e morning I've had-being bent over a kitchen counter by my boss and then basic

ficially retired afte

ttos with red bottoms and hand my card

e woman says a

sorry? Try a

I most definitely did-Scott was supposed to se

again. "Decl

or emergencies. Of all days that my credit card c

ck

this

decl

es a weird

sn't po

into my banking app. I expect to see the generous deposit J

number. A very large, ve

credit from Scott's company, but immediately following

shier asks, her tone shiftin

I hurry out of the store, my bre

shed-I hate driving and don't know h

-hour customer servi

s me through several automated voices. "I'm calling to disput

k information?" a sof

y it t

ade those t

I didn't

ntically explaining that I hadn't spent a dime. "But these transactions were

raud! thousands of dollars

ues, sounding almost impressed. "For the real estate... it looks like a very strategic, long-term inves

ouse all morning!" I

these types of cases rarely go in the favor of the account holder when the

p, feeli

cing. Luckily, I had pr

tment, I know someone has been

man's c

the kitchen

with a magnet, is a sm

n't home. You would h

floor, my le

w

ed to get him out of my life and in jail that I'd forgotten how much of my d

my mood, I am extremely happy Scott has gon

nd the footage from my doorbell camera. It showed a man in

. "And since he had a key and your passwords, the bank views this as a do

my voice barely a whisper. "The loan

y days to clear the negative balance b

I am so close to just lying in the middle of the

e-all gone because I had tried to be "understanding" to

supposed to start fr

ng my salary this month, it was not ev

iterally drain

the time. Scott was still goin

t be back

llion d

t hurt to

ce comes through the line, sound

voice shaking. I grip my phone

other end. I can almost hear

riage?"

e my eyes. "T

en I am back then. Is that

need to clear my debt as soon as possible and also maybe hi

my boss couldn't be

ppened,

ngerously low voice.