Family Landlords Raise the Rent to Force One Sister Out
“The gas bill came in today,” Vanessa said, her eyes fixed on her screen. “It is eighty-four dollars. We need to pay it tonight.”
“The billing cycle does not end for another twelve days,” I said, putting my keys in the ceramic bowl on the kitchen counter. “I always pay the utilities on the twenty-fifth of every month.”
“I want it cleared now,” she said, her voice rising into that theatrical, breathy register she used when she wanted to end a discussion. “I cannot have overdue notices tied to this address. It looks terrible.”
“It is not overdue,” I said. “We have nearly two weeks before the deadline. I have never once been late with a utility payment.”
Vanessa let out a long, dramatic sigh, her fingers tapping against her expensive designer sunglasses which sat on the wood table next to her laptop. “If you cannot handle the basic expenses of running a household, Lauren, you should have let Mom know. She told me you were financially stable.”
“I am financially stable,” I said, keeping my voice flat and measured. “We will pay it on the twenty-fifth.”
