“I don’t know, Angel. It’s a big commitment. Like you said, we both just graduated,” Lana said hesitantly.

“Well, that’s the only way we can move to the city and find a job together. I already have some money for a deposit and everything. I’ll go look for the apartment and take care of all that stuff if you let me,” Angel continued, urging Lana to say yes.

“Okay, I agree. It makes sense because living in the city has become quite expensive. Once we find a job, everything will be fine,” she agreed.

“You can send me the rent money. I’ll transfer it directly from my account to the landlord,” Angel told her when she asked about it.

“Does it cover utilities and all that? What about Wi-Fi?” Lana asked.

“How about you pay for the Wi-Fi from your account?” Angel suggested. Lana immediately agreed because he’d been in charge of so many things, and she wanted to help out, too.

Read more: Sister confiscates entire inheritance, leaving disabled brother only an old blanket – Story of the Day

“Honey, we’ve been living together for several years. Do you see us moving further?” she asked one night.

“Of course, Lana. But I wasn’t sure you wanted to get married anytime soon,” Angel said sincerely.

“Well… I’ve never been much of a wedding person. We could keep things simple. I asked about it because I thought it might be time to look for a house,” Lana explained. “I’m tired of paying rent every month. I’d rather use that money for a mortgage.”

“It sounds like a great idea. But I don’t know if we’ve saved enough for a down payment,” Angel said somewhat hesitantly.

“You’re right. Let’s plan it,” Angel agreed, but every time Lana brought up the subject again, he distracted her with other things. Maybe he doesn’t want to buy a house together or get married, Lana thought.

One day, Lana was cleaning her room while Angel went to pick up dinner from her favorite Italian restaurant. They’d eaten there every Saturday since they moved in. It was a lovely little tradition.

Suddenly, Lana noticed that Angel had left some of his papers in a mess in the closet. She picked them up and began sorting them into a folder. She’d never seen what he kept there because it was none of his business.

But then she saw something with her apartment address on it. “Is this our lease?” Lana wondered. Curious, she looked a little closer. But it wasn’t that kind of lease. Angel’s name was next to the word “landlord.”

She didn’t understand much about contracts or property deeds, but the document stated that Ángel was the owner of the apartment. “He’s lied to me all these years!” Lana thought in horror. “How has he used the money I paid for ‘rent’?”

“Honey, I’m here! The food smells amazing today!” Angel yelled from the kitchen. She wanted to run into the living room and yell at him. But it was better to stay calm.

“What’s this, Angel? Do you own this apartment or condo or whatever?” Lana asked, holding the documents. His eyes lit up.

Read also: Rich man humiliates poor family in expensive restaurant, waitress intervenes – Story of the day

“What are you doing going through my things?” he asked, trying to divert the discussion.

“No. Don’t change the subject. This is clearly a property document, and you own it. Tell me the truth right now!” Lana demanded, failing to keep her cool in the end.

“It’s okay, Lana. Calm down. It’s okay. Yes, I own the apartment,” Angel began, but didn’t continue.

“What about my rent?” Lana asked, exasperated.

“I used it to pay off the mortgage. Okay, listen. My parents gave me money for a down payment after graduation and saw this as a great opportunity. But the mortgage on this place would have taken too much out of my down payment,” Angel explained.

“So, you’ve been lying all these years?” Lana asked coldly.

“Yes, but it’s not a big deal. It’s like you’re renting the place from me,” Angel explained.

“But a mortgage wouldn’t have been as high as this rent. We split all the expenses in half. Was your mortgage $1,600 a month?” Lana asked.

Read more: Dad asks bar owner if he can bring his disabled son in – Story of the Day

“Well, no. The mortgage was just a little more than what you were paying in rent,” Angel admitted. “I’m sorry, Lana. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d be okay with it if you’d known I owned this place.”

“YOU LIED TO ME!” she screamed, starting to cry. “I could have saved a lot of money if we had split things in half. But no! You made me pay your entire mortgage for years! What did you do with your money?!”

“For you, right?! You don’t care about me at all. I’m going to talk to a lawyer! I’m going to sue you! But I’ll move first!” Lana screamed and left. She packed her things while he begged her to stop.

“Please. I’ll pay you the money. Just don’t go. I love you. Let’s get married!” Angel begged.

“Goodbye, Angel. I don’t care what you do with your life,” Lana replied. “I’ll be back soon to get the rest of my things.”

She went to a hotel. Soon enough, Lana found a great apartment in the area. It was smaller than Angel’s, but at least no one would lie to her. She could have sued him, but the truth was, she didn’t want anything from him. She wanted to cut ties and move on.

One day, Lana received an alert from her banking app informing her of a deposit of thousands of dollars. Apparently, Angel had returned everything she could have saved if they had actually split things in half. It was a nice gesture, but it was too late. Lana had already moved on.

What can we learn from this story?

• Lying can destroy a relationship: While some couples can repair things after a big lie, others can’t tolerate it. Don’t lie to your partner.
• Demand to see the documents before making any big commitments: Lana didn’t ask to see her rental agreement and found out the truth in the worst possible way. Don’t let your partner handle everything because you never know what could happen.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

This story is inspired by the daily lives of our readers and was written by a professional copywriter. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images shown are for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us; it could change someone’s life.