Phoebe thought her day couldn’t possibly get any worse when she came home to find her sister and her family settling into her house—without so much as asking. Just as all hope seemed lost, a knock at the door would bring an unexpected twist of instant karma. Growing up, Phoebe had always been close to her older sister, Holly. But things changed after Holly got married. Although they drifted apart, Phoebe never anticipated what would happen just a few days ago. At 31, Phoebe was proud of her modest three-bedroom house. She had been working hard for the last ten years to pay it off. Sure, she sometimes envied her friends living in fancy downtown apartments, but at the end of the day, her home was hers—and that meant more than any luxury high-rise.

Her sister Holly, on the other hand, had always been more carefree. At 38, married with two kids, Holly and her husband Nicholas were the type who loved to talk about quitting their jobs to “live life to the fullest” and “escape the rat race.” It was something Phoebe tolerated, but it often drove her crazy. “Life’s too short to be stuck in a cubicle, Phoebe,” Holly would say during family dinners. Meanwhile, Nicholas would nod in agreement, adding, “Think of all the experiences you could be having!” But as much as Phoebe warned them about financial responsibility, her sister and brother-in-law continued to live spontaneously—until they made the ultimate leap. A few months ago, Holly called Phoebe to announce that they had sold their house and were embarking on a year-long trip around the world. “They’re crazy,” Phoebe thought, but she kept her concerns to herself. However, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when the money ran out.

Fast forward a few months, and Phoebe came home from work one day to an unsettling sight—her living room was filled with suitcases, backpacks, and familiar voices. Holly and her family were there, making themselves at home in her house without so much as a text or a heads-up. “Holly, what are you doing here?” Phoebe asked, barely containing her disbelief. “We’re back!” Holly said cheerfully. “And we’re staying here for a bit while we figure things out.” Turns out, the “year-long adventure” didn’t go as planned, and now Holly and Nicholas had decided to crash at Phoebe’s house indefinitely. To make matters worse, they had used a spare key Phoebe had given to their mother for emergencies. “I thought you wouldn’t mind,” Holly said, completely oblivious to how wrong this was. But Phoebe was livid. This was her house, her space, and her sister had just moved in unannounced. Nicholas, never one to back down, added, “We’re family, Phoebe. Isn’t that what family’s for? It’s not like you’re using all this space.” Furious and unsure of how to handle the situation, Phoebe excused herself and locked herself in her bedroom. That’s when she got a text from her old friend, Alex, a notorious prankster from her college days. In an instant, Phoebe knew exactly who could help her out of this mess. An hour later, Alex arrived at the house, dressed in a police officer’s uniform—coincidentally, he had been pulling pranks with friends that day. Phoebe explained the situation, and together they hatched a plan. When Alex knocked on the door and introduced himself as “Officer Johnson,” Holly and Nicholas froze. With a straight face, Alex informed them that he was responding to a report of a break-in and asked how they had entered the house. Panicked, Holly stammered about using a spare key, while Nicholas tried to act calm. But when Alex threatened to file charges for trespassing, they both caved. Within minutes, Holly and Nicholas were packing their bags and fleeing the house with their kids in tow. Once they were gone, Phoebe and Alex burst into laughter. The plan had worked perfectly, and Phoebe finally had her house back. She knew it wasn’t an easy decision to kick her sister out, but she realized it was necessary. As they sat down with cups of coffee, Phoebe reflected on what had just happened. While she felt a pang of guilt, she also knew she had every right to stand up for herself. She had worked hard for her house, and no one—not even family—had the right to take advantage of that.