Living in a rented apartment should mean peace of mind — but mine turned into a nightmare thanks to my landlord, Mr. Wildrick. For four years, he made my life hell: sneaking into the apartment without notice, ignoring serious problems like mold that landed me in the ER, shutting off the water “by mistake,” and raising the rent far beyond reason.

The worst moments? He once pounded on my bathroom door while I was in the tub, insisting he had the “right” to check for leaks. Another winter, he left me without heat for over a week, while temperatures indoors dropped low enough for my breath to show in the air. And every time I stood up to him, his smirk said it all: “If you don’t like it, leave.”

So I finally did — but not before he tried to keep my $2,350 deposit, claiming I’d “damaged” the apartment, even though I’d improved it. That was the last straw.

I decided to make sure he regretted every cruel trick. I planted open tuna cans in the vents, poured glitter into the carpet and drains, and slipped sugar into the radiators. I glued the locks, staged fake mold with flour and water, and hid alarm clocks set to go off at odd hours.

On move-out day, I handed him the keys with a smile. “All done. Good luck with your next tenant,” I said, adding casually, “Oh, and you might want to check the ventilation system…”

As I walked away, I could already imagine his face when the smell hit, when the glitter refused to vanish, and when the alarms drove him crazy at 3 a.m.

For the first time in years, I felt free — and satisfied.