Now they were doing cannonballs into it.
On my property.
While I wasn't home.
Without asking.
My husband leaned over when he saw my face.
‘What happened?’
I turned the phone toward him.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
On the screen, our backyard filled with laughter.
A man opened another cooler.
Someone moved one of our chairs.
One of the neighbors looked toward our house, then laughed.
‘They're not even here,’ she said. ‘Relax.’
Another voice answered, ‘They'll never know.’
That was the moment my anger disappeared.
Not because I was calm.
Because I suddenly knew exactly what I was going to do.
I didn't call them.
I didn't send an angry text.
I didn't post the footage online.
I saved every camera clip first.
The gate opening.
The coolers coming in.
The decorations going up.
The first person entering the pool.
Every timestamp.
Every face.
Then I switched back to the live feed.