I thought we were just neighbors, maybe even friends.
We’d just moved into a new neighborhood, and next door lived a cheerful young couple with two kids who always greeted us warmly.
One day, they invited me over for coffee, saying, “Just to welcome you.”
I expected casual conversation — maybe tips about the area.
But instead, they surprised me.
They asked if I wanted to “trade lives” for a week.
At first, I laughed, thinking it was a joke.
But they were serious.
They said they’d been watching me and envied my peaceful, drama-free life. They wanted to swap houses, clothes—even names—for seven days.
They admitted their marriage was struggling and that I seemed to have the happiness they’d lost.
That’s when I understood: this wasn’t about friendship. They wanted to escape themselves through me.
I declined politely and went home shaken.
Later, I told my sister, who said, “They don’t want your stuff — they want your peace.”
She was right.
Sometimes people don’t envy your possessions but the calm way you live your life alone.
And sometimes, being content on your own is the most threatening thing to others.
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