Exhausted and barely functioning on any decent sleep, Genevieve’s life was all about survival since her twins, Lily and Lucas, were born. Days blurred into nights, and taking care of her two newborns left her with no energy for anything else. While the entire neighborhood was buzzing with excitement over the approaching Halloween, Genevieve could hardly keep up with the usual suburban festivities.

And then there was Brad, her next-door neighbor. Brad was the self-proclaimed king of Halloween. Every year, his elaborate Halloween display turned his house into an attraction, complete with gravestones, skeleton dioramas, and giant jack-o’-lanterns. He relished the compliments from the neighbors, his smug grin becoming more insufferable with each one. But for Genevieve, none of that mattered. She was too busy trying to stay awake to care about Brad’s haunted circus.

One typical October morning, Genevieve stepped outside with Lily on her hip and Lucas cradled in her arm, barely coherent from exhaustion. Her eyes widened in shock—her car was completely covered in eggs. Shell fragments were scattered across the hood, and the egg yolk was slowly dripping down the windshield. It wasn’t just a prank. It was too specific, especially since her car was parked in front of Brad’s house the night before.

Angry and running on fumes, Genevieve decided to confront Brad. She marched over to his house, her rage bubbling to the surface as she banged on his door. Brad opened it, wearing his trademark smug expression. His house, decked out in full Halloween mode, was an eyesore, with fake cobwebs, skeletons, and witches arranged in meticulous chaos.