Late at night, I received a call from my daughter, Lily, who was crying. “Dad,” she sobbed, “my landlord is forcing me out.” Her landlord had heard about her raise and decided to hike her rent. When she didn’t react, he secretly threw prohibited chemical containers into her backyard and accused her of violating the lease.
Furious, I went to Lily’s place with friends, dismantled her garden, and exposed the house’s faults. We left the backyard desolate, highlighting cracks, missing tiles, and mold. The landlord, Jack, was livid. “Where are the plants?” he demanded. “The backyard has always looked like this,” Lily replied innocently.
Jack tried to regain control, but potential renters left after seeing the house’s true state. Lily soon found a new home with a landlord who appreciated her green thumb. As we sat on her new porch, she thanked me. “You did the hard part,” I said. “You stood up to him, and now you have a fresh start.”
