Independence

Chapter 0148

+25 BONUS

“Who else would do something so barbaric?” Mindy was clearly enraged. She rarely spoke harshly, and barbaric” was likely the most offensive word she could think of.

Yet, Karen remained unfazed. With her hands on her hips, she smirked. “Barbaric? This is nothing. You haven’t seen real barbarism!”

“Are you admitting it was you?” Mindy widened her eyes in disbelief.

Karen’s eyes flickered. “Watch your words. Admit to what? Do you have any evidence?”

She continued, “Even if it was me, so what? Call the police if you’re so sure. The law requires damages over five thousand dollars to file a case. Do you think I don’t know that?”

Mindy was furious. Lionel stepped in, positioning himself between her and Karen. “Mrs. Larden, don’t push your luck! Our wisteria isn’t bothering you. We’re neighbors–why be so extreme?”

Miranda surveyed the yard. It was strewn with fallen wisteria flowers, and the trellises near the shared wall were broken and hanging, making the place look like a disaster zone.

“Just because you say it’s not a problem doesn’t mean it isn’t,” Karen sneered.

She rolled up her sleeves, ready for a confrontation. “Your flowers were blocking sunlight for my vegetables. They’re growing poorly and getting pests now. Is that not a problem?”

“And these frames,” Karen continued, pointing to the broken structures on the ground, “their sharp edges are facing my window and ruining the view from my house. How is that not a problem?”

Lionel laughed in frustration. “First of all, the space between our houses is shared and not for planting vegetables. You say your crops have pests? Well, we’ve had swarms of mosquitoes because of your garden, but we haven’t complained.”

He continued, “Second, these trellises were built in my yard. Even if they extend a bit, they’re still within the shared space and don’t intrude on your property. The trellises at Mrs. Harrison’s place also face your window–why don’t you go complain to her?”

Mariana Harrison was known for her bad temper and was not someone to mess with. Even Karen wouldn’t dare confront her.

Karen sneered. “I don’t care about her place. I just can’t stand yours. You have such a big yard–grow flowers and act all high–class if you want. If you’re so concerned, buy a mansion with plenty of space and stop bothering me. What do you say, Mr. Sutton?”

“Why you-” Lionel was exasperated.

Karen sneered, “Ugh! It’s infuriating how you poor people try to act so high and mighty.”

Lionel wasn’t good at arguing, but Karen’s few words pushed him to the brink. Mindy was too stunned to respond.

Miranda wasn’t great at insults, but she took action. She walked to the corner and picked up the wet mop she had used to clean the bathroom the day before.

“Mrs. Larden, if yesterday’s mop didn’t teach you a lesson, maybe today’s will.”

+25 BONUS

Chapter 14

Without waiting for a response, Miranda swung the mop.

“What are you–Ah! Karen shrieked as she stumbled backward and fell.

Mindy couldn’t help but laugh.

Lionel was used to this sort of thing. With a smirk, he said, “Sorry about that, Mrs. Larden. Kids can be reckless. But according to the law, it’s not actionable if you fall on your own, so calling the police won’t help”

Miranda smiled. It seemed her father’s lessons had paid off. Using the same tactics on Karen seemed to have hit the mark