Chapter 4

Without my weight pinning her down, Jaclyn got arrogant again.

She drove two stinging slaps across my face, the sound echoing in the hallway and lighting up the motion-sensor lights on the entire floor.

"You miserable bitch! You dare wake my baby, then lay a hand on me? This is what you get"

I tried to struggle and hit back, but the neighbors held me in a vice grip.

"Just stop struggling! Can't you see you're only making it worse?"

Jaclyn gloated and spouted even nastier insults at me.

The other neighbors also chimed in, accusing me of lacking common decency.

A mom with a child, Brenda, soothed her baby with one arm while glaring at me with the other.

"You're a grown woman, don't you have any shame? You've woken up every kid on this floor, what about our sleep?"

"Jaclyn is a single mother, and her child has a heart condition. How can anyone put up with you causing such a ruckus?"

I struggled to break free from their grasp, arguing back.

"How many times have I explained? I live alone! What bed am I shaking? With a ghost?!"

"Besides, she says I woke her baby up. Has anyone here even seen her child?"

My words made a few of them pause, and a flicker of doubt crossed their eyes.

But Jaclyn immediately retorted.

"My baby just finished feeding and is sleeping soundly inside!"

I scoffed.

"You just said I was shaking the bed and keeping your baby awake. Now you're out here making so much noise, and your baby can sleep through it?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Brenda, the mom with the baby, murmured to herself.

"My baby is already a pretty sound sleeper. If her child is so sensitive to noise, how come he didn't cry with all that commotion just now?"

Just then, Mr. Davis, the building manager, hurried over. Hearing our argument, he quickly spoke up.

"Ms. Jaclyn, the sounds you're hearing might be from an aging wooden structure in your apartment."

"If it's convenient now, we can check it out for you, to avoid disturbing your baby's rest."

Jaclyn, who had been so arrogant, suddenly fell silent.

After a long pause, she reluctantly said, "Come back tomorrow! My baby is already asleep, and all that banging and clatter will wake him up!"

No way I was letting her off that easy.

"I think you're just scared, aren't you? I've lived here this long, and I've never once seen your child!"

Jaclyn immediately grabbed my arm.

"You keep cursing my baby to be dead. I ask you, if my child is sleeping soundly in his room, what will you say then?"

I declared right away.

"If your child is truly sleeping in there, I'll move out of this apartment complex immediately, and I guarantee you won't hear a single peep from me!"

Then, Jaclyn addressed everyone.

"Everyone heard that, right? She said it herself!"

With that, she yanked me into her apartment.

"Fine, I'll let you see with your own eyes!"

The neighbors and I followed her inside.

As soon as we entered, a strong scent of baby formula hit us.

Uncleaned formula and unfinished baby bottles sat on the living room table. Baby clothes were drying on the balcony.

Inside the bedroom, a crib, wind chimes, a soft play mat, and corner protectors were all perfectly in place.

All these things made me start to doubt myself. Did Jaclyn really have a baby?

She dragged me by the arm to the crib.

"Look closely! Is my baby in there or not?!"

I peered into the crib and couldn't say another word.

Jaclyn was still gloating, "Everyone heard her promise. Vivian will have to get out of this apartment complex!"

After she finished, she too glanced into the crib.

But then, in an instant, she collapsed to the ground.

Because that crib-it was completely empty.