It sounds like these people are just trying to scare you into giving them some money because they need it as much as you do. If your names are not on anything, they don’t have a leg to stand on. Chalk it up to a learning experience and walk away.

I would immediately file a counter claim against them, for the amount of money you paid for them
for rent, for utilities, for food, and the money *half * of it that it cost you to get out of there when you did, plus maybe an extra 200 bucks for loss wages from your jobs or something.

Then I’d sit down with the bf and start a journal remember the dates the best you can
from the date all of you decided to move in together,
the conversation and the expectations
events that occured as to why you paid all of the rent, and utilites and what was the agreement on it
loan? payback? free rent?
what were the events that made you both need to get out of there.

and then go to a local notary and have the paper notarized, stating it is true.

This is what I would do.

The stitching method is called “kettlestitch,” basically you pass the thread between the previous two signatures before entering the next signature…