Charlotte could never have imagined that her quiet neighbourhood could harbour secrets.
But when she discovered that her neighbours had been secretly using her hot tub for a whole year, she was shocked and angry.
Determined to teach them a lesson they would never forget, Charlotte began an investigation, only to uncover even more frightening truths about the people living next door.
What else were they hiding?
It was a sunny day, and I was sitting in our garden, looking at our hot tub.
Tom and I had bought our dream home a few years ago, with a beautiful garden and this very hot tub.
At the time, we were so excited, imagining all the relaxing evenings we would spend in the warm bubbles of the water.
We knew our neighbours, but we weren’t particularly close.
Jim and Lisa lived next door with their teenagers, Emma and Jake.
They seemed nice enough, but we never really had the chance to get to know them.
Tom and I used to use the hot tub a lot, especially on weekends.
But this year was different.
I started a new job that required frequent travel, and Tom was working extra hours to cover for a colleague who was ill.
It seemed like we were constantly busy, and our hot tub was neglected for several months.
I missed those peaceful moments of relaxation we used to have.
Sighing, I thought for a moment.
We need to find time for ourselves again, I thought.
The hot tub stood there, lonely, covered and unused – a symbol of how our lives had changed.
I decided to call Tom.
‘Hello, darling,’ I said when he answered.
‘I was thinking we should use the hot tub again. It’s been too long.’
Tom chuckled softly.
‘I agree with you, Charlotte. Let’s plan it for this weekend. We could both use a little relaxation.’
I smiled and felt a little more hopeful.
Maybe everything would be like it used to be again, even if only for a short time.
But before we could enjoy the hot tub again, our neighbour Lisa came over one afternoon.
‘Charlotte, can I talk to you?’ she asked, looking a little uncomfortable.
‘Of course, Lisa. What’s the matter?’ I replied, curious to hear what she had to say.
‘I don’t like to bring this up, but could you and Tom be a little quieter in the evenings on weekends?’ Lisa said, looking at her feet.
‘Last Sunday, loud music and shouting could be heard from your garden. Look, I’ve kept quiet until now, but it’s been almost a year. The noise is becoming unbearable.’
I stared at her in surprise.
‘But Lisa, Tom and I weren’t home on Sunday. We weren’t here at all. We go away almost every Sunday.’
Lisa looked puzzled.
‘Well, there was definitely loud noise coming from your property. I thought it was you. And it happens regularly.’
Shocked by this revelation, Tom and I decided to investigate.
We didn’t want to annoy our neighbours, and we certainly didn’t want anyone to think we were irresponsible.
So we installed a hidden camera overlooking the jacuzzi area.
Then we took a short trip, leaving the house empty, and waited to see if anything unusual would happen.
When we returned, we eagerly watched the recordings.
Our eyes widened in shock when we saw the video.
The camera had captured someone sneaking into our garden and using our hot tub while we were away.
They had turned on loud music and were shouting, just as Lisa had described.
‘Who could it be?’ I exclaimed, with a mixture of anger and bewilderment.
Tom shook his head.
‘We need to find out who they are and why. This is our home, and we can’t allow people to come in without permission and cause trouble.’
I nodded in agreement.
At first, their faces were unclear in the recording — just shadows and blurry figures moving around the garden.
But as they got closer to the camera, their faces became clearer.
‘Tom, look!’ I gasped.
When I saw the footage of our neighbours, Jim and his family, enjoying our hot tub, my blood boiled.
They were drinking and laughing as if it were their home.
They even brought snacks and towels, making themselves comfortable as if they were at home.
Jim even made a funny face at the hidden camera.
‘Can you believe this?’ I asked Tom, angry.
‘How can they think they have the right to use our property without permission?’
Tom shook his head, equally annoyed.
‘This is unbelievable, Charlotte. We need to teach them a lesson.’
We decided to act immediately.
Tom installed an automatic lock on the gate to prevent them from entering. I had another idea.
I added a special harmless dye to the water in the hot tub, which would react with their skin and give it a slight green tint upon prolonged contact.
It was completely safe, but it got the message across.
We wanted our neighbours to understand that their behaviour was unacceptable, without a major confrontation. It was about respect.
The following weekend, we pretended to be away, but this time we hid in the house and kept a close eye on the cameras.
As expected, Jim and his family soon made their way to our garden and, with their usual confidence, jumped into the hot tub.
They looked so relaxed, laughing and chatting as if they were at home.
After about an hour, I noticed them looking at each other, their smiles fading.
Their skin had taken on a greenish tinge.
Panic set in as they realised something was wrong.
They rushed to the gate, but it was automatically locked, trapping them inside.
Their anxiety grew, and they began shouting and banging on the gate.
‘Open this damn lock!’ Jim yelled.
Tom and I went outside and filmed the whole scene.
‘What’s going on here?’ I asked in a firm voice.
Jim looked at me, his face a mixture of fear and confusion.
‘Charlotte, what have you done?’
I raised the camera and showed them the recordings of their uninvited visits.
‘This dye is safe, but it should make you think twice before you enter uninvited again.’
They were stunned when they realised they had been caught red-handed.
Finally, I opened the gate.
‘We expect more respect from our neighbours. Remember that!’
Jim and his family hurriedly ran away, still in shock.
When they were gone, Tom turned to me.
‘I think they got the message,’ he said.
I nodded and felt relieved.
‘I hope so. We deserve to enjoy our home in peace.’
After Jim and his family left, Tom and I decided to make sure this didn’t happen again.
I uploaded a video of their antics to our private neighbourhood group online and warned others about Jim’s behaviour.
The response was overwhelming, and several neighbours shared similar stories.
One neighbour mentioned that Jim had used his pool without permission.
Another said he had borrowed tools and never returned them.
Someone even claimed that Jim had thrown parties in their absence.
Just when I thought the drama was over, I received anonymous advice through the neighbourhood group.
The message hinted that Jim’s behaviour might be part of something bigger.
Intrigued, I decided to continue investigating.
I spent hours researching and talking to other neighbours.
The pieces began to fall into place.
It turned out that Jim was running an illegal Airbnb business.
He was renting out his house and using our neighbourhood’s amenities to attract guests.
It was a cunning deception, but incredibly dishonest and intrusive.
I gathered all the evidence I could and went to 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 neighbourhood breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately after the scandal became public, Jim and his family moved away.
Tom and I could finally enjoy our hot tub again, and we could relax without any worries.
The whole experience brought our neighbourhood closer together.
We all became more vigilant and supported each other to make sure it never happened again.
One evening, as Tom and I sat in the hot tub, I looked around our peaceful garden and smiled.
‘We did it, Tom,’ I said.
‘We got our home back.’
Tom nodded and took my hand.
‘And we strengthened our community. I couldn’t be more proud of us.’
It was a harsh lesson in trust and vigilance, but it made us all stronger and more united.
And for that, I am truly grateful.
What would you do?
