the trump card. She thought she finally had me by the throat.

She thought she could finally crush me.

Looking at her distorted, triumphant face, I felt a sudden urge to laugh.

So this was it. This was the brilliant plan she’d spent all this time and energy on. To get inside my world, just so she could abuse her petty authority to make my life miserable.

When I got home, I sent a text to Ethan.

“Is there a new hire starting at the management office tomorrow?”

His call came a second later.

“Ms. Ross, you found out? It was my call, I apologize. I thought—”

“It’s not your fault,” I cut him off. “Hire her. And then, do exactly as I say.”

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