I Didn’t Pay For My Daughter-In-Law’s Luxury Party, So Things Escalated And I Nearly Lost My Balance:

The apartment was small but bright with hardwood floors and large windows that let in plenty of natural light. It had one bedroom, a tiny kitchen, and a living area that opened onto a small balcony overlooking the garden behind the house. After living in a four-bedroom house for so many years, it felt almost impossibly compact, but it also felt peaceful in a way I had forgotten was possible.

Mrs. Chen showed me around, pointing out the quirks of the old building. The bedroom window that stuck sometimes.

The kitchen faucet that needed to be turned just right. The radiator that made gentle humming sounds on cold nights. These weren’t problems to me.

They were character. This place had soul, unlike the pristine house I had just left behind. “The rent is due on the first of each month,” she said, handing me a cup of tea in her small kitchen downstairs.

“But don’t worry about it this time, dear. You paid 3 months in advance.”

She was right. I had paid for the apartment 6 months ago, along with deposits for utilities and a small storage unit across town.

I had been planning this move longer than even I realized, preparing for the day when staying would become impossible. After Mrs. Chen left me to settle in, I sat on the small couch I had bought secondhand and looked around my new space.

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