I spent 14 long years working and saving every penny to buy my dream house. It wasn’t easy. There were nights I went to bed hungry because I had to choose between eating or putting money into savings. But I kept going. And when I finally held the keys in my hand, I thought it was going to be the happiest moment of my life.
I’m Kevin, I’m 32, and until a couple of months ago, the biggest thing I owned was a beat-up old Honda Civic. But that changed when I bought my first house — something I had dreamed about since I was 18 and had absolutely nothing.
Back then, I was on my own. My adoptive parents told me after graduation that I needed to figure life out by myself. So I did. I went to college and survived on ramen noodles, worked 20-hour shifts at a gas station, and stayed up late studying with secondhand textbooks that cost more than I could afford.
I still remember my old roommate laughing at me. “You’re crazy if you think you’ll ever afford a house,” he’d say when I transferred another $50 to my savings instead of joining him at the bar. “Live a little, man.”
But I couldn’t “live a little.” I needed something that was mine — something no one could take away from me.
That dream started becoming real four years ago when I landed a job at a well-known tech company. I finally had a good paycheck. Then, three months ago, something even better happened — I met Betty.
We met at a coffee shop in downtown Oakville. She was in a hilarious argument with the barista about making a drink “less caffeinated but more energetic.” I couldn’t help laughing.
She spun around and caught me. “Are you laughing at my very reasonable request?” she asked, hands on her hips.
I grinned. “I’m laughing because I’ve never heard anyone ask for a paradox in a cup before.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled. “I suppose you think you’re clever.”
“Clever enough to buy you a regular coffee and see if that works better.”
That moment sparked something.
Three months later, I was completely in love. Betty was fun, wild, and full of light. She danced around my little apartment while cooking dinner, sang off-key songs, and made me feel like I deserved happiness. I’d never had someone like her before.
April 13th — that was the day everything changed. I got the keys to 428 Everwood Lane, a beautiful $1 million three-bedroom house with a front porch, a big garden, and a backyard where I pictured future barbecues and laughter. It was everything I had ever dreamed of.
I called Betty right away. “I got it! The house is officially mine!”
“Oh my God, Kevin!” she squealed. “I’m so proud of you! We have to celebrate!”
“Come over after work. I’ll grab a cake and some flowers.”
I couldn’t stop smiling the whole day. I imagined where we’d put the couch, what color to paint the walls, and how Betty might dance in that big kitchen.
I bought a chocolate cake from Rosewood Bakery with “Congratulations” written in blue icing. Then I grabbed a bouquet of mixed flowers that smelled like spring. I rushed home, heart full of joy.
But when I opened the door… I froze.
Betty was already there. She was sitting on my brand-new couch — but she wasn’t alone. Her suitcases were lined up along the wall. A man in a suit sat beside her holding a briefcase. Her mom, Eugene, and her sister, Lara, stood behind them like they were at a courtroom.
The cake nearly slipped from my hands.
“What’s going on here?” I asked.
Betty stood and smiled — but not her usual smile. It looked… rehearsed. “Surprise, honey! I wanted to help you with something really important.”
“Help me with what?”
Eugene stepped forward with a sharp voice. “Kevin, if you really love our Betty, you’ll want her to feel secure. That means putting her name on the house.”
The man in the suit cleared his throat. “I’m Mr. Adams, their family lawyer. These are deed transfer documents — just simple paperwork to add Betty’s name to the house.”
I felt like the floor disappeared under me. “Add her name?”
“It’s just a formality!” Betty chirped. “If we’re building a future together, we should both be on the deed. It shows commitment.”
Lara crossed her arms. “Unless you don’t trust her. Is that it? After three months, you still don’t trust the woman you claim to love?”
“Three months?” I echoed. I couldn’t even think straight.
Eugene chuckled. “Exactly! That’s plenty of time to know if you’re serious. So what’s it going to be?”
