Chapter 3

The very first message was dated March 2021.

"Hi Lauren! I’m Sienna. I’m an alum from your alma mater, just two classes behind you! I read your feature article on LinkedIn and was blown away. Do you mind if I add you on Snapchat?"

I accepted her request.

Back then, I had just been promoted to Department Manager, making me one of the youngest female executives at the firm. I occasionally shared career advice and leadership insights for the alumni network.

After adding me, she messaged me almost daily.

"Lauren, that blazer you wore today looks incredible! Where did you get it?"

"Lauren, how did you close that massive enterprise deal? You’re such a powerhouse!"

"I really hope I can be half as successful as you someday."

Back then, I thought she was just an ambitious, hard-working junior trying to find her footing. She was a bit overly enthusiastic, but she seemed harmless.

Later on, she invited me out for coffee. She told me she was working as an administrative assistant at a small firm, earning pennies, and desperately wanted to pivot.

I spent hours revamping her résumé three times over, then referred her to a friend who worked in HR. That referral landed her a corporate role, bumping her salary significantly.

She was overjoyed. She sent a bouquet of flowers to my office with a handwritten card: *To Lauren, my guardian angel.*

It genuinely touched me.

Gradually, however, things started taking a weird turn.

She started asking for money.

The first time was a hundred dollars, claiming she was short on rent.

I sent it via Venmo. She promised to pay me back next week.

Next week came and went, and she never mentioned it. I didn't press her—a hundred dollars wasn't worth causing friction.

The second time was two hundred, claiming her mother fell ill and needed urgent prescriptions.

I sent it. She said she’d return it at the end of the month.

The end of the month passed in silence.

The third time was four hundred, claiming her husband froze their joint account and she couldn't afford gas.

I sent it. She promised to pay me on payday.

The fourth time was a thousand dollars, claiming she wanted to enroll in an online digital marketing bootcamp.

When I asked what kind of bootcamp, she said social media growth strategy.

I hesitated, but sent it anyway.

She texted: "Lauren, you are the sweetest person alive. I will definitely pay you back with interest someday!"

The fifth time was two thousand dollars, claiming her husband was divorcing her and she needed to retain an attorney.

When I asked why they were divorcing, she claimed he was cheating on her.

Feeling bad for her, I transferred the money immediately.

All told, she had borrowed over six thousand dollars from me.

Not a single cent was ever repaid.

Every time I brought it up, she would say, "I promise I'll get it to you next month."

When next month arrived, she’d whine, "Can you give me just a few more days?"

When those days passed, she’d say, "Lauren, it’s not like you’re hurting for cash. Why are you breathing down my neck over this?"

Her words left me completely speechless.

Since when was having financial stability my crime?

Yet, I never fully cut ties with her.

I kept telling myself she had a rough life—an unsupportive husband, an average paycheck—and that helping her out was just the decent thing to do.

Eventually, she stopped just asking for money; she started asking for my possessions.

"Lauren, that Louis Vuitton bag is stunning! Can I borrow it for a weekend while you’re not using it?"

It was an eighteen-hundred-dollar bag.

I hesitated, but handed it over.

She kept it for a month. When it finally came back, the bottom leather was scuffed and the silk lining was stained.

When I asked what happened, she shrugged carelessly. "Oh, it just brushed against something. Just take it to the boutique for a spa cleaning."

The cleaning cost a hundred and fifty dollars.

I paid it out of my own pocket without asking her for a dime.

After that, she stopped even asking for permission.

"Lauren, you have three designer wool coats in your closet. You can't possibly wear them all! I’m just taking this one."

"Lauren, that gold pendant in your jewelry tray is gorgeous, I’m going to wear it for a few days."

"Lauren, why aren't you using that luxury skincare set? It’s just going to expire and go to waste. I’ll take it off your hands."

Piece by piece, my belongings became hers.

My husband couldn't stand watching it anymore. "Does your little college buddy think you're her personal ATM?"

I defended her back then. "It’s not that deep. She just grew up without much and likes taking small advantages. It’s not malicious."

My husband shook his head. "Just wait and see."

I didn't have to wait long.

My car was in an impound lot.