MY MIL AND BIL MOVED IN TO JOB HUNT. ONE DAY, I CAME HOME TO FIND MY FRIDGE LOCKED. SHE SAID, ‘TO EAT, YOU MUST ASK PERMISSION.’ I GRABBED A HAMMER, SMASHED THE PADLOCK, AND SAID, ‘THIS IS MY NOTICE!’

you are.”

I struck the lock once.

Metal snapped against stainless steel.

I hit it again, and the padlock dropped onto the tile.

Lorraine shrieked.

I set the hammer on the counter and looked at all three of them.

“This is my notice.”

Trevor laughed. Daniel looked embarrassed. Lorraine looked almost pleased, as though my anger proved she had finally broken me.

None of them knew I had received a credit alert at lunch.

Someone had applied for a $48,000 personal loan in my name.

And the application had