I looked at Betty, confused and hurt. “Betty, we never talked about this.”
“We’re talking about it now,” she said. “Do you love me, Kevin?”
The lawyer’s pen tapped on his briefcase. The whole room was staring at me.
“Of course I love you, but—”
“No buts,” Lara cut in. “Either you do or you don’t.”
“If you really loved her, this wouldn’t be a question,” Eugene added coldly.
Betty’s eyes filled with tears. “I thought you were different, Kevin.”
My heart broke. The house I had worked toward for 14 years — and now I was being pressured to give it away just to prove I cared?
But I loved her. God help me, I loved her.
“Give me the papers,” I said.
I placed the cake and flowers down and grabbed the pen. My hand trembled. My stomach twisted. I brought the pen to the paper… and started signing.
Then everything exploded.
Betty burst out laughing — not sweet, giggly laughter, but wild, cackling laughter. Eugene and Lara howled. Even the lawyer was chuckling.
“Oh my God, his face!” Lara gasped.
“Did you see how scared he looked?” Eugene laughed, wiping her eyes.
Suddenly, people poured out from the kitchen — Betty’s friends, people I’d never met, holding up their phones and recording like it was a game show.
“We got the whole thing on video!” someone shouted. “This is gold!”
I just stood there, completely stunned. “What’s happening? Who are these people?”
Betty threw her arms around me. “It’s a prank, silly! A surprise party prank! Those papers aren’t real — look!”
I glanced down. She was right. The papers said nothing legal — just gibberish. “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet…” was printed across the top. I’d been tricked.
“A prank?!” I repeated.
“We wanted to see how you’d react if I asked you to put me on the deed,” she said proudly. “And you actually started signing! Isn’t that adorable?”
“Surprise!” everyone shouted.
They toasted, cheered, and took selfies. Betty looked overjoyed. But me? I felt empty. Like someone had ripped out everything inside me and replaced it with cold air.
Eugene slapped my back. “You should’ve seen your face. We almost felt bad. Almost.”
“Lighten up, Kevin,” Lara said. “It was just a joke. And it proves how much you love her, right?”
I smiled… barely. “Yeah. It’s funny.”
But it wasn’t funny. Not to me. Not after everything I’d sacrificed. Betty had turned my biggest moment into a show — a game. And I had no idea how to feel about that.
The party went on for hours. People laughed and took photos. Betty told the story over and over: “He was going to add me after just three months!” she’d laugh, holding my hand.
A month later, we were walking along Sunset Beach, watching the waves crash.
The prank had become a “cute” story we told at dinners. Everyone laughed. I laughed too. Eventually.
“Isn’t this perfect?” Betty said, squeezing my hand. “You, me, and the ocean.”
“It’s perfect.”
She looked at me, her eyes soft. “I love you so much, Kevin. You stuck with me even after my terrible prank. That’s real love.”
“I love you too,” I said. And I meant it. Even if part of me still ached, I loved her.
I stopped walking, turned to her, and reached into my pocket. I pulled out a small velvet box and knelt down in the sand.
“Betty,” I said. “Will you marry me?”
Her hands flew to her face. “Oh my God! Kevin! Are you serious?!”
“Dead serious. I want to spend my life with you.”
She started crying and laughing. “This better not be a joke! If this is revenge for the prank, I swear—”
“It’s not a joke,” I said softly. “I love you. Even after all that. I really do.”
“Yes!” she shouted. “Yes, of course yes!”
I put the ring on her finger and she tackled me into the sand. We lay there together, laughing and crying as the sun set behind us, dreaming about our future.
Looking back, I learned something important. Real love doesn’t need tests or games. It’s about being there for each other, even when things get hard. Betty’s prank nearly shattered me. But it also proved something — that I was ready to give up everything for love.
We’re getting married next spring, in the backyard of my house on Everwood Lane.
And no — her name’s still not on the deed.
Some jokes are only funny once.
