“Now, about the food. I emailed you a grocery list. Aunt Linda has a strict gluten-free diet, and the kids will only eat specific brands of organic snacks. I expect the fridge to be fully stocked by the time we get there on Friday afternoon.

And listen, they are coming a long way, so they want a real, stress-free resort experience. I told them you love to cook, so you’ll be handling breakfast and dinner every day. We can order pizza for lunches to make it easy on you.”

She honestly expected me to act as an unpaid maid, baby-proofer, and caterer in the home I had just spent my life savings on. I stood there, staring out at the crashing waves, listening to her dictate the menu for twenty-two people I barely even knew. In the past, I would have panicked. I would have stuttered, tried to set a boundary, got steamrolled, and ended up crying in my car. But this time was different.

Standing in my own home, a strange, absolute sense of calm washed over me. I didn’t yell. I didn’t cry. I didn’t even argue.

“Wow,” I said softly. “That sounds like a huge event, Marissa.”

“It is,” she huffed. “So don’t mess this up. Be ready by 3:00 PM on Friday.” She hung up without waiting for a goodbye.

I lowered my phone, looking around my pristine, quiet living room. A small, cold smile crept onto my face. I wasn’t going to be her maid. I wasn’t going to give up my master suite. In fact, I wasn’t even going to be in the same zip code. I had three days to prepare, and I got straight to work.

First, I called a local smart-home security company. I paid an emergency installation fee to have heavy-duty smart locks put on the front door, the back patio doors, and the electronic gate at the end of the driveway.

I also had them install three high-definition exterior security cameras—one pointing directly at the gate, one at the front porch, and one covering the driveway.

Next, I handled her ridiculous grocery list. I didn’t buy a single thing. Instead, I drove down to a local print shop and had a very official, highly detailed document drawn up and laminated.

By Thursday evening, the house was perfectly secure. The water was turned off at the main valve, the electricity to the guest wings was flipped off at the breaker, and the smart locks were engaged. I packed a small weekend bag, locked my beautiful new home, and drove two hours up the coast to a luxurious spa resort. I checked in, ordered a glass of champagne, and opened the security camera app on my tablet.

Friday at 3:15 PM, the show began.