When my new neighbor, Claire, moved in six months ago, I thought she was just a regular person. The kind who would mind her own business and not cause any trouble in the neighborhood.
She was in her 40s, lived with her 16-year-old son, Adam, and at first, she seemed pretty nice. Friendly, even. She borrowed my ladder once, then my garden hose, and later, I even let her use our outdoor grill station when we weren’t home.
I didn’t think much of it. Just being neighborly, right?
Well, I was very, very wrong.
One weekend, my husband, David, and I decided to take our kids to visit my parents for a short trip.
“We can have a date night while your parents take over with Grandma and Grandpa duty,” David said, tossing some snacks into a bag for the two-hour drive.
It sounded like a great idea. I had been feeling restless lately, and a little getaway was just what I needed. A change of scenery before I started losing my mind.
We were gone for two days.
And when we got back?
My God.
Our backyard looked like it had been hit by a tornado. No, scratch that—a tornado that threw a massive frat party before it left.
There were empty beer bottles everywhere. My potted plants had been knocked over, some completely shattered. The kids’ toys were scattered across the lawn like someone had played a game of throw-everything. Grease stains covered the deck. And my beautiful, once-pristine grill station? It looked like it had barely survived an explosion.
I stood there, frozen, staring at the disaster before me. My eye twitched.
Deep breaths, Camilla. Maybe there’s an explanation.
So I marched next door and knocked.
Claire answered, still in her pajamas, looking way too relaxed for someone who had clearly just allowed chaos to unfold next door.
“Oh, yeah,” she said with a laugh. “That was Adam’s birthday party. You know how kids are, right? It’s just what they do.”
I blinked. My brain tried to process her words.
That’s just what kids do? Was she serious? Did she not see the mess? What the hell?!
“Claire, my backyard isn’t a public park. You could’ve at least cleaned up.”
She shrugged like it was nothing. “Oh, don’t be so uptight, Camilla. It’s just a little mess. You’ll get over it. Surely, you and your husband can use a hose? A little water will clear that up.”
I clenched my jaw. I could have thrown something at her.
Oh, I’ll get over it? Um, sure.
I stormed back home, trying to figure out what to do. Be reasonable or make Claire pay?
“What’s that look on your face?” David asked as I walked into the kitchen. “Did you find out what happened?”
“It was Adam’s birthday party. Apparently, that’s how he celebrated.”
“Isn’t he, like, sixteen?” David asked, handing me a cup of tea.
“Something like that.” I grabbed a biscuit and sighed. “Oh my goodness. Underage drinking! There are so many beer bottles out there.”
David smirked. “Every kid does it at least once, Cami. But, I mean… you could use that as leverage, right? Scare the kid a little?”
I nodded. “But I want Claire to feel something too. She told me I’d ‘get over it.’”
We drank our tea in silence while I plotted my next move.
Okay, Cami. Be reasonable first.
The next morning, I wrote down three simple rules on a notepad:
- If you use something, clean it and put it back.
- Respect my property.
- Clean up after your child.
Then, I went over and handed it to Claire, expecting some maturity. Instead, I woke up the next day to find a list of HER rules taped to my front door.
It wasn’t a joke.
Claire had written rules.
For MY house.
I nearly choked on my coffee as I read:
Dear Neighbors!
To keep things fair and neighborly, I’ve put together some simple rules:
- No grilling past 7 PM. The smell keeps me awake.
- No spicy seasonings. My son doesn’t like the smell.
- If I’m using the grill, please stay out of your yard. It’s distracting.
- Notify me before grilling. Schedules are key.
- Your garden hose is for community use. I may need it.
- Patio furniture is for everyone!
- When you mow your lawn, do mine too. It looks better that way.
- Be patient if my son leaves trash in your yard. Kids will be kids.
- Sometimes I need extra parking space. I might use your driveway.
- If you have concerns, feel free to discuss them, but remember—I know what’s best for our community!
I read it twice.
This woman really thought she had just taken control of my backyard like it was her personal property.
Then Olivia, my eldest, came running up with her phone. “Mom, you need to see this.”
Adam had posted TikTok videos from our backyard. He and his friends had been bragging about using our space like it was their personal hangout. And they had filmed themselves trashing the place.
Oh. Oh.
I grabbed my phone and filmed everything—the mess, the grease stains, the bottles, and, of course, Claire’s ridiculous rule list.
Then I posted it online.
Caption: Glad my neighbor and her kid enjoy my backyard more than I do! Check out the rules she gave me!
Three days later, the video had 5 million views. People were outraged.
Someone even offered to build me a fence. By the end of the week, my backyard was sealed tighter than Fort Knox.
Claire noticed.
She stormed over, pounding on my door, holding a wooden spoon. “You’re breaking my rules!” she shrieked.
I smiled sweetly. “What’s with the spoon? You baking something?”
She looked at me like I was insane. “I said you’re breaking my rules, Camilla!”
“Oh, sorry,” I said, voice dripping with fake innocence. “I thought since we had different house rules, it was best we keep things separate.”
She fumed. I sipped my coffee.
Two days later, Adam knocked on my door. He looked miserable.
“Ma’am, please,” he muttered. “Please… you’re ruining my life.”
“Oh? What do you mean?” I asked.
“Those videos you posted… people at school saw them. Now I get bullied.”
I tilted my head. “Actions have consequences, Adam. Do you understand that you should’ve just cleaned up?”
“Yes, I do,” he said quietly.
I deleted the videos. But the damage was done.
That night, I stepped outside and saw Claire smoking. She looked defeated.
“You win,” she muttered.
“Not a competition,” I said.
“Oh, come on. You put my kid on blast. You ruined his life.”
“Adam ruined his own life,” I said flatly. “Actions have consequences, Claire.”
She sighed. “Yeah. I get that now.”
I nodded. “Good.”
And with that, I turned and walked back inside, leaving Claire in the dark.
