Chapter 5 - THE FIRST NOTE UNDER THE DOOR
That very evening, I ordered a high-definition doorbell camera and a smart deadbolt system, recognizing that conventional security measures were no longer sufficient. The digital hardware, however, arrived a few hours too late to stop a far more chilling form of psychological warfare. The next morning, I opened my apartment door to find a heavy cream envelope resting neatly on the welcome mat. Inside was a single printed card bearing five words that made my stomach churn: Blue dress today. Pretty.
She had been standing right outside my door, watching me leave for the office, documenting my wardrobe with the intimate precision of a stalker. A second note materialized under the door two days later, confirming Nathan’s departure time with the exact minute: Nathan stayed until 11:42. The third note crossed a terrifying threshold, consisting of only four words of unambiguous menace: You should lock windows.
