Emma had always been the frugal one, making sure that after her rent was taken care of, she still had enough money to make ends meet. But one day, when her husband is away for work, Emma takes care of the rent payment, only to discover that the rent she’s been paying is actually for her mother-in-law’s monthly allowances. Emma and Karma team up, ready to serve justice.
So, I’ve been super careful with money for years, always saving every penny, never buying anything nice for myself, just so we can pay the rent for our cute little house. Paul and I would both chip in for it, but he was always the one to actually pay the landlord.
I never questioned it because I trusted my husband, I mean, we’ve been together since forever. Anyway, he was off on this short business trip, and I thought, “He’s doing so much for us, I’ll just take care of the rent this month and surprise him.” So I go to the bank, tell the teller I need to pay the rent and give them the account number Paul had written down in his notepad for our landlord.
The teller looks it up and says, “Yeah, this account gets the payments every month.” But then, MY STOMACH DROPS AND I GO PALE as she says, “This account belongs to Helen Parker.”
Are you sure that’s what it says?” I exclaimed, my hands feeling clammy.
“This is the account that has been receiving money from your account. In fact, it’s been receiving payments for years.”
Helen Parker. She was Paul’s mother.
I left the bank in a daze, my mind fogged with shock, completely forgetting that I had to get back to work.
At home, I went straight to Paul’s study. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for. There it was, the deed to our house, signed and dated years ago, with Paul listed as the sole owner.
I opened his laptop and discovered a thread of messages between Paul and Helen. The messages outlined their plan—how they’d kept me in the dark and ensured that I continued to pay rent, sending all my money directly to her.
That evening, a fierce storm rolled through our town, leaving destruction in its wake.
By morning, water began leaking through the ceiling, and within minutes, the entire house was flooded.
I grabbed my things and checked into a hotel. I wasn’t going to go through this mess on my own.
When Paul was scheduled to return, I went back to the house and started sorting through what remained untouched by the flood.
“Emma, are you alright?” he asked as he stepped inside. “What happened here?”
“I’m fine,” I replied. “The house isn’t though. Some parts of the ceiling are in pretty bad shape. But hey, at least it’s not our house, right? The landlord’s insurance will cover it.”
Paul turned pale as the realization hit him.
“Emma, I can explain,” he said, his voice trembling.
“How could you do this to me?” I asked quietly. “Especially after I made it clear I wanted to stand on my own. All these years, I’ve been working hard to support you… and I was just giving it all to your mother?”
“What do you want me to say? That she’s old and needs it?” Paul asked, trying to defend himself.
I shot back, “Your father left everything to her. And honestly, I would have helped Helen if I’d known. But the fact that you’ve been lying to me all this time… that’s what hurts.”
The next day, I saw a lawyer and began the process of recovering the money I had unknowingly handed over to Helen.
In the end, justice was on my side, and the court ordered Paul and his mother to return every penny I had given them over the years.
With my finances restored, I moved into a small apartment—somewhere I could easily lock up and escape from when I needed a break.
As for Paul? Once the money was settled, I filed for divorce and left him behind, along with his mother.
