After Renting Out My House, I Became a Murderer

02

The next morning, before I was even out of bed, I heard a commotion outside, like someone shouting through a bullhorn.

At first I didn't pay it any mind. I was brushing my teeth and scrolling my phone when I saw a video posted in the neighborhood group chat. I tapped in, and it was Ryan McClain.

He was standing under my building with a bullhorn, yelling, "That Minnie Henson in 1602 is a two-faced woman who doesn't keep her word."

"We had a deal. I was renting her place, and yesterday, right when it was time to sign, she backed out. No reason at all."

"Everybody in this complex needs to watch out for this Minnie Henson. If you deal with her at all, don't let her cheat you."

By the time I saw him shouting, a big crowd had already gathered around him, and more people kept drifting over the longer he went on.

I looked down from the bathroom window. He stood in the middle of the crowd, giving a nonstop account of my glorious record.

"These are my chat logs with her. And the transfer receipt too."

I never imagined Ryan would come at me like this.

"I rented that place for my son's wedding. The wedding's next month. I've already lined up the renovation company. The plan was to sign, then start work right away."

"Now she's backed out. Where am I supposed to find another place?"

Ryan played the pity card every way he could. Poor him.

A man in his situation gets sympathy easily.

I saw people already answering in the group chat, and of course they were all blaming me.

"Minnie Henson always seemed decent enough. Gentle, patient with her family."

"That's all just the surface. Who knows what she's really like underneath."

"You said it. I've never once seen Minnie's husband. People feel for her, raising a kid on her own, and it does look hard. But it's just as likely the husband got fed up and took off, didn't want to live with her."

I rarely say much in that group chat, but the neighbors and I had always gotten along fine. I never thought a little shouting from Ryan could do me this much damage.

My daughter Tracey Lyons stood there with sleepy eyes, hurrying me along. "Mommy, I'm going to be late for school."

That snapped me out of it. I rushed to find her clothes, and by the time Tracey and I got out the door, more than ten minutes had passed.

At the entrance I ran into my neighbor Gretchen Lambert. I greeted her the way I always did, but she just rolled her eyes at me.

Her attitude toward me had clearly shifted in a big way. Even when Tracey called her grandma, she ignored it.

I could guess Gretchen was acting like this because of Ryan.

He'd been hollering around the complex all morning. By now the whole place probably thought I was a woman who broke her word.

I didn't dwell on it too much. Ryan was still going at it near the entrance to our block, and when he spotted me, he deliberately lifted the bullhorn higher and raised his voice even more.

"Minnie, sweetheart, I'm begging you, all right? Rent me the place. My son really is waiting on it to get married. Every day you say no is another day of work I lose, and my boy's wedding is a big deal."

And as he said it, Ryan actually dropped down onto both knees.

Someone in the crowd tugged at his arm. "Oh, come on now, it's hard for a man his age. You already promised to rent it to him. How can you just take it back like that?"

They pitied Ryan and blamed me in the same breath.

Facing Ryan's accusations, facing all those disapproving stares, I felt helpless. I didn't know how to explain any of it.

Just then Gretchen came down from upstairs too. She gave me a loaded look and spoke in the tone of someone offering good advice, "Tracey's mama, a person has to keep her word. Look at Mr. McClain here, he's got it rough too. When we parents get to the point of doing something for our kids, it's fine if things go smoothly, but when they don't, it can nearly kill you."

"Since you already worked it all out with him, just be a good sport and rent it to him."

The others all chimed in on her side, but my position never wavered. I wasn't renting.