I Spent All His Money

I met Tom online. He was older, like forty-eight, and I was just twenty-two. I know, huge age gap. But he was so kind. He said he wanted to take care of me. I'd just moved to the city and was working a dead-end job. I was barely scraping by. He had a good job, savings, the whole deal.

We started dating, and he really did take care of me. Dinners, clothes, little trips. I felt like a princess. Then he gave me his credit card. Said, 'Buy whatever you need.' I knew it was wrong. I knew I should have stopped myself. But I didn't. I bought everything. Designer bags, shoes I didn't need, fancy dinners with my friends. It was like I couldn't stop.

He never said anything. Just paid the bills. Then, one day, he lost his job. He told me he was struggling to make the payments. That's when it hit me. I looked at everything I bought and felt sick. I had drained him. I hadn't just accepted his generosity; I'd abused it. We broke up a month later. I never paid him back. I don't even know where he is now. Tom, if you're reading this, I am so sorry. I was young and stupid and selfish. I hope you're doing okay.