Landlords Lies Ruined My Love And Changed My Life

I was assigned to Accra for my national service program. Finding accommodation was exhausting until I met Mr. Aboagye, a 56-year-old man who eventually became my landlord.

He offered me flexible rent terms, asking for three months' advance payment followed by monthly payments. He even helped me move my belongings into the room and made sure I was settled in comfortably. However, he soon began making advances toward me.

Some nights, he would knock on my door and ask to come in. He would engage in small talk, asking how I was doing and how work was going. Gradually, his comments became more personal, complimenting me and saying things like, “You’re a nice girl,” and “Your boyfriend is lucky.” Eventually, he directly expressed his feelings, saying, “I’ve noticed how respectful and calm you are since you’ve been here. I want you to be my girlfriend.” I firmly replied, “I have a boyfriend and will be getting married after my service, so I can’t have another boyfriend.”

Despite my clear rejection, he continued to visit daily, pleading and knocking at dawn to be let in. I remained steadfast in my response, even threatening to leave if he persisted, but he never relented.

About four months into my stay, I noticed another gentleman in the house, later introduced to me as Akwasi, the landlord's eldest son. He began visiting me frequently, and I enjoyed his company as it kept his father at bay. Akwasi always had amusing stories about his time in Europe and life in general. As we spent more time together, I developed feelings for him, and when he proposed, I accepted.

Mr. Aboagye noticed our budding relationship but could do little to stop it. He began disparaging his son to me, warning, “That boy has many girlfriends in Ghana and the UK; don’t let him fool you. He’ll mess you up like he did to Nancy.” One evening, he even showed me a photo of a girl, claiming, “This is his girlfriend in the UK. They’re getting married soon, so don’t be deceived.”

When I confronted Akwasi about it, he denied it and asked who had been feeding me such information. I couldn’t reveal that it was his father. As Mr. Aboagye realized nothing was happening between us, he started making accusations against me to his son, claiming I had too many boyfriends and that several men had visited me at odd hours since I moved in.

I had to defend myself without revealing the truth about his father’s behavior. When my service ended, the company I worked for offered me a permanent position. Although I wanted to leave the house, I couldn’t afford new accommodation, so I stayed. Without warning, Mr. Aboagye tripled my rent and demanded two years' advance payment.

“Where am I supposed to get that money?” I exclaimed. He replied, “You either pay or leave. You know what to do.” I asked Akwasi for help, but that only made things worse. The next morning, he informed me that he was no longer renting the room and I had to vacate within a month.

With Akwasi’s assistance, I found a new place and moved out. Shortly after, Akwasi left for Europe, and I focused on my work. Our love grew stronger, and a year later, Akwasi proposed marriage.

I was thrilled but wanted him to inform his father first to gauge his reaction before making any plans. Two days later, I received a call from Mr. Aboagye. He bluntly stated, “You can’t marry my son. It won’t happen unless I’m dead.” I pleaded with him to see me as a daughter and treat me kindly, but that only angered him further.

Akwasi called, confused about why his father hated me so much. Mr. Aboagye had told him not to pursue our relationship because I wasn’t worth it. Akwasi believed I was a good person and couldn’t understand his father’s stance. I didn’t want to reveal the truth and tarnish his father’s image, especially since he would soon be my father-in-law.

One night, Akwasi called with news I had dreaded: “We can’t continue this relationship since you dated my father and didn’t tell me.” 

“Me? Dated your father?” I was shocked.

“Yes, he finally told me the truth about his feelings for you.”

“And he said he dated me?”

“He dated you until he noticed other men coming and going at odd hours, so he backed out.”

“He told you all that?”

I was so stunned that I struggled to respond. I tried calling Mr. Aboagye multiple times, but he didn’t answer. The next morning, I went to his house to hear his side of the story.

As soon as he saw me, he exclaimed, “I told you that you would marry Akwasi over my dead body.” I asked why he was doing this to his own son, and he replied, “Who saw you first, me or Akwasi?”

I sat there listening to his rant. Before leaving, I told him, “I’ve lost the desire to marry Akwasi because I don’t want someone like you as a father-in-law, and I don’t want my children to have a grandfather like you.”

Unbeknownst to him, I recorded our conversation. Later that evening, I sent the audio to Akwasi so he could hear the truth.

Akwasi called me countless times afterward, but I had nothing to say. I wanted him to know the truth, and I had succeeded. Mr. Aboagye also called several times, but I didn’t want to hear his deceitful voice again.

Some people are not meant to be part of your family, and you shouldn’t force them to be. I moved on from them, and today, I’m grateful for the drama they brought into my life. I learned a lot from the experience.

—Maabena
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