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Elderly couple standing in front of the house | Source: Midjourney
Elderly couple standing in front of the house | Source: Midjourney

A Real Estate Scam Forced Me to Live with a Grumpy Stranger But I Never Expected What Would Happen Next — Story of the Day

Mariia Kobzieva
Feb 07, 2025
05:56 A.M.

I thought buying a cozy house would be my fresh start until I found a grumpy old man at my door, holding his key. We had both been scammed, and neither of us was willing to leave. Let the war begin.

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I’d spent 72 years without a single scandal. No scams, not even a parking ticket. Well, except for that one time. But honestly, I still maintain it wasn’t my fault.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

I liked to think I was sharp. Careful. The kind of woman who double-checks locks and never falls for "limited-time offers." And yet, somehow, I still managed to buy a house through a scam. A very convincing one, mind you.

But oh, what a house!

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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Cozy, with a lush garden and a veranda where I pictured myself knitting, sipping tea, and gossiping with my parrots. A fresh start. A peaceful life.

Or so I thought.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

I pulled into the driveway, ready to embrace my new beginning, until I spotted HIM.

A man. Tall. Slouched. Holding a suitcase in one hand and a key in the other. He looked like a human raincloud, the kind that grumbles at sunny days out of spite.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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I frowned back. He frowned harder.

I checked my key. He checked his.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.

I wished I was. He reached for the doorknob with his key at the same time I did.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

“Oh dear,” I breathed out.

“I bought this house.”

“So did I.”

With an exasperated grunt, he pulled a crumpled paper from his pocket and held it up.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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“Paid in full. Signed, sealed, and delivered.”

I dug into my purse, yanked out my paperwork. I looked at his document. Then at mine. Then at him.

“Well,” I exhaled, clutching my birdcage like a lifeline, “either we’re very married, or we’ve been scammed.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

A frantic round of calls followed:

first to the real estate agency (which, of course, didn’t answer),

then to the police (who were deeply sympathetic but ultimately useless),

and finally, to a lawyer (who informed us, in the most professional way possible, that we were in a very unfortunate predicament).

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

The scammer who had pulled off that ridiculous scheme had vanished without a trace. Untangling the mess would take months.

Which meant…

“We’re both stuck here?” I asked, looking up at the grumpy stranger.

“Unless you’ve got another place to go?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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I pursed my lips.

“Nope. Do you?”

“No.”

Well, that was awkward. I glanced at my bird, Thomas, who blinked at me as if waiting for my next move. But, ever the optimist, I straightened my floral scarf and put on my best smile.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

“I suppose we should introduce ourselves,” I said, extending a perfectly manicured hand. “I’m Eleanor. But please, call me Ellie.”

The man stared at my hand like it might explode. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he reluctantly shook it.

“Walter.”

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

I beamed. “Oh, Walter is so formal. I’ll call you Walt.”

His face twisted in something between horror and offense.

“No, you won’t.”

I let out a lighthearted laugh and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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“Oh, you grumps always say that, but you’ll get used to it. Everyone does.”

If looks could kill, I’d be a cautionary tale in the evening news. He pulled his suitcase a little closer as if I might suddenly claim that too.

I could already tell—that was going to be fun.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

***

Sharing a house with a grumpy old man was an ordeal I had not prepared for, even in my worst-case scenarios. I had always been an optimist, the kind of woman who believed that every problem could be solved with a little warmth, a touch of kindness, and maybe a fresh batch of cookies.

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Walt, however, seemed to be allergic to happiness.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

The first battle lines were drawn over music.

I set my vinyl player in the living room, placed the needle on my favorite waltz, and let the melody fill the air. With a delighted sigh, I twirled across the wooden floor, arms swaying. My house slippers glided like I was on the grand stage of a ballroom.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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That’s when I heard it. A loud, exaggerated throat-clearing. I turned to find Walter standing in the doorway with a sour expression.

"Something wrong, Walt?" I asked sweetly.

"Yeah. What in the name of sanity are you doing?"

"Dancing! You should try it sometime. Loosens up all that tension in your..."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

He shuffled over to the armchair, and plopped down. "It’s 9 a.m. Nobody dances at 9 a.m."

"Correction—happy people do."

He grumbled something under his breath, reached for the remote, and... "click". Suddenly, my waltz was replaced with the monotonous drone of a news anchor discussing inflation. I gasped.

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

"Did you just..."

"This house has a no waltz before noon policy," he announced, adjusting the volume.

My parrot chirped, "Oh, did you hear?!"

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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***

The next morning, I invited my friends over for tea and a knitting session. We sat in the living room, chattering away about everything from neighborhood gossip to which brand of tea had the best aftertaste.

It was lovely. Cozy. Civilized.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Until Walter decided to join us. Not by sitting down and being friendly.

No, no. He retaliated by finding an old drill that, miraculously, needed to be used at full power for the exact duration of our conversation.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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"Are you serious?" I shot him a glare.

