The girl next door is dead – jumped from her balcony. Suicide. It wasn't until later that I learned the real reason— Her own parents pushed her to it, on her birthday, no less. Twenty-two years old. … I lived right next door to her. We were around the same age, both just trying to make it in the city, working whatever jobs we could find. Over time, we got to know each other. She’d sometimes share stories about her messed-up family back home. Every time, she’d end up crying, but then she’d try to pull herself together, saying, "My name's Willow. You know, like the tree? They bend, but they don’t break easy. I’m gonna be like that. Tough it out, keep moving forward." Today… that girl who wanted to be like a willow tree, on her twenty-second birthday… she died. I just finished giving my statement down at the police station. Found a random bench outside, just sat down. I still can’t wrap my head around it. That girl… Willow… gone. Just a few days ago, she told me she wanted us to celebrate her birthday together. I never thought… on her actual birthday… I let out a long sigh, couldn't help remembering the first time I met her. It was my day off. Got back from my evening jog around midnight. The elevator doors opened, and I heard quiet sobbing. Stepped out, confused, and saw a girl huddled by her door, hair all wild, a bruise already forming on her lip. Her head was buried between her knees, and there was a small tear in her shirt. My heart went out to her. I walked over carefully. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?" She looked up, startled, quickly wiping away tears. "I... I forgot my keys. Can't get in," she mumbled, looking embarrassed. I could tell she wasn't telling me everything, her eyes darting away. But I just smiled gently. "Hey, don't cry. I can call a locksmith for you." She hesitated, like she wanted to say something else, then finally managed, "Um, sis… I don't have any money right now. Haven't gotten paid yet..." She said it so quietly, but I heard her. I reached out, smoothed her hair back a bit. "We all hit rough patches. It’s okay, things will get better. Let me call the locksmith first." A grateful smile flickered across her face. "Thanks, sis. I promise, as soon as I get paid in a couple of days, I'll pay you back." "Sounds good," I said, pointing to my door. "We're neighbors. Maybe we can hang out sometime." I always figured, if you can help someone out, especially a neighbor, you should. You know, like they say, sometimes good neighbors are better than family far away. I waited with her until the locksmith came and got her door open, then I headed back to my place. The next day, she brought over a small casserole she’d made. She smiled shyly, telling me not to judge her cooking. I joked, "For a lazy cook like me, free food is the best food. No complaints here!" Maybe it was the joke, but she seemed to relax, and we started chatting about everything and nothing. Honestly, I've always been a good listener. I know when to ask the right questions. We ended up having a really nice talk. The next few days flew by. My company sent me overseas for a work trip. Willow and I only texted a bit. Then things got crazy busy, plus the time difference was huge, so we barely talked. When I finally got back from the trip, I’d just finished unpacking when there was this violent banging on my door… 2 I frowned. That knocking was jarring, setting my teeth on edge. I opened the door to find two older strangers, a man and a woman. The woman was holding a small child. Behind them stood a younger guy. He looked like trouble – messy clothes, maybe mid-twenties, hair sticking up, leaning against the doorframe trying to look cool, maybe puffing on a vape. He saw me and gave this sleazy whistle. I felt instantly grossed out. "Can I help you?" I asked, confused. The older woman spoke first. "Honey, don't you worry. I'm Willow's mother-in-law, from next door. This here's her father-in-law, her little boy, and that's her husband back there." My jaw almost dropped. Willow was married? I tried to keep my face neutral. "Oh. Uh, is there something I can do for you?" The older woman seemed a bit hesitant, then finally said, "We came by to see our daughter-in-law, but she's not here. We were just wondering… do you happen to have a way to reach her?" Just as I was about to answer, the elevator dinged open down the hall. The old woman’s head snapped around, and suddenly her face was all smiles. "Well, look who it is! Our busy little bee is finally home. Must be so tired!" It sounded like concern, but the sarcasm dripped off every word. I tightened my grip on the doorknob without realizing it. Something felt off. This didn't feel like a mother-in-law; it felt more like… a debt collector. I had a bad feeling Willow could be in danger anytime with these people around. Willow seemed used to it. She just mumbled a quiet "Yeah," then looked over at me, managing a small, tired smile. "Hey, sis. You're back from your trip." I nodded. Just then, the old woman started in on Willow, her voice sharp and demanding. "You think you can just run off? Let me tell you, you married into our family, you're stuck with us! Where's the money?" I stood there in my doorway, listening to that harsh voice. Willow’s back was turned to me, but I could almost feel the wave of helplessness and loneliness wash over her. … I have a habit of going for a run at night. This one evening, I got back and saw Willow pacing back and forth in the hallway. