Her Phantom Baby Drove Me Mad

At ten o'clock that night, my next-door neighbor, Linda, suddenly tagged me in the building's community chat.

[Hey, you fucking bitch in 705, could you keep it down in the middle of the night? The bed is squeaking like crazy. Let people sleep!]

[My baby has a congenital heart condition. If you wake my baby up again, I'll kill your whole family!]

I quickly explained that I lived alone, but she refused to believe me.

After patiently explaining a few more times, I gave up and ignored her.

I never expected that two weeks later, she would break into my apartment with a knife and stab me eighteen times.

As I lay bleeding on the floor, she was still swinging the knife like a maniac, screaming hysterically:

It's all your fault! My baby died last night! You're going to pay for my baby's life!

My vision faded, and I finally lost consciousnessdying without ever understanding how I had harmed her child.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she cursed me in the group chat.

Facing her familiar insults, I didn't back down this time. Instead, I fired back sharply:

Stop your crazy ranting! Your baby died three years ago!

...

After I sent that message, the previously lively chat group fell silent.

A few minutes later, my neighbor exploded in the group:

[What the hell are you talking about, you slut? My baby is almost one year old! How dare you curse my child to be dead!]

[Everyone heard that! This bitch in 705 can't have kids of her own, so she curses others' children!]

Seeing our exchange, the neighbors all took Linda's side:

[705, that's too much. How could you curse someone's child like that?]

Someone else tried to calm Linda down:

[Linda, take a breath. We're all neighbors in the same building. We're going to see each other around. Can't we talk this out nicely?]

Hearing that, Linda wasn't having it:

[Talk it out nicely, my ass! What is there to say to a bitch like her? She clearly can't stand to see my baby doing well!]

[My baby has a heart condition! He's fought so hard to make it to one year. The doctor said he needs gentle care!]

[And this whore here just keeps shaking the bed nonstop! If anything happens to my baby, I'll stab her to death first!]

The other neighbors in the building heard this and started blaming me too:

[Linda has a point. Late at night, you really should be more considerate.]

[Exactly, it's ten o'clock already. Can't you give it a rest?]

Reading their words, I just felt utterly absurd.

Ever since I moved into 705, I'd lived alone. There wasn't a man in my apartment.

As for Linda next door, her baby had passed away shortly after birth.

How on earth could I, with a non-existent man, possibly disturb a child who was already dead?

I was just about to explain when Linda started cursing me out in the group again:

[You bitch, are you at it again? Will you die if you don't do it for one night?]

[Are you doing this on purpose? Don't want my baby to be well, is that it? He's fought so hard to get this far. Are you trying to kill him?]

[If his heart condition acts up and something happens, can you even take responsibility?]

A few other neighbors also sent messages, their words dripping with impatience.

[Hey, 705, her child is sick and has a heart condition. Do you have to pick on a kid?]

[Yeah, Linda is raising the kid alone. It's not easy. The least you could do is show some understanding, not curse her child to be dead!]

In my past life, I explained over and over that I lived alone, but they never listened.

Instead, Linda escalated her harassment.

I complained to the building management and even called the cops, but nothing could stop her.

Furious, I finally moved in with a girlfriend for a few days.

I never imagined that upon coming back to 705, Linda would break into my place with a knife and kill me.

Even now, whenever I closed my eyes, I could see Linda's deranged expression.

I couldn't hold back my rage any longer. I directly sent a voice message in the group, yelling:

Will you stop bothering me?! Your child has been dead for years!

The group chat was dead silent for several seconds. I thought she'd finally quieted down, but then a frantic pounding erupted at my door.

I looked through the peephole and saw Linda, eyes wide, screaming at the door:

You bitch, you're asking for it! How dare you say my baby is dead!

My baby just finally fell back asleep! Saying that, are you trying to kill my baby on purpose?!

If anything happens to my baby, I'll kill you!

Neighbors from other units came out at the commotion, indignantly accusing me:

Vivian, have you lost your mind? Linda's child isn't even one yet. Can't you watch your mouth?

Seriously! You'll have kids of your own one day. Could you bear hearing someone say such evil things about your own child?

Picking on a baby less than a year old aren't you afraid of karma?

Linda was still pounding on the door like a madwoman, her eyes bulging as if she wanted to skin me alive:

You damned bitch! Slut! How dare you curse my child!

I'll kill you! I'll kill your whole family!

