When I moved into my apartment, I thought having a roommate would make everything easier. Then I met Milly.
At first, she seemed cheerful and easygoing. But after a few weeks, I noticed a pattern. She rarely replaced household supplies, left dirty dishes everywhere, and was constantly behind on her share of the bills.
I tried to be understanding.
When she couldn’t cover her rent one month, I paid it for her after she promised to reimburse me.
She never did.
Instead, the unpaid amount kept growing while the apartment became messier.
Then, without much warning, Milly left to stay with her boyfriend.
I assumed she would return soon, so I continued paying the full rent.
A week passed.
Then another.
I messaged her about the bills.
Her response shocked me:
“I’m not living there right now, so I don’t see why I should pay.”
I reminded her that her belongings were still in the apartment and that she was still responsible for her share.
After that, she stopped responding.
For nearly two months, I covered everything myself.
Eventually, I sent her one final message:
“If you don’t respond, I’ll assume you’ve permanently moved out and I’ll speak with the landlord about your belongings.”
No reply.
Not even a reaction.
So I contacted the landlord and explained the situation. After checking the lease and confirming the circumstances, we handled the tenancy properly and the locks were changed.
With help from a few friends, I gathered Milly’s remaining belongings and separated everything carefully.
Some old, inexpensive items were donated.
Anything that appeared valuable or important was kept safely.
I thought that was the end of it.
Then Milly suddenly appeared at the apartment.
She was furious.
“Why did you change the locks?”
I reminded her about the unanswered messages and the months of unpaid rent.
Then she noticed some of her belongings were gone.
“You gave my stuff away?”
I explained that I had repeatedly tried to contact her and couldn’t keep her possessions stored indefinitely.
She left angry, but at least the situation was finally over.
The experience taught me an important lesson:
Being a good roommate doesn’t mean becoming responsible for someone else’s choices.
Set clear boundaries, keep financial agreements in writing, and never assume that ignoring a problem will make it disappear.
Because when someone chooses to disappear, their responsibilities don’t disappear with them.