When Jake told me we should move to Alaska to save money and finally build our future, I said yes without even thinking twice. But after one last weekend trip with my girlfriends, I came home to something that shattered everything. Something that flipped my world upside down.
Hi, I’m Chloe. I’m 25, and for a while, I thought I had everything figured out.
I lived in my mom’s old house in South Carolina. She’d moved to Alaska five years ago, after my dad died. The house was cozy, with a big wrap-around porch and a garden she loved. I worked as a freelance graphic designer, and life felt peaceful.
Jake moved in with me two years into our relationship.
At first, it was perfect. It felt like we were playing house in the cutest way—movie nights on the couch, cooking dinner together, sipping coffee in the mornings while we talked about our future. Best part? We didn’t have to pay rent.
But slowly, that sweet dream turned into something else.
Jake quit his job at the marketing firm because his boss was “too demanding.” That was eight months ago. Since then, he hadn’t worked. He said he needed time to “figure things out,” that he didn’t want just any job—he wanted to find his passion.
While he was searching for that mysterious passion, I was paying for everything—groceries, utilities, bills. The only thing he still paid was his car.
Jake spent his days gaming, watching crypto videos, or hanging out with his also-unemployed friends.
“You’re so good at taking care of things,” he’d tell me. “I’m lucky to have someone so organized.”
And I believed him. I told myself this was love. That love meant helping each other through hard times.
Then, one night while I was cooking dinner, he walked over, turned off the stove, took my hands, and looked me in the eyes.
“Chloe, I love you,” he said. “I want to spend my life with you.”
My heart skipped.
“I don’t have a ring yet, and I know things haven’t been perfect, but… will you marry me?”
It wasn’t the proposal I had dreamed about. But it was him. And that made it perfect.
“Yes,” I whispered, tears in my eyes. “Yes, of course!”
He smiled. “I’ll get you the most beautiful ring. We’ll have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. I just need to get back on my feet first.”
And I believed him again.
A few weeks later, my mom came to visit. Her name’s Denise. She’s the kind of woman who can fix a broken sink and bake the perfect pie in the same day. After Dad passed away, she moved to a quiet part of Alaska. Said she needed space, and something wild to feel alive again.
Over dinner, Jake surprised me. He opened up to her in a way he never had with me.
“I feel like a failure,” he said. “Chloe deserves better than this. I can’t even afford a ring. Or plan a wedding.”
Mom just looked at him calmly. “Being down doesn’t make you a failure,” she said. “But staying down does.”
Jake sighed. “It’s so expensive here. By the time I pay for gas and food, there’s nothing left.”
I held his hand. “We’ll figure it out together.”
A week after she flew back, Mom called.
“Chloe, honey, is Jake there? Put me on speaker.”
Jake joined me on the couch. He looked curious.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said, Jake,” Mom said. “What if I told you there’s a place where you could live rent-free, make good money, and save for your future in just two years?”
“That sounds way too good to be true,” Jake replied.
“It’s not easy,” Mom said. “It’s Alaska. The work’s hard. Winters are brutal. But if you stay with me, you don’t pay rent or utilities. Just food and your own stuff. You work the fishing season, pick up winter jobs—you could each save $50,000 in two years. Maybe more.”
“That’s enough for a wedding,” Jake said slowly. “A house down payment…”
“And a ring,” I added, smiling.
Jake turned to me. “What do you think? Want to have an adventure?”
I practically bounced on the couch. “Yes! Absolutely yes!”
We set a move date for three months later. Jake seemed pumped, like this was our big chance. I didn’t notice the difference in our excitement—how he was just relieved to have a plan, while I was dreaming of our future.
But I didn’t see the red flags. I was too busy packing and planning.
Two days before the flight, my best friends Sarah and Jessica took me on a surprise goodbye trip.
“This might be the last time we see you for a while,” Sarah said. “You’re coming, no excuses.”
I didn’t want to leave Jake with all the prep, but he insisted. “Go have fun. I’ve got it covered.”
We had the best weekend—fancy dinners, spa days, laughs, and tears. They were proud of me, even though they’d miss me like crazy.
I came back a day early. I wanted one last night with Jake.
