I lent money to a man I’d been dating for just over a year.

I never asked why he needed it.
We broke up 2 months later.

I accidentally learned later that he used this money for a vacation with his ex.

Yeah. Let that sink in.

Her name was Darcie. I didn’t know her personally, but I’d seen her name pop up once or twice on his phone in the early days of us dating. When I asked, he said they were “on friendly terms,” and I, like a complete idiot in love, believed him. I wasn’t the jealous type. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be.

His name was Joren. Smart, quiet, kind of mysterious. He worked in web design, freelanced mostly, and often complained about how unpredictable his income was. So, when he asked if I could spot him $2,000 “just to get through a rough month,” I didn’t hesitate. It was almost all of my savings, but I figured, hey—we’d been together over a year, he’d never asked for anything before, and I honestly thought he might be the guy.

He said he’d pay me back in a couple months. Spoiler: he never did.