When I first rented my apartment, I was relieved to have a roommate named Milly to share expenses with. At first, she was friendly and fun to talk to, but she rarely bought basic supplies, didn’t clean up, and was constantly late on bills. I tried to be patient and even covered her rent when she promised to pay me back, but the money never came, and the mess only got worse.

One day, Milly suddenly left to stay with her boyfriend, leaving most of her belongings behind. When I texted her about rent, she said she wasn’t paying since she wasn’t living there. I was shocked and ended up covering the full rent for two months while she ignored all my messages.

Finally, I warned her that if she didn’t respond, I’d assume she moved out. She never replied, so I spoke to the landlord, who changed the locks after confirming she was no longer on the lease. My friends helped me pack up Milly’s things.

I donated what seemed old or replaceable and saved anything that looked valuable. A few days later, Milly showed up upset, demanding to know why the locks were changed. She claimed she was planning to come back and was furious when she realized some of her things had been given away.

I explained that I’d tried for months to get in touch and couldn’t keep storing her belongings. Milly left angry, but the situation was finally resolved. I learned a tough lesson: always set clear boundaries with roommates and protect yourself financially.

Ghosting doesn’t erase responsibilities, and communication is key when sharing a living space.