When I agreed to spend $25,000 to renovate my husband’s inherited house, I never imagined he’d refuse to repay me. But that betrayal paled in comparison to what I discovered next.
I never thought I’d be sharing this story, but here I am. It’s been a crazy ride, and I’m still processing everything that happened.
Let me start from the beginning. I married Theo two years ago. I met him through a dating app, and things turned out to be great between us.
Theo worked as a truck driver and was always on the road. Sometimes, he used to go for weeks at a time, and I was okay with it. I mean, I eventually got used to it.
Meanwhile, I ran a small family business. It was a quaint little store my dad left me when he retired. It’s not much, but it’s mine, and I love it.
Everything was going well until Theo left for another long-haul trip three months ago. He said he’d be doing multiple trips, back-to-back during that time, and I honestly felt terrible for him.
“We’ll go for a mini getaway once you return, okay?” I told him before he left.
“Sure, babe,” he smiled. “We’ll have fun.”
Little did I know I’d never want to go on a trip with him again.
Once he left, I kept myself busy with some pending tasks at my store. It had been about two weeks when I got a call from him.
“Hey, babe,” he said, his voice crackling over the line. “I’ve been thinking. Remember that house I inherited from Grandpa? I want to renovate it. Can you handle that while I’m away?”
I was surprised but excited. We’d talked about fixing up that old place for ages.
“Sure,” I replied. “But it’ll cost a bit. Are you sure?”
“Yeah, absolutely. Just use your money for now, and I’ll pay you back when I get home. Promise.”
I should’ve seen the red flags. I shouldn’t have agreed to pay for the renovation.
As expected, I dove into the project. I poured my heart (and $25,000 of my savings) into that house to build a new kitchen, a bathroom remodel, fresh paint, and the works.
I imagined us building a life there together whenever I chose a new piece of furniture or appliance. I was super excited, unaware of what Theo was doing behind my back.
This was the first time I was directly involved with this house because Theo had always handled the paperwork and bills for it. He always said it was “his responsibility” since it was his inheritance.
I trusted him completely, never questioning his management.
About three months later, Theo returned from his trip. I was so excited watching him park his truck in our driveway. I couldn’t wait to tell him everything about the renovation.
But the moment he stepped out, I could tell something was wrong. He barely looked at me and walked inside.
“We need to talk,” he said sternly.
I felt my heart had almost jumped up to my throat. Those four words were never a good sign.
“About what?” I asked.
“I want a divorce.”
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