I deleted their numbers, muted their accounts, and told my parents I needed distance. They didn’t argue. Their silence told me they’d seen this coming too.
Months passed. I grieved—not the money, but the relationship.
Then one day, outside a bookstore, I bumped into Julia, a mutual friend. After a few pleasantries, her tone shifted.
“I heard about Lisa and Rick. IRS caught them hiding money from Rick’s side gig. Big fines. Lisa lost her job. They lost the house.”
My heart sank.
Julia kept talking—about court dates, about Rick losing his temper in front of a judge.
Karma, I thought.
A couple weeks later, Lisa called.
“Ivy,” she said, voice cracking. “They’re taking everything. I don’t know who else to ask. Could you help me? Just a little, to get by?”
I took a breath. “Lisa… you still owe me $25,000.”
“But I have nothing now,” she whispered.
