It’s been too long.”Tom laughed softly. “I agree, Charlotte. Let’s plan for this weekend. We could both use some relaxation.” I smiled, feeling a bit more hopeful. Maybe things could get back to how they used to be, even if just for a little while. But before we could enjoy the hot tub again, our neighbor Lisa stopped by one afternoon. “Charlotte, can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Sure, Lisa. What’s up?” I replied, curious about what she wanted to say. “I hate to bring this up, but could you and Tom keep it down in the evenings on the weekends?” Lisa said, glancing at her feet. “There was loud music and shouting coming from your backyard last Sunday as well. Look, I’ve been quiet all this while, but it’s going to be a year now.

The noise is really annoying.”I stared at her, surprised. “But Lisa, Tom and I were out of town on Sunday. We weren’t even here. We’re out almost every weekend.” Lisa looked puzzled. “Well, there was definitely a lot of noise coming from your place. I thought it was you guys. And it’s been so regular.” That was shocking, so Tom and I decided to investigate. We didn’t want to upset our neighbors, and we certainly didn’t want anyone to think we were inconsiderate. So, we set up a hidden camera overlooking the hot tub area. Then, we went on a short trip, leaving the house empty to see if anything unusual happened. When we returned, we eagerly checked the footage. As we watched, our eyes widened in shock. The camera had captured someone sneaking into our backyard and using the hot tub while we were away. They were playing loud music and shouting, just as Lisa had described. “Who could this be?” I wondered aloud, feeling a mix of anger and confusion. Tom shook his head. “We need to find out who’s doing this and why. This is our home, and we can’t have people trespassing and causing trouble.” I nodded in agreement. Their faces weren’t visible in the footage at first. We could only see shadows and blurry figures moving around. But as they moved closer to the camera, their faces came into focus. “Tom, look!” I gasped.Seeing the footage of our neighbors, Jim, and his family, lounging in our hot tub made my blood boil. They were sipping drinks and laughing as if they owned the place. They even brought snacks and towels, making themselves at home. Jim even made a funny face at the hidden camera. “Can you believe this?” I asked Tom, fuming. “How could they feel so entitled to use our property without permission?” Tom shook his head, equally upset. “This is unbelievable, Charlotte. We need to teach them a lesson.” We decided to take immediate action. Tom installed an automatic lock on the gate to keep them out. I had another idea. I added a special, harmless dye to the hot tub water that would react with their skin, turning it a light greenish color after prolonged exposure. It wouldn’t cause any harm, but it would certainly make a point. We wanted our neighbors to understand that their behavior was unacceptable without causing a major confrontation. It was about respect. The next weekend, we pretended to leave again, but this time, we hid inside the house, watching the camera feed closely. As expected, Jim and his family soon made their way to our backyard, slipping into the hot tub with their usual nonchalance. They seemed so comfortable, lounging and laughing as if they owned the place. After about an hour, I noticed them looking at each other, their smiles fading. Their skin had turned a greenish tint. Panic set in as they realized something was wrong.They hurried to the gate, but it automatically locked, trapping them inside. Their agitation grew, and they started shouting and banging on the gate. “Open this darned thing!” Jim yelled. Tom and I walked out, recording the entire scene. “What’s going on here?” I asked firmly. Jim looked at me, his face a mix of fear and embarrassment. “Charlotte, what did you do?” I held up the camera, showing them the footage of their uninvited visits. “This dye is harmless, but it should make you think twice before trespassing again.” They were speechless and realized we had caught them red-handed. I eventually unlocked the gate. “We expect more respect from our neighbors, remember that!” Jim and his family hurried out, still looking shocked. As they left, Tom turned to me. “I think they got the message,” he said. I nodded, feeling a sense of relief. “I hope so. We deserve to enjoy our home in peace.” After Jim and his family left, Tom and I were determined to make sure this never happened again. I uploaded the video of their antics to our private neighborhood watch group online, warning others about Jim’s behavior. The response was overwhelming, and several neighbors shared similar stories. One neighbor mentioned Jim using their pool without permission. Another said he borrowed tools and never returned them. Someone even claimed he threw parties in their absence. Just when I thought the drama was over, I received an anonymous tip through the neighborhood group. The message suggested that Jim’s behavior might be part of something bigger. Intrigued, I decided to dig deeper. I spent hours researching and talking to other neighbors. The pieces of the puzzle started coming together. It turned out that Jim was running an underground “Airbnb” business. He was renting out his house and using our neighborhood’s amenities to attract guests.It was a clever scam but incredibly dishonest and invasive. I gathered all the evidence I could find and contacted the police. They took my report seriously and began an investigation. A few days later, Jim was arrested for fraud and trespassing. The news spread quickly, and the neighborhood breathed a collective sigh of relief. Shortly after the scandal broke, Jim and his family moved away. Tom and I finally got our hot tub back to ourselves, and we were able to relax without any worries. The whole experience brought our neighborhood closer together. We all became more vigilant and supportive of each other, ensuring that nothing like this could happen again. One evening, as Tom and I soaked in the hot tub, I looked around our peaceful backyard and smiled. “We did it, Tom,” I said. “We got our home back.” Tom nodded, holding my hand. “And we strengthened our community in the process. I couldn’t be prouder of us.” It was a hard lesson in trust and vigilance, but it made us all stronger and more connected. And for that, I was truly grateful.