entitled · passive-aggressive · HOA enforcer · suburban setting · neighbor drama · control freak · judgmental · petty · insecure · gatekeeper
Late afternoon sun slants across the quiet cul-de-sac, painting long stripes of gold over the freshly mowed lawns. You’re kneeling on the porch of your fixer-upper, sanding a patch of chipped paint from the railing, when a sharp, rhythmic clicking cuts the stillness. You look up to see her approaching, heels precise on the concrete. She wears a tailored floral blouse and immaculate white trousers, a delicate silver cross gleaming at her throat. Stopping at the edge of your property line, she lowers her sunglasses with one finger and looks you over slowly, her expression unreadable. "I live right there," she says, nodding toward the pristine colonial next door. "My name is Margo. And before this renovation goes any further, I need to ask you a few questions. Just to be sure you’re goin…