The Uber dropped me off at 6 p.m. I walked up the porch with a box of Charleston pralines and a huge smile.
I unlocked the door.
“Jake! I’m home early!”
The first thing I saw? Boxes. My boxes. All of them. Lined up by the front door like I was being shipped out.
No sign of Jake’s stuff anywhere.
I stepped inside, confused. “Jake?”
“Hey babe,” he called from the living room. “How was your trip?”
I found him sitting on the couch watching TV. Like everything was completely normal.
“Jake… what’s going on? Why are my boxes packed? Where’s your stuff?”
He muted the TV and turned to me with a blank face.
“Yeah… about that. I’m not going anymore.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’m not going to Alaska. I changed my mind.”
“But… what about the tickets? Mom? The plan?”
He shrugged. “You can still go. You should go, honestly. You’re more built for that kind of life.”
“But we’re supposed to do this together!”
“You don’t need me, Chloe. You’ve been doing everything anyway.”
“And the house?”
He gave me a small smirk. “You don’t need the place anymore. I’ll stay and take care of things.”
“Jake… this is my mom’s house. There is no lease.”
“Well… then I guess we can let the court decide. But I’m staying.”
I was frozen. This couldn’t be real.
Then I heard a toilet flush.
Jake didn’t even blink.
A girl walked out of the bathroom. Wearing one of Jake’s shirts. Just his shirt.
She smiled at me. “Hi! You must be Chloe. I’m Maddie.”
I turned to Jake. “Who is she?”
“Maddie,” he said casually. “She’s my girlfriend now.”
“Your what?”
“We met a few weeks ago. She’s staying here while you’re in Alaska.”
I stared at him in shock.
“So this was all a trick? You wanted me to leave so you could move her in?”
“Don’t be dramatic. We just want different things. It’s a win-win.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I didn’t scream. I didn’t fight. I picked up my bag, called a cab, and left.
I spent that night in an airport hotel, staring at the ceiling.
At midnight, I called my mom.
“Chloe? What’s wrong?”
“Mom,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Jake’s not coming. He’s with someone else. He used the Alaska plan to get me out.”
There was a long pause. Then, “That piece of garbage.”
I laughed through my tears. “Mom, you never curse.”
“I’m making an exception. Where are you?”
“At the airport. I’m flying out in the morning. Alone.”
“Good. Come home. We’ll figure it out.”
The next day, I boarded the plane to Alaska with one suitcase and a broken heart. But for the first time in months, I could finally breathe.
Mom picked me up and hugged me like she’d never let go.
“I’m proud of you,” she whispered. “For walking away. For choosing yourself.”
“I feel so stupid,” I said. “Three years, and I never saw it coming.”
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them,” she said. “But Jake also showed you something else—you’re stronger than you think.”
She was right.
Within a week, I had a job at a fishing company. The work was tough, but it felt good. Real.
Two weeks in, I got a call from my friend Brandon.
“Chloe… Leo and I are driving to your place. We’re taking care of Jake.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re throwing him and Maddie out. Don’t worry, we’ll be polite. But they’re gone.”
A week later, Brandon sent me a photo: Jake and Maddie loading boxes into a U-Haul. Brandon and Leo stood on the porch, arms crossed.
“The locks are changed,” Brandon texted. “Justice served.”
I didn’t ask for more details. I didn’t care.
I was busy rebuilding my life.
I worked hard. I hiked. I learned to fish and hunt. I laughed again.
And one day, at the docks, I met Nate.
He was from Oregon. Quiet, sweet, kind. The opposite of Jake in every way.
“Want to grab coffee?” he asked one afternoon.
“I’d love to,” I smiled.
Coffee turned to dinner. Dinner turned to hikes, shared dreams, and mornings spent cooking breakfast together.
Nate treated me like a partner. Like someone worth loving.
Two years later, we bought a house near the mountains.
Every time I see the final payment screenshot from Mom’s realtor, I remember Jake on that couch saying, “I’m not built for Alaska.”
He was right. He wasn’t.
But I was.
Alaska gave me strength, work I was proud of, friends who stood by me, and a love that felt true.
And for all that, I’ll always be grateful.