Lana had been dating Ashton for several months when he brought up a big idea. One evening, while they were eating takeout in her small apartment, he looked at her seriously and said,
“It’ll be great. We’re both recent graduates, so living together makes more sense. We split the bills 50-50, and both of us win.”
Lana blinked in surprise. Move in together? They had only been dating for about eight months. That felt fast.
“I don’t know, Ashton,” she replied slowly. “It’s a big commitment. As you said, we both just graduated from school.”
Ashton leaned forward, his voice more persuasive now.
“Well, it’s the only way we can move to the city and find jobs together. I already have some money for a deposit. I’ll take care of everything—finding the place, talking to landlords. You won’t have to do anything. Just say yes.”
Lana looked at him, unsure. But he sounded confident. Responsible. And city rent was expensive.
“Ok,” she finally agreed. “It makes sense. Once we find jobs, it’ll all work out.”
Ashton moved quickly after that. Within two weeks, he had found a nice apartment in the city. The place was clean, cozy, and in a good area. Lana packed her things and moved in with him. Rent wasn’t too bad, and splitting it down the middle seemed fair.
Ashton took care of all the official stuff. When Lana asked about how to pay the rent, Ashton said,
“You can send the rent money to me. I’ll pay the landlord directly from my account.”
Lana nodded. “Does that include utilities and Wi-Fi?” she asked.
“How about you handle the Wi-Fi from your account?” Ashton offered.
Lana agreed without thinking twice. He had already done so much. She wanted to be helpful too.
For years, everything seemed perfect. They lived comfortably, paid bills, cooked together, had little traditions—like getting takeout from their favorite Italian place every Saturday.
But after a few years, Lana started to think ahead. She didn’t want to keep renting forever. One quiet evening, while they were sipping tea on the couch, she looked at Ashton and asked gently,
“Honey, we’ve been living together for several years now. Do you see us going further?”
Ashton looked a bit surprised, then smiled.
“Of course, Lana. I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to get married anytime soon.”
She shrugged. “I’ve never been that into weddings. We could do something small. But I brought it up because…I think it might be time to start thinking about buying a house.” She leaned in. “I’m tired of paying rent every month. I’d rather put that money toward a mortgage.”
Ashton nodded slowly. “That sounds like a great idea. But I’m not sure if we’ve saved enough for a down payment.”
Lana smiled. “I know that. I’ve got some savings. I just wanted us to start planning together.”
“You’re right,” Ashton said. “Let’s plan it.”
But every time Lana brought up the house again, Ashton would change the topic or distract her with something else. After a few months, Lana began to feel uneasy. Maybe he doesn’t want a house with me… or anything more.
Then one Saturday changed everything.
Ashton had gone out to pick up their usual Italian dinner. Lana decided to tidy up their bedroom. While organizing the closet, she noticed one of Ashton’s folders had fallen open. Papers were sticking out in a mess.
She knelt down and began putting everything back neatly. Most of the documents looked boring—bank stuff, job papers. But then she saw something with their apartment address printed clearly at the top.
Is this our rental contract? she wondered. Curiously, she opened it. But it wasn’t a rental agreement.
It was a property deed. And next to the word owner, it had one name: Ashton.
Her stomach twisted. Wait… this means… he owns this place? She flipped the pages. It was clear. Ashton hadn’t just found the apartment—he had bought it. All those years… he told me we were paying rent. We split it 50-50. What did he do with the money I sent him every month?
Just then, Ashton walked through the door, holding their dinner bags.
“Honey, I’m here! The food smells amazing today!” he called cheerfully from the kitchen.
Lana walked out of the bedroom slowly, the folder in her hands.
“What is this, Ashton?” she asked, voice shaking. “You own this apartment?”
Ashton froze. “What are you doing going through my things?” he snapped, trying to take the folder from her hands.
Lana pulled it back. “Don’t change the subject. This is an ownership deed. And you’re the owner. You LIED to me all these years!”
Ashton looked cornered. “Okay… okay, yes. I’m the owner. But it’s not a big deal.”
Lana’s face flushed. “Not a big deal?! What about all the money I paid in rent?”
Ashton sighed. “I used it to pay the mortgage. Listen… after graduation, my parents gave me money for the down payment. I bought the apartment, but I couldn’t afford the mortgage on my own, not at first. I thought if you knew, you’d say no to moving in.”
Lana was shaking now. “So instead, you tricked me into thinking we were splitting rent! Was the mortgage even close to what we were paying?”
Ashton hesitated. “Well… no. The mortgage was actually less than what you paid each month.”
Lana’s voice cracked. “You made me pay your mortgage, Ashton. For YEARS. What did you do with all the money I gave you?”
He looked down. “I… I saved it.”
Lana stepped back like he’d slapped her. “For YOURSELF. All this time, you were building savings while I trusted you, thinking we were equals. I’m talking to a lawyer. I’m moving out. I want NOTHING from you, but I’m DONE!”
Ashton panicked. “Please! I’ll give you the money back. I’ll fix it. I love you, Lana. We’re getting married! Don’t leave!”
But Lana had heard enough. “Goodbye, Ashton. I don’t care what you do anymore. I’ll come back for the rest of my stuff soon.”
She packed a suitcase and walked out the door, her heart shattered.
That night, Lana stayed at a hotel. Within a week, she found a smaller apartment nearby. It wasn’t fancy, but it was hers—and no one was lying to her inside those walls. She told herself she didn’t want anything from Ashton. No lawsuit, no revenge. Just peace.
Ashton kept calling. He texted and begged her to come back. He promised to make things right. But Lana didn’t answer.
Then, weeks later, her phone buzzed with a notification from her bank. A huge deposit had been made. Thousands of dollars.
It was from Ashton.
He had calculated what she would have saved over the years if they had actually split the costs 50-50. He had given it all back.
It was a kind gesture. But too late. Lana had already moved on.
What’s the lesson?
Lying in a relationship can destroy everything—no matter how sweet or loving it once seemed. Ashton may have thought he was doing the “smart” thing, but in the end, he broke Lana’s trust.
And trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.
So be honest. Don’t make big financial commitments without seeing documents. And always protect your future—because sometimes, the person you trust the most is hiding something behind a smile.
