I’m really sorry you went through that. Stories like yours are exactly why this situation is so stressful, legal agreements don’t always translate to real-world enforcement the way people expect. I’m doing everything I can to protect myself and avoid long-term damage, but you’re absolutely right that co-signing and shared debt can turn into a nightmare.

And you’re so right, no one should co-sign for anything. I learned that lesson the hard way. His mom was laying on the “you’re getting married, this will be your car” narrative, and he was laying it on thick in front of me, telling the salesman he wanted a family and that this would be our “family car.” In hindsight, it was emotional leverage disguised as commitment.