The summer sun blazed relentlessly as Emily returned home from фwork. Exhausted, she sighed as she opened the door to her spacious coastal home, the very one she had dreamed of for years. The house was the embodiment of her relentless hard work and ambition, a symbol of the success she had achieved alongside her best friend and business partner, Sarah.
They had come a long way from being small-time clothing vendors at the local market to owning a thriving chain of boutiques across the city. Emily vividly remembered their early days: those freezing winter mornings at the market, setting up stalls with trembling hands, endless negotiations with suppliers, and sleepless nights spent calculating budgets and drafting plans. Slowly, their efforts bore fruit: first one store, then another, and eventually an entire network recognized citywide.
Emily had barely crossed the threshold when a familiar voice called out:
“Emily, what’s for dinner?”
Suppressing her irritation, Emily turned to face her sister-in-law, Amanda. Amanda, her husband Mark, and their son Alex had arrived a month ago for what was supposed to be a short visit. However, they had made themselves comfortably at home without lifting a finger to help around the house. Emily scanned the kitchen: dirty dishes piled up, half-eaten breakfasts left on the counter, Alex’s toys scattered across the floor. She thought back to the day she and her husband, James, had purchased this home. They had spent weeks choosing furniture, debating wall colors, and carefully planning every detail. Now, their dream home felt like a chaotic hostel.
Trying to keep her frustration in check, Emily said curtly:
“Whatever you cook is what you’ll eat. I’m busy, and please don’t call me unless it’s urgent.”
Without waiting for a reply, Emily grabbed her bag and stepped outside to the waiting taxi. She gave the driver the address of a nearby café, where she had an important meeting scheduled with Sarah. As the taxi wove through the streets, Emily reflected on her life. Her business was flourishing, she had achieved so much. Sarah had recently bought a luxurious apartment downtown, and Emily herself had finally built this beautiful coastal home. But instead of enjoying her accomplishments, her home had become a source of endless stress due to uninvited guests.
The taxi neared the café when Emily’s phone buzzed. Sarah’s name flashed on the screen. Emily felt a flicker of concern; they rarely called before meetings unless something urgent had happened.
“I’m almost there,” Emily said as she answered.
“I’m so sorry, Em, but we have to reschedule,” Sarah said hesitantly. Her voice was unusually quiet.
Emily immediately sensed something was wrong. Sarah was the most reliable person she knew, and last-minute changes were out of character.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Sarah reassured her. “It’s just… well, don’t laugh. I bought street food this morning, and let’s just say it’s not agreeing with me.”
Emily couldn’t help but smile. This wasn’t the first time Sarah had fallen victim to questionable street food. She remembered their trip to New York last year when Sarah had been bedridden for an entire day after a similar incident.
“How many times have we been through this?” Emily teased gently.
“I know, I know. But it smelled so good!”
“Do you need anything? Medicine, maybe?”
“No, I’ll be fine. Just need rest.”
“Alright. Take care, and call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Em. You’re the best,” Sarah said gratefully before ending the call.
Emily sighed and spoke to the driver. “Change of plans. Please take me back home.”
As the taxi headed back, Emily stared out the window, watching the city pass by. When she arrived, she noticed the front gate was left ajar again. She had asked Amanda and Mark repeatedly to keep it closed for security reasons, but her requests were always ignored.
Quietly, Emily approached the house and overheard voices from the patio. Amanda and Mark were deep in conversation.
“We could set up a little gazebo out here,” Amanda was saying dreamily. “And maybe a swing for Alex. He’d love it.”
“Good idea,” Mark agreed. “We should also build a separate kitchen for ourselves. That way, we won’t have to deal with Emily as much. Then this place will really feel like home.”
Emily froze, her anger boiling over. When had her guests decided they had a right to redesign her home?
Moments later, Emily confronted James in the living room.
“James, explain to me what’s going on here.”
“What do you mean, honey?” James asked, confused.
“Your sister and her family. When are they leaving? I’ve had enough. I want them out. This summer, I want my family to visit, not play host to yours indefinitely.”
The chatter outside abruptly stopped. James hesitated, clearly torn.
“Emily, let’s not argue…”
“No,” Emily said firmly. “They’ve overstayed their welcome. Either they leave by the end of this week, or I will personally ask them to go.”
Before James could respond, Amanda stormed in with her phone in hand.
“Mom! She’s kicking us out! We have nowhere to go! The apartment is sold, and we have a child! Talk to her!”
Amanda put the phone on speaker. From the other end, James’ mother’s sharp voice rang out:
“Emily, how dare you? Amanda has nowhere to go!”
Emily took a deep breath, steadying herself.
“That’s not my problem. They came here uninvited and have stayed far too long.”
Sensing that reasoning with Emily was pointless, James’ mother shifted her focus to her son.
“James, say something! Don’t let her throw your sister and her family out!”
James faltered, clearly unable to stand up to his mother.
Emily’s patience snapped.
“Enough,” she said coldly. “You all have thirty minutes to pack your things and leave. If you’re still here after that, I’ll call the police.”
Amanda gasped, Mark turned pale, and the phone crackled with outraged shouting. James reached out to Emily.
“Emily, let’s talk about this…”
She stepped back. “No. Thirty minutes. And that includes you, James, if you can’t stand by me.”
Exactly thirty minutes later, Amanda, Mark, Alex, and James stood at the door with their bags. James made one final attempt to plead with her, but Emily opened the door silently, signaling the end of the conversation.
In the months that followed, Emily finalized her divorce from James. It was a painful process, but she knew she had made the right choice. She threw herself into her business with Sarah, expanded their ventures, and focused on rebuilding her life. The pain gradually faded, replaced by a sense of freedom and the excitement of new possibilities.
