I glanced at my phone, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. The notification displayed a live feed from my vacation home’s security camera. There they were—my parents, standing on the porch, trying to jimmy the lock. Anger swirled within me like a brewing storm.
I’d always been the responsible one, the one who did what was expected without question. But this was a betrayal I couldn’t comprehend. I watched as my father tried to force a window open, my mother watching nervously over his shoulder. It struck me how desperate and entitled they seemed, as if my boundaries meant nothing.
Taking a deep breath, I dialed the local authorities. I hated to do it, but this had gone too far. As I explained the situation, the officer on the line assured me they would send someone to check it out. I hung up, trying to focus on work, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the live feed.
