My sister announced in the family group chat that I was officially banned from the reunion and she made it clear no one was to tell me where it would be. I didn’t argue. I didn’t reply. I simply opened the location pin… and laughed so hard I had to cover my mouth.

I bought the property through an anonymous LLC called Stone Creek Holdings. I hired contractors and designers under that name, ensuring there was no paper trail leading back to Katelyn Rossi. I didn’t build this house for guests; I built it for my own peace.

I spent six months renovating the place, choosing every finish and fixture myself. I wanted a kitchen large enough to host a feast and a master bedroom that faced the dunes. I wanted a space that held silence well, where I could finally stop bracing for someone else’s tantrum.

I never intended to tell my family about it because I knew they would treat it as a communal resource. I knew my mother would move in and Monica would use it as a backdrop for her social media.

That would have remained the plan if they hadn’t made the mistake of trying to erase me. Thirty days ago, I received a calendar invite for a “Family Sync” regarding the summer reunion. My mother sat in her sunroom on the video call, looking perfectly poised in her pearls.