I (24F) lived with 3 coworkers/friends — A (28F), B (26F), and C (26M). Around May (5 months before lease ended), they talked about renewing. A week or two later, I mentioned I was considering moving out (to live with my boyfriend).

By August, I had moved my work/gaming desk out, hadn’t slept there in over 2 months, and A asked to take my room. I agreed and said I’d get the rest of my stuff out by end of lease in September. By her response, ("Okay thanks! Let me know when you plan on clearing most of it & I’ll organize my stuff to move it over!") and the other conversations I had with them, I honestly thought I had made it clear that I was moving out.

Later in August, I asked if I could officially move out early, (since I was basically paying for a storage space for my things) but only if they were okay with it and if they were not I would pay until the lease ended. That’s when I found out they already re-signed in May and expected me to stay/pay until they found a replacement. (I wasn’t on the lease, but the landlord knew I was paying.) This is when I started getting treated poorly.

They claimed they had no idea I planned to leave and said it was my responsibility to cover rent. I felt bad and reached out to 40+ people, had one serious option (a friend/coworkers boyfriend), but they rejected him for being a “stranger.” By the severity of how I was being treated, I reached a breaking point, and was still willing to help, but I made a boundary for myself and said I would pay to December, to give us extra time to find someone. (although everyone in my life told me based on how I was being treated to just leave and not pay them)

When I came by to grab my stuff, the door code had been changed without telling me (not sure how long it was changed because I hadn't been there in a long time). I asked if we were still friends, and A/B just yelled me for 10-15 minutes, saying I f**ked them over that I wasn't sorry and that I didn't feel any quilt for what I did and so much more all while C - who I have known the longest and was in the other room and said absolutely nothing (all of this caught me off guard and I didn't get a chance to stick up for myself since I don't do well in those situations.) It ended with a pretty harsh comment, and I left in tears.

They insist they told me about signing the new lease, and maybe I forgot, but I really thought I was clear. I apologized, did everything I could to help — but I’m still wondering… AITA?