Her shrieks were shrill, piercing my eardrums, especially chilling in the dead of night.

Remembering how I'd been falsely accused and stabbed to death by this lunatic in my past life, my body trembled uncontrollably.

Hearing her threaten to kill my family, I couldn't take it anymore. I yanked the door open and slapped her hard across the face.

Shut the hell up! Where's your baby? I don't hear any crying!

Just bring your baby here and let me see it with my own eyes, and I'll happily be your free nanny!

The slap stunned her. She froze for a few seconds, then suddenly lunged at me, claws out.

I dodged back into the apartment and stuck my foot out, tripping her.

Remembering being stabbed to death in my past life, rage surged through me.

I sat right on Linda's back, grabbing her hair and yanking it sideways.

Keep screaming! Keep banging! Show me what you've got!

Pinned beneath me, Linda could only shriek hoarsely:

Vivian, you're an animal! There's no justice! I'm calling the cops!

Her piercing screams drew the other neighbors.

They pulled us apart and called building management.

I glared at Linda, teeth gritted, my anger still not subsided.

Doing the math, I'd only been reborn for about an hour.

Which meant, just an hour ago, this very lunatic had killed me! How was I supposed to stay calm?!

But after pulling me away, everyone berated me:

Vivian, you were in the wrong to begin with, and now you're resorting to violence? Do you think a single mother is an easy target?

I never realized we had such a vicious neighbor on this floor!

I've already called management! If you keep this up, we're calling the police and letting them handle it!

Freed from my hold, Linda got cocky again.

She slapped me hard across the face twice, the sound echoing in the hallway, triggering all the motion-sensor lights.

You bitch! Disturbing my baby's sleep, and you dare hit me? That's what you get!

I struggled to fight back but was held firmly by the neighbors.

You still want to fight back?! Can't you just behave?

Linda gloated over me, her insults getting nastier.

The other neighbors also scolded me for having no decency.

A mom with a child, trying to soothe her baby, said to me hatefully:

Grow up! Have you no shame? You've woken up every kid on this floor. Do the rest of us not need to sleep?

Linda's a single mom, and her child has a heart condition. Who can take this?

I struggled against the people holding me, retorting:

How many times do I have to explain? I live alone! What bed am I shaking? Am I doing it with a ghost?!

Besides, she says I woke her kid. Has any of you ever seen this child?

My words made a few people pause, their eyes showing a flicker of doubt.

But Linda immediately defended herself:

My baby just had a bottle and is sleeping soundly in the room!

I sneered:

A minute ago, you said I was shaking the bed, keeping your baby awake. Now you're out here making this huge racket, and your baby can still sleep through that?

Everyone was stunned.

The mom with the baby muttered to herself:

My baby is a pretty sound sleeper. If her child is so sensitive to noise, why didn't it cry with all that commotion just now?

Right then, building management hurried over. Hearing our argument, the property manager quickly said:

Ms. Linda, the sounds you're hearing might be from aging wooden structures in your unit.

If it's convenient now, we can check for you to avoid disturbing the baby.

Linda, who had been so aggressive moments before, fell completely silent.

After a long pause, she reluctantly said:

Come back tomorrow! My baby's already asleep. You'll just make noise and wake him up!

I wasn't about to let her off that easy.

I think you're just scared, aren't you? I've lived here for ages and have never once seen your child!

Linda immediately grabbed my arm:

You keep saying my baby is dead. Well, if my child is safely sleeping inside, what then?

I shot back:

If your child is is sleeping in there, I'll move out of this complex immediately. You won't hear a peep from me ever again!

Then, Linda announced to everyone:

You all heard that, right? She said it herself!

With that, she dragged me into her apartment.

Fine! I'll let you see for yourself!

The neighbors and I followed her inside.

The moment we entered, a strong smell of baby formula hit us.

There was unfinished formula and unwashed bottles on the coffee table, and baby clothes hung on the balcony.

In the bedroom, there was a crib, a mobile, soft play mats, and corner guardseverything you'd expect.

Seeing all this, I started to doubt myself. Did Linda really have a baby?

She hauled me over to the crib:

Take a good look! Isn't my baby right there?!

I looked into the crib and was speechless.

Linda said triumphantly, You all heard her. From now on, Vivian has to get the hell out of this complex!

After saying that, she also looked into the crib.

The next moment, she collapsed to the floor.

Because inside that cribthere was no baby.