When Michelle moved in, she refused to follow the one simple rule of our apartment complex: always bring your key after 8 p.m. Instead, she made us her personal doormen. Every night, she’d pound on windows or buzz every apartment, demanding to be let in. After countless sleepless nights and failed complaints to the landlord (who, as it turned out, was her uncle), the rest of us tenants had had enough.

One night, after she buzzed me at 1 a.m. for the umpteenth time, I waited an hour and then buzzed her apartment non-stop. Groggy and irritated, her voice crackled over the intercom. “Adrienne, it’s 1 a.m.! What are you doing?” I couldn’t help but smirk, replying, “I always do it for you.”

That was just the start. Over the next few days, we all took turns waking her up, buzzing her apartment at all hours. Michelle, who once found it hilarious to disrupt our lives, was now the one losing sleep. Finally, on the fifth day, she was a wreck—her wild red hair was a mess, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Desperate, she finally confronted us. “Please stop this! I get it. I’ll start bringing my key. Just let me sleep.”

Satisfied, we stopped. From then on, Michelle never forgot her key again. Peace had returned to our building, and Michelle learned a valuable lesson: always follow the rules, or the whole building might turn against you.