Emma was always proud of how thrifty she was, working hard to make sure she could pay her rent and live a simple life. But while her husband was away, she made an unexpected finding that the “rent” she was so faithfully paying was actually paying for her mother-in-law’s lifestyle. Emma thought it was time to get back at them because she felt betrayed.
I’ve always been very careful with money; my salary was carefully planned out. I watched my friends enjoy nice things like new clothes or trips while I counted pennies.
When I told my friend Jessica that I was thinking of a sunny beach vacation, she laughed. “Think about relaxing by the water with a drink in your hand.”
Jessica told me, “You’ll get there.” “Once you’ve taken care of the house bills, you won’t have to worry about rent anymore.”
That house was the main reason we were having trouble with money.
Every month, a big chunk of my pay went toward our rent. Paul, my husband, and I all put money in, but he was in charge of paying our “landlord.”
As Paul often said, “You leave that to me.” He made sure to handle the payments from our joint account himself. I always believed he was honest.
The years went by, and each month we had to cut back a little more. We split the costs of our groceries and energy and just barely made it by.
As Paul got ready for a work trip one morning, I asked, “Should I take care of the rent this time?” Your trip will take you away from the due date.
He paused, then said no. He said, “No, I’ll handle it online or when I get back,” which was a little harsher than he meant.
So I could make his life easier, I kept going. I said, “Let me help you with this.”
Paul’s answer was short. He told her, “Emma, it’s under control,” and that was the end of the question.
The next day, Paul left. Since the rent was due soon, I chose to pay it myself because I thought it would make his job easier. During my lunch break, I went to the bank without knowing that I was about to find out a shocking lie.
At the bank, I gave Paul the information he usually used.
I told the teller, “I need to transfer this month’s rent.” She looked up the account.
“Moving to Mrs. Helen Parker?” she confirmed.
She must have seen that I was confused because she then said, “That’s the account linked to these payments.” It hasn’t changed in years.
Helen Parker is Paul’s mom. As the pieces fit together, my heart sank.
“There must be a mistake,” I stutter, but what the teller said next made me even more sure of my fears.
She said, “I’m sorry, but this is the account that gets your rent payments,” and she offered to print out a record of the transactions.
Driven by a need for answers, I skipped work and drove home in a daze. When I got home, I looked through Paul’s study and quickly found property papers and bank records that painted a bleak picture: Helen was being supported by the “rent,” which was just a front for landlord payments.
“Emma?” I woke up from my shock when Jessica’s voice came on the phone. “Where are you?”
She was shocked after I told her everything. “You’ve been giving her money to live on?”
I confirmed that, even though I was tired and angry. I talked to Paul when he got back. The facts could not be argued with. We lost trust in each other like a flimsy glass.
“What do you want me to say?” Why did she need it?” Paul tried to make a case.
But there were no reasons that could fix the lie. I went to court and made sure that all the money I had given Helen without knowing it was refunded to me.
After that, I found a small room that was truly mine and not tied to lying. I asked for a divorce, ending a marriage that had been ruined by lies.
What would you have done if you were me?
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I was at a crossroads full of shock and anger after I found out about the lie. We also weren’t paying rent to an owner; instead, all the money went straight to Paul’s mom as an allowance, and I had no idea or permission for this. I felt betrayed and knew the truth, so I thought it was time to get back at them.
I did something while Paul was still away. I gathered all the proof, like bank records and property papers, that Paul was the owner and not the renter he said he was. With these in hand, I talked to a lawyer to find out what my choices were for getting the money back or at least legally taking this scam to court.
While Paul was away, there was a storm outside and inside the house that used to be our loved home. I went up to him right away, armed with all the proof. When he found out that his secret was out, his face lost all of its color.
He stuttered, “Emma, please let me explain.” But I was long past the point where I needed an explanation.
“For years, you’ve been lying to me,” I said, keeping my voice calm even though I was upset. “And I thought we were partners the whole time.”
Paul tried to say sorry and give an excuse about his mother needing money, but no one would listen. There was no longer trust. It seemed impossible that things could ever go back to the way they were.
With the help of my lawyer, I went to court against both Paul and his mother. The court procedures were hard, but they were also very informative and revealed years of lying. In the end, the judge agreed with me and told Paul and his mother to pay back all the money I had given them as “rent.”
After the legal fights, getting back to being financially independent was both freeing and sad. My partner and I never really owned the house we lived in, so I moved out and got a small room. It was simple, but it was mine, and there were no lies in the walls.
Paul reached out and tried to fix what was wrong several times, but some things can’t be fixed. I finally asked for a divorce, wanting to end this painful part of my life for good.
When I thought about everything that had happened, I understood that the emotional lie was harder to get over than the financial lie. It’s hard, if not impossible, to rebuild trust after it’s been broken. I learned to trust myself more, think more deeply about things, and never forget how important it is for two people to be honest with each other.
If you find yourself in a similar position, you should talk to a lawyer right away. Keep yourself safe and remember that it’s okay to ask for honesty and ethics in any relationship, but especially in a marriage.