When Nancy’s landlord demanded she and her three daughters vacate their rental home for a week, she thought life couldn’t get worse. But a surprise meeting with the landlord’s brother revealed a shocking betrayal.Our house isn’t much, but it’s ours. The floors creak with every step, and the paint in the kitchen is peeling so badly I’ve started calling it “abstract art.”

Still, it’s home. My daughters, Lily, Emma, and Sophie, make it feel that way, with their laughter and the little things they do that remind me why I push so hard.

Money was always on my mind. My job as a waitress barely covered our rent and bills. There was no cushion, no backup plan. If something went wrong, I didn’t know what we’d do.The phone rang the next day while I was hanging out laundry to dry.“Hello?” I answered, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Nancy, it’s Peterson.”His voice made my stomach tighten. “Oh, hi, Mr. Peterson. Is everything okay?”“I need you out of the house for a week,” he said, as casually as if he were asking me to water his plants.