I bought my house 3 years before meeting my husband. After the wedding, he moved in rent-free. I thought we were a team.
Then he boldly said, “We’re married now.
I want my name on the deed.” I said, “No, it’s my property.” He freaked out. Next day, to my shock, I got a call from my bank’s mortgage fraud department.
At first, I thought it had to be a mistake. I paid off the mortgage already—no loans, no missed payments.
The voice on the phone was polite but direct: “Ma’am, we received an inquiry about a refinance on your property.
Can we confirm you authorized that?”
My stomach dropped. I hadn’t authorized anything. I told them no, absolutely not, and they put a freeze on any further action.
My hands were shaking as I hung up.
My mind instantly went to one person. Rami.
My husband. We’d been married nine months.
Things hadn’t always been smooth—he didn’t like that I was the breadwinner, and he especially hated when people praised me for buying the house on my own.
I used to brush it off as fragile ego stuff. I figured he’d grow into it. But now I wasn’t so sure.
I waited for him to come home from work.