I crossed my arms.
“Adam ruined his own life,” I said flatly.
“I didn’t force him to throw a party in my yard. I didn’t force him to post videos bragging about it. And I sure as hell didn’t force you to act like my backyard was yours.”
Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t argue.
For once.
She exhaled again, staring out at the darkened street.
“Do you know how hard it is to raise a teenage boy alone?”
I blinked slowly.
That was… unexpected.
I stayed silent.
She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head.
“Adam doesn’t have a dad,” she said. “Never did. It’s just been us.
And I tried to give him a good life, I did. But…” she shrugged. “Kids are kids, right?
He made a stupid mistake.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Claire, this wasn’t just a stupid mistake.”
She didn’t answer. She just took another slow drag.
“You know,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “I could have taken things a lot further.”
That got her attention.
Her head snapped toward me.
“What?”
“Seriously, Claire. You gave me rules for my own house. You let your kid treat my property like his playground.
And when I asked for basic respect, you laughed in my face.”
She just stared at me.
“I could have taken legal action. I could have pressed charges. I could have gone to the police.
I had enough proof. But I didn’t. I’m not a bad person, Claire.
I just don’t like being walked over.”
For the first time since I met her, she looked small. She turned away, flicking the ash from her cigarette.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “I get that now.”
I watched her for a second, letting the moment sit between us.
Then I nodded.
“Good.”
And with that, I turned and walked back inside, leaving Claire in the dark.
What would you have done?
