Giving Lesson to My Greedy Neighbour Who Wanted to Take Over My Apartment

I was having dinner at home as usual when a message suddenly appeared in the flatmates’ group chat.

[@FionaR I heard from the management that 1209 belongs to you too, right?]

Before I could reply, another message from the same person popped up.

[My house is completely empty, while your place is just sitting there. You’re just a young girl, so you can’t possibly use all that space.]

Her words were rude, but I didn’t feel like arguing. I put down my phone and kept eating. Nevertheless, she didn’t stop.

[Don’t worry, I’m not asking to live there for free.]

[I’ll pay you fifty pounds a month in rent. You won’t lose anything.]

——

I almost laughed out loud at how shameless she was. Did she want to rent a flat for fifty pounds? How ridiculous!

When I checked her profile, it showed a woman in her thirties. Her username was @YvonneEden. To stop her from talking nonsense in the group chat, I typed two simple words.

[Not renting.]

I thought that would be the end of it. But instead, she started messaging even more.

[Don’t turn me down so fast. Listen, I’m saying this for your own good.]

[Your place is empty anyway, right? I’ll pay you fifty pounds a month! That’s six hundred a year! Not a small amount.]

[Besides, a house needs people living in it. If no one stays there, it’ll just get old and fall apart.]

I couldn’t believe a sane adult was typing these. After all, I lived in what could be considered a mid-to-high-end area in London. Although the environment wasn’t perfect, the apartments weren’t cheap either. Since it was close to my workplace, I bought a flat there.

Moreover, I was an only child and my parents often came to visit. For convenience, my dad bought the flat next door, so he could stay there whenever he came by. That was the 1209 Yvonne was talking about.

Once, I told my father to just stay at my place when he visited me. I told him that there was no need to buy another apartment. But my parents, who had been in love for decades, were still acting like a young couple. They enjoyed having their own space.

Despite my objection, my dad still ended up buying the flat next to me. It was the 1209 Yvonne was talking about. When I was about to reply in the group chat, a message from the flat manager popped up.

[Miss Rylance, Mrs. Eden is the tenant in the unit next to yours. She speaks without thinking. Don’t bother with her.]

[Just end the chat peacefully.]

[If you argue, she’ll complain to us again. It’ll cause even more trouble.]

After reading that, I decided not to argue. Our flat management team was usually responsible and friendly. I got along well with them. Since the manager asked, I chose to listen. So, I replied to Yvonne politely in the group chat.

[Sorry, it’s not about the money.]

[That flat isn’t empty. It belonged to my parents. They stay there often.]

[Sorry, but I’m not in a position to rent it out. Please look for another one.]

I wasn’t sure if Yvonne didn’t understand or just pretended not to. Her reply came immediately.

[Shouldn’t that get an easy solution? When your parents visit, they can just stay at your place.]

[Don’t think I don’t know about it. Your flat is a very big flat with lots of space.]

[Fifty pounds a month is a lot, Miss! You should think about it.]