"Absolutely."

"You do realize you’re being childish?"

"Oh, trust me. This is just the beginning."

Oh, it was ON. Fine. Two could play in that game.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

***

In the evening, I filled the house with lavender and vanilla-scented candles, letting the soothing aroma create the perfect ambiance. Then, went out shopping.

In a few hours, I returned home from the store, only to find Thomas’s cage wide open, the window cracked.

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"Walter! Where is my bird?"

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

He barely looked up from his newspaper. "Oh, that noisy thing? Thought it needed some "fresh air" too."

"You released Thomas?"

"It has wings, Ellie. Seems unfair not to use them."

But what Walter didn’t know was that Thomas was well-trained and always came back when hungry.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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Which is exactly why, at dinner that night, as we sat in complete silence, Thomas swooped down, landing directly on Walter’s plate. Walter was drawn by the sweet scent of mango, which I had generously added to the salad.

Walter froze. Thomas blinked. Then, complete chaos.

"Get it off!" Walter shouted, waving his arms as Thomas flapped wildly. Its wings sent bits of salad flying.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

Thomas chirped, "Oh, did you hear?!"

Of course, I burst into deep, belly-aching laughter. Walter finally freed himself from the feathery invasion, face red, breathing heavy.

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"You did that on purpose!"

"Oh yes, Walter. I trained my parrot to ambush you over mango salad," I said between laughs.

But he wasn’t done.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

That same night, just as I settled into bed, cucumbers on my eyelids, a fresh clay mask drying on my face, I heard it.

Male voices. Laughter. The clinking of glasses.

I peeled off the cucumbers and stormed into the living room only to find Walter and a group of his old friends sitting around my coffee table, playing poker. Snacks were everywhere, as if it were some grand casino night.

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

"Walter! It is three in the morning!"

He glanced up, entirely unbothered.

"Ah, you’re awake! Want in? We’re playing for loose change and bragging rights."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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"This is my house!"

"Correction—our house."

I marched back to my bedroom, and grabbed my phone. Enough was enough.

It was time to speed up the eviction.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

***

My lawyer had managed to speed up the process, and after two long months of battle, the official verdict arrived. The house was legally mine.

We had both been scammed, but since I had transferred the money first, the property legally belonged to me. Walter had simply been a little more unlucky than me.

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

I should have felt triumphant. After all, I had won. But despite my usual optimism, it was hard to ignore the heaviness settling in my chest.

I watched from the doorway as Walt packed. He wrapped his books carefully, stacking them neatly in a box. When he picked up a small photo frame, his fingers traced the edges for a long moment before he set it down with a quiet sigh.

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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"So," I said, forcing lightness into my voice, "where to next?"

He didn’t look up.

"I’ll figure it out."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For the first time, he wasn’t snapping at me. There was no sarcasm, no grumbling. Just a tired man losing another home. And for the first time, I realized I wasn’t just losing a grumpy housemate. I was losing something more.

Valentine’s Day was coming. I wasn’t letting him leave without one last dinner.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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The final evening, on Valentine’s Day, I set the table, lit the candles, and played the music I had overheard from Walter’s room. The house, which had once felt like a battlefield, now glowed with an unfamiliar warmth.

When he walked into the kitchen, he stopped short. His eyes flicked to the table, the candlelight, the wine.

"What’s all this?"

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

"A farewell dinner. Unless you’d rather eat alone and grumble at the walls."

He huffed but pulled out a chair. We ate in silence, but for once, it wasn’t heavy. It was… comfortable.

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Halfway through the meal, Walt set his fork down.

"I used to love dancing."

"You?"

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

"My wife made me take lessons. Said it was romantic." His fingers brushed the rim of his glass. "Haven’t danced since she passed."

And I realized... I knew nothing about Walter. I’d seen him as a grump, but he had a history, a love, a loss that shaped him.

"She must’ve been wonderful," I said softly.

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For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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"She was."

I hesitated. "I always wanted children. It just never happened. So, I filled my life with other things. My parrots… they’re ridiculous, but they gave me love when I needed it."

Walter didn’t smirk.

"No. I get it. We both built lives around what we lost."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

A quiet understanding settled between us. Then, he stood and held out his hand.

"Come on. One dance."

"You’re serious?"

"Don’t make me change my mind."

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I placed my hand in his. His steps were hesitant, but as he spun me slowly and pulled me back, something shifted. I didn’t want him to leave.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

"Stay," I said softly. "This is your home too."

From across the room, Thomas chirped, "Oh, did you hear?!"

And then, he kissed me.

That night, I realized that happiness finds you when you stop running from it. Sometimes, it’s two people finding each other in the mess of life, choosing not to be alone anymore.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney

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Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

If you enjoyed this story, read this one: The elderly man at my café ordered dinner for two, but no one ever came. When I learned why, I couldn’t walk away. His love had vanished a year ago—without a trace. What I uncovered changed everything. Read the full story here.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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