My mother-in-law threw a $20 bill at a gas station cashier and proudly announced she’d “helped me.” From that exact moment, she decided I was her personal chauffeur. And when she pushed me too far, well… let’s just say, karma has a funny way of showing up in the strangest vehicles. Let me take you through the longest six weeks of my life. I’m Jessica, mom to three wild kids who somehow manage to need three completely different things at the exact same time, every single day. My husband, Daniel,

For nearly three weeks, the Whitaker estate in the quiet hills above San Diego had been quietly blacklisted by every agency. No official warning had ever been given. Nobody said the place was haunted, or cursed, or dangerous. They didn’t have to. Anyone who stepped inside left changed. Some walked out in tears, others screaming. One woman barricaded herself in the laundry room, refusing to come out until security dragged her away. The last one had run barefoot down the long driveway at sunrise, her hair dripping with green paint,

My five-year-old granddaughter whispered something to me that made my blood turn cold. She said her new stepmom was asking her to keep secrets from her daddy. In that moment, fear wrapped tightly around my heart, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it. I had to find out what was really happening in that house—before it was too late. We were sitting together on the couch one quiet afternoon during my usual visit to my son’s house. = The TV was playing softly, sunlight coming in through the window. Vivian