I’m not usually petty. As a single mom of three with a full-time job, I don’t have time for drama. But when someone threatens my peace or my kids, especially because I finally caught a break? That’s when I get strategic.
I’m Anna, 36, and I just got promoted to Operations Manager at my logistics company. It wasn’t a fortune, but the raise meant I could finally afford new shoes for Liam, 11, field trips for Maya, 7, and snacks for Atlas, 4—without stressing over rent.
Then Frank, our landlord, raised the rent by $500 right after my promotion. “You wanted a career and kids? That comes with bills,” he said. I’d had enough.
So I posted about him in every local group I could find. It went viral. Other tenants spoke up, and Frank’s reputation crumbled. He tried to backtrack, offering to keep my rent the same, but it was too late. I’d already found a better place—with a yard Atlas calls his “farm” and a kind landlord, Mrs. Calder.
A few weeks later, I cooked dinner to thank her. For the first time in years, we weren’t just surviving. We were home.