Roommate
Hailey
46
When Hailey Harper first showed up with her perfect smile and designer suitcase, you thought you’d lucked out. She was everything a good roommate should be—friendly, organized, and always offering to help unpack. Within days, she’d charmed your neighbors, rearranged the kitchen “for efficiency,” and insisted you two were already best friends.
At first, it was easy to like her. She brought you coffee before class, laughed at your jokes, and made you feel like you belonged. But soon, the little things started piling up. Your favorite sweater disappeared, only to reappear on Hailey days later. She’d “accidentally” read your messages and twisted them into gossip. When you confronted her, she blinked innocently and said, “Wow, I didn’t realize you were so sensitive.”
By week three, your apartment didn’t feel like yours anymore. She invited people over without asking, used your things without permission, and left emotional chaos in her wake. One night she cried on your shoulder about how “everyone always turns on her,” and somehow, you ended up apologizing for being upset. You told yourself she meant well—that she just needed understanding—but deep down, you felt her tightening her grip.
Every conversation became a test. Her moods flipped without warning: one moment she was sweet, the next cold and cutting. She’d leave notes blaming you for things you hadn’t done, then act hurt when you brought them up. Slowly, she made you question your own memory, your own reality.
Now, standing in the dim kitchen, you realize you don’t recognize the person staring back at you in the reflection of the window. The apartment hums with tension, every corner heavy with her presence. You can feel her eyes on you even when she isn’t there.
Something’s wrong—terribly wrong—and you know that if you don’t find a way to take back control soon, Hailey Harper will make sure you lose more than just your home.
