College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside

By liza / Dec 2, 2022

Three college students purchased an old cheap couch for their student house, but they had no idea that its previous owner was hiding a dark secret inside.

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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That evening, when the friends sat on the couch, they noticed there was something hidden beneath the cushions. They couldn't believe their eyes when they realized what it was. 

New Purchase 

College students Lara Russo, Cally Guasti, and Reese Werkhoven had purchased a second-hand couch in the Salvation Army. It was old and smelly, but it was the only couch they could afford at the moment. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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Little did they know that this couch was hiding the surprise of a lifetime. 

Strange Couch

When the students brought the couch home, they realized it was a lot more uncomfortable than they expected. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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When Reese laid down on it, he felt something like plastic bags underneath the cushions and decided to inspect the new purchase. He lifted the arm set and noticed a zipper. 

$4,000 In Cash

He pulled back the zipper and found a plastic envelope inside. Reese looked at his roommates in disbelief and began to open the mysterious wrapper.

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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Inside the envelope was a stash of $4,000! "I almost peed! The most money I'd ever found in a couch was like 50 cents. Honestly, I'd be ecstatic to find just $5 in a couch," Reese recalled. So, what did he do with the money?

Rolling Around In Money

The three students began tearing the couch apart, searching for more cash. Digging their hands into every corner of the sofa, they pulled out more stacks of money. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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The three friends soon found themselves on the floor, crying from happiness. They had found a total of $40,000 in cash inside the couch. But what did they do with all this money?

They Didn't Know What To Do

Lara Russo was initially skeptical about their discovery, "I was a little overwhelmed. I wanted to put it back in the couch and then re-find it in the morning when I could process it better."

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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The trio began thinking about what to do with all this cash. Did they return it to the owner?

They Wanted To Return The Money

The trio later discovered another envelope inside the couch with the person's name and their bank statement. Now, they knew who the money belonged to, but they feared this individual might have been involved in something illegal. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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"We all agreed that we had to bring the money back to whoever it belonged to . . . We didn't earn it," Russo said. 

Calling The Owner 

The three friends found the woman's phone number and called her. When they told her about the cash, she eagerly announced, "Oh, I left a lot of money in that couch!"

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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With that, the trio hopped into their car and drove 20 miles to Hudson Valley to return the cash to its owner. They also wanted to ask her why she hid so much cash in the sofa. 

It Wasn't Her Money

The lady, who preferred not to be mentioned, invited them inside her home and answered all of their questions. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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She explained that she was a widow, and the $40,000 didn't actually belong to her.

It Was Her Husband's Money

Every week, her late husband stashed cash in their couch for her to use after his death. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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Over the years, he managed to save $40,000 in cash, but one day, something horrible happened, leaving his wife without any money. 

Her Daughter Sold The Couch

After her husband had passed away, she spent several weeks in a rehabilitation facility recovering from heart surgery. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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While the woman was recovering at the rehab center, her daughter sold the couch to make space for a recovery bed. 

She Was Lucky 

When the woman returned home, she was devastated to discover that the couch was gone, and so was her husband's hard-earned cash. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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The woman felt extremely lucky that her couch ended up in the hands of three ethical young people who came to return her the money.

They Almost Didn't Buy The Couch

"We almost didn't pick that couch. It's pretty ugly and smells, but it was the only couch that fit our living room," Lara Russo recalled.  

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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The woman rewarded them with $1,000 for doing the right thing. 

The Moral Of The Story

The moral of the story is that you shouldn't keep what's not yours. 

College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside College Roommates Purchased An Old Couch, Found Something Strange Inside
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But, it could also be: don't sell someone else's stuff without first consulting with them. What are the three friends up to now? 

New Couch On The Way

There are no updates on what Lara Russo, Cally Guasti, and Reese Werkhoven are doing these days, but hopefully, they bought a new couch with the $1,000. 

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Maybe the new couch will also have a surprise for them. Who knows!