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying. I walked closer, concerned. "Willow? Still up? It's late." She forced a smile, pulling her thin cardigan tighter around herself. "Oh, just… looking at the moon." I glanced towards the windows at the end of the hall. "It's totally overcast. No moon tonight. It's getting cold out here, you should go inside." I figured she must have had a fight with the in-laws, so I just said it casually. Willow just mumbled, "Yeah." As I closed my door, I heard her sneeze. I took a shower, and when I came out, I heard shouting from the hallway— It was the old woman’s voice, shrill and angry. "You married into our family, you owe us! You've got thousands saved up, why should your family get it all? You give us that money, now!" Then Willow’s voice, cold and defiant. "Why should I support all of you? You should be grateful I even let you in today. Tomorrow, pack your bags and get out of my apartment." "Ha! Try and make me leave! You either give us the money, or you support us. Your choice." 3 Their shouting got louder and louder. I started to worry about Willow. I pulled out my phone and typed 9-1-1, ready to hit send. I'd never met an old woman like Willow's supposed mother-in-law— Mean, unreasonable… you could throw almost any negative word at her, and it would stick. It's the 21st century! How do people like this still exist? I peeked through my peephole. Just then, the guy who’d whistled at me earlier – Cody, I guess – stormed out of Willow's apartment. He was holding a wooden rolling pin. He raised his hand and slapped Willow hard across the face. Then he swung the rolling pin, bringing it down hard on her back and shoulders! Willow cried out, trying to shield her face, but she couldn't block the blows to her body. I couldn't just stand there. I threw open my door and rushed out. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Willow saw me, and a flash of panic crossed her face. "Sis, just go back inside, please." But I wasn't backing down. I looked straight at the hateful mother-son duo and pointed up towards the security camera near the ceiling. "You see that camera? It recorded everything you just did. I can call the cops right now!" It was the first time I'd ever really threatened anyone like that. My heart was pounding, and my hand holding my phone was shaking slightly. The guy, Cody, seemed stunned that I'd actually stand up to him. He clenched his fists, his face dark with anger, and started walking towards me. "Looks like you got a death wish today, lady." My mind went blank for a second, then I found my voice. "You touch me, and that's assault on top of everything else." The old woman didn't want her son getting arrested out here. She pointed a trembling finger at me, furious. "I thought you were a nice girl! Turns out you're just vicious, trying to get my boy thrown in jail!" With that, she grabbed her son's arm and pulled him back towards Willow's apartment. I watched them slam the door shut. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, but my heart was still racing. I quickly helped Willow, who had slumped against the wall, into my apartment. I got her onto my couch, then went to find my first-aid kit. As I sorted through bandages and antiseptic wipes, I looked over at her. "Are you okay? If anything really hurts bad, we need to get you to a hospital." "No," she said quietly, her voice flat. "I'm just… used to getting hit, I guess. Doesn't even hurt that much anymore." Hearing her say that so calmly broke my heart. Willow tried to joke, though it sounded hollow. "Sis, didn't expect you to catch the live show tonight." Talking seemed to pull at the cut on her lip. She winced, then her voice turned cold, laced with self-mockery. "I thought I was done with them. I thought I got away. But they just won't leave me alone. It's driving me crazy!" I had her lie face down on the couch so I could put some ointment on the bruises on her back. When I lifted the edge of her shirt, I saw the angry red and purple marks – fresh ones layered over older, faded ones. My stomach clenched. No doubt about it, her so-called family-in-law did this. I tried to be as gentle as possible, afraid of hurting her more. Willow was just staring blankly at the wall. Suddenly, I felt like she desperately needed someone to talk to. "Willow," I said softly, "if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen." Keeping things bottled up like that… it'll destroy you. Willow looked at me, a bitter smile touching her lips. "Sis, I bet you were shocked, huh? Finding out I was 'married'." I admitted it. "You're so young." Willow's lip trembled slightly. "I grew up in a small town back country. Real traditional, you know? My parents always favored my brother. When he needed money for something, they pulled me out of school and arranged for me to marry someone." I saw the disgust flicker in her eyes. She continued, "The guy's family… the son, Cody… he's a total lowlife. Bully, womanizer, basically ruled the roost back home. He'd been married before, when he was just a teenager. His wife died in childbirth, left him with a son. I was supposed to marry him and be the kid's stepmom…" "That sounds awful," I murmured. Willow lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper. "Awful doesn't even cover it. I'd actually gone to school for a bit, I had dreams. I didn't want to marry him. On the day of the wedding… I ran away." I finished cleaning her cuts. "So what happened? How did they find you here?" "My mom," she said, her voice flat but certain. "I guess she told them where I was." Even though it sounded like a question, the certainty in her tone was chilling. I had a feeling there was more to the story…
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