"Which son of a bitch reported me for stealing electricity?!" Rachel's shriek echoed through the hallway.
Through the peephole, I watched the power company crew ripping out that tangle of wires outside her window. Two uniformed workers kept their faces blank.
"Ma'am, please cooperate."
"Unauthorized wiring like this isn't just theft of public utilities—it's a serious safety hazard."
Rachel dropped to the floor and started wailing.
"I didn't do anything! I'm being framed!" "I'm a widow raising my son alone—do you know how hard that is?!" "Electricity's so expensive, I just wanted to save a little!" "You're trying to drive us to our deaths!"
Even while sobbing, she shot a venomous glare at my door.
The workers had clearly seen this act before. They didn't flinch.
"You'll be fined according to regulations, and your power will be temporarily cut."
"Service will only be restored after you pay the back charges, the fine, and submit a safety compliance report."
Fine. Power cut.
Those two words hit Rachel like a bomb.
She scrambled off the floor and hurled herself at my door.