I stood alone among my crushed flowers.
That was when I realized this wasn't a neighbor being rude.
It was deliberate.
And somehow, Brenda believed she had a reason.
Chapter 2 — The Complaint
I photographed everything: the garbage, the fence, the trailer tracks, and the damage to my garden.
Then I called the municipal sanitation office.
An inspector named Daniel Ruiz arrived that afternoon.
He looked at the pile and frowned.
"Did she put all of this here?"
"Yes."
"Do you have proof?"
I showed him the photographs.
He nodded.
"I'll file a report."
"Can she be fined?"
"Almost certainly."
I thought that would be the end of it.
It wasn't.
Two days later, I received an official notice.
My property had been reported as a potential environmental hazard.
I read the letter twice.
The report claimed my backyard contained unstable soil, illegal runoff, and improperly maintained vegetation.
The complaint had been filed by Brenda Cole.
I called Daniel.
"Can she report my property after dumping garbage on it?"
"She can report anything."
"But this is false."
"I know."
"Then why is the city investigating me?"
Daniel was quiet.
"Because someone attached a professional-looking inspection report to her complaint."