The most unsettling revelations arise not from what we know, but from what silently slips through our fingers when we aren’t looking. It’s the creeping sense that something isn’t quite right, the nagging feeling that the puzzle pieces of our lives are slowly being rearranged without our consent.
Recently, a woman on TikTok, @nezbaeish, shared a harrowing story that has left viewers stunned and unsettled. Since last year, this brave soul has been playing a tedious game of “What’s Missing Now?” — and no, it’s not a fun new app your kids are begging to download. After relocating to a new state with her children following a divorce from her military-transferred husband, this woman’s life turned into into a real-life thriller.
As she settled into her new two-bedroom apartment, the first place she could truly call her own since the age of 19, she found herself facing a new set of challenges. COVID-19, which had been a looming threat throughout the early stages of the pandemic, finally caught up with her, leaving her severely ill and isolated in an unfamiliar place. She struggled to create a sense of home for her three children, clinging to the hope that better days were on the horizon.
Later, in an effort to maintain a united front for their children, she and her ex-husband organized a family photo shoot. But even as she celebrated this small victory with her children at a restaurant, she discovered that $100 intended for emergencies was missing from her wallet. This led to a frantic search, involving questioning her children intensely. Subsequently, a neighbor left a note on her door, initiating contact and expressing interest in dating her. Despite her reluctance, she engaged minimally with the neighbor to avoid conflict, given their proximity. The neighbor persistently communicated with her despite her disinterest and discomfort. Three weeks later, she noticed her spare car keys were missing, and another $100 emergency cash had disappeared from her wallet. She soon discovered fraudulent charges on her debit card linked to her neighbor’s Cash App.
The situation escalated when, one evening, she noticed her neighbor playing Grand Theft Auto with her car, who returned it shortly after and behaved as if nothing unusual had occurred. She called the police, but apparently, the local law enforcement had better things to do than, you know, enforce the law. So, our supermom did what any rational person would do in that situation: she grabbed her kids, her dog, and got the hell out of dodge, fleeing to the only place she could think of: her ex-husband’s house. There, she was greeted by his new girlfriend. Talk about awkward! With no family nearby and a system that seemed indifferent to her plight, she attempted to file a restraining order against her neighbor, only to be met with a dead end.
Naturally, the comments section of her TikTok exploded with reactions that ranged from disbelief to outrage. We have all had that one neighbor who makes us question our faith in humanity. Whether it’s the guy who blasts death metal at 3am or the woman who treats the hallway like her own personal gym, we’ve all been there. And while we may not have had to deal with car theft or fraudulent charges (at least, I hope not), we can all relate to the feeling of being trapped in a situation (simulation?) that feels like it’s straight out of a horror movie.
One user couldn’t help but ask, “Wait, please tell me this is about a book.” And honestly, I can’t blame them. This story had so many twists and turns, I’m pretty sure Stephen King would be taking notes. Others chimed in with practical advice like, “Put up cameras and change all locks.” The comment that really hit me was, “He said pookie this is our car.” I mean, the audacity of this man to not only steal her car, but also act like it’s some sort of shared property? Sir, the only thing you’re sharing is a one-way ticket to Crazytown, population: you. Another user summed up everyone’s thoughts perfectly: “At no point did I know where this story was going omg.” Maybe the lesson here is that life is full of surprises ⏤ some good, some bad, and some that make us question our own sanity.