I Moved In With My Boyfriend But Found Out His “Poor” Sister Was Hiding A Massive Secret. She Tried To Destroy My Life To Keep Her Free Ride. Was Leaving Him The Only Way To Win?

The Ultimatum

Owen called Norine into the living room that evening, and I stood next to him because I wanted her to see we were united on this. She came in looking annoyed like we were interrupting her TV show and sat down on the couch with her arms crossed.

Owen took a deep breath and told her she had 60 days to find an apartment and move out. He said he would help with first month’s rent and the security deposit, but the current arrangement wasn’t working anymore and needed to end.

Norine’s face went from annoyed to shocked to angry in about three seconds. She stood up and asked if I was behind this, if I’d been poisoning him against his own family. Owen said this was his decision and he’d been thinking about it for a while now.

Norine switched tactics immediately and started crying. She said she couldn’t believe her own brother was abandoning her just like her ex-husband did. She said she had nowhere to go and couldn’t afford to live alone. Owen reminded her about her full-time job and the savings account I’d discovered.

Her tears stopped pretty fast when she realized he knew about her money. She got cold then, really cold in a way I’d never seen before. She told Owen he was choosing some woman he barely knew over his own sister who had been there for him his whole life. She said I would leave him eventually, and then he’d regret pushing away the one person who actually loved him.

Owen’s hands were shaking, but he held firm. He said the deadline was 60 days and that was final. Norine looked at me with pure hate and said this wasn’t over. Then she walked out and slammed her bedroom door hard enough to rattle the pictures on the wall.

Owen sat down heavily on the couch and put his head in his hands. I sat next to him and put my hand on his back. I told him I was proud of him even though I knew how hard that was. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said he hoped he was doing the right thing. I said he absolutely was and we’d get through this together.

The next few weeks were tense, but Norine seemed to accept the deadline. She started looking at apartments online and even went to see a few places. Owen started to relax a little, thinking maybe she understood this was necessary. I stayed cautious because I knew Norine better than that by now. She was planning something; I just didn’t know what yet.

The Medical Manipulation

Then, with exactly one week left before the 60-day deadline, Norine developed mysterious stomach pains. She came out of her room one morning doubled over and groaning. Owen immediately wanted to take her to the emergency room. I watched her carefully and noticed she was peeking at Owen’s reaction through her fingers while she groaned.

They went to the hospital and spent four hours there. The doctors ran tests and found absolutely nothing wrong. Norine came home with pain medication and a referral to see a specialist. She told Owen she couldn’t possibly focus on apartment hunting while dealing with this health crisis. She said she needed to concentrate on getting better first and then she’d resume looking for places.

Owen looked torn, and I could see him starting to waver on the deadline. That night after Norine went to bed, Owen suggested maybe we should give her more time since she was sick. I looked at him and said no. I told him this was manipulation, pure and simple.

I pointed out how convenient it was that this mysterious illness showed up exactly one week before she had to leave. I reminded him that the doctors found nothing wrong and that Norine had peeked at him through her fingers to gauge his reaction to her groaning. Owen wanted to believe me, but I could see the guilt eating at him. What if she really was sick and he forced her out anyway? What kind of brother would that make him?

I told him we weren’t resetting the deadline for a medical emergency that only showed up when deadlines approached. Norine went to the emergency room three more times that week. Each visit lasted hours, and each time they found absolutely nothing wrong with her. She came home with different pain medications and more referrals but no actual diagnosis.

She spent most of her time in her room groaning loudly enough for us to hear. Owen looked exhausted from worry and lack of sleep. I was exhausted from watching this obvious manipulation play out while Owen struggled with guilt.

The deadline came and went. Norine was still in the house claiming she was too sick to move. Owen hadn’t enforced the deadline, and I could see the pattern starting all over again. She manufactured a crisis, he backed down, and nothing changed.