In the spring of 2022, I lent my boyfriend, Jude, $5,700.
He called me on a Tuesday night sounding completely overwhelmed.
His car had broken down, and without it, he couldn't get to work. The mechanic had diagnosed a major problem and wouldn't release the car until the repair was paid for.
Jude promised me he'd repay everything within three months.
I believed him.
I had some money sitting in my savings account, and at the time, helping him didn't feel like a financial decision.
It felt like love.
So I transferred the money.
He picked up his car two days later.
For the first month, everything seemed normal.
Then came the excuses...