I moved into a new neighborhood, hoping to find friends and comfort. Instead, I faced hostility and avoidance. One day, I discovered the reason behind it.

From the first day, people avoided me. One afternoon, I tried helping a girl who fell off her bike, but her mother yelled at me to stay away. This left me confused and hurt.

To change things, I threw a party, but no one showed up except Jacob, who revealed that the house had a bad reputation. The previous resident faced strange events and then disappeared.

Determined to find out more, I explored the attic and found a diary. The previous resident experienced similar odd occurrences. I also noticed strange things: nightly noises, trampled flowers, and a black cat I eventually adopted.

One night, I decided to catch the culprit causing these disturbances. I saw Jacob’s boots covered in paint from my yard. He confessed to spreading rumors to lower the house price for himself.

The neighbors apologized, and life improved. Jacob moved away in shame, and I finally found peace and acceptance in my new home. “Appearances can be deceptive,” I reminded myself.