“My name is Claire, I’m 34, and I’ve been helping my friend Jason ever since his mom passed away in September 2025. He grew up in a single-parent household, and after her untimely death, I felt he had no one left. Out of kindness and empathy, I’ve been covering his mortgage, groceries, and bills for the past three months, thinking it would give him space to grieve and regain stability.
At first, it felt natural. I wanted to be there for him, and I genuinely cared. But then it became clear that Jason wasn’t planning to get back on his feet. He stopped looking for work saying he couldn’t find a “normal job” and expected me to keep paying, as if my generosity gave him a permanent safety net.
Three months in, I told him I couldn’t do it anymore. My own finances were stretched, and I needed to set limits. I thought he’d understand (that he’d be grateful), but instead, he looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘You can’t stop paying. I haven’t even started looking for a job yet. Besides, you make plenty of money. Don’t be selfish.’
I actually froze. ‘Selfish?’ I asked, my voice shaking. ‘I have paid your mortgage for ninety days!’
He shrugged, leaning back in the expensive gaming chair I had stupidly bought him for his birthday. ‘That’s what friends do. If you stop now and I lose the house, it will be YOUR fault. Everyone will know you abandoned a grieving orphan.’
The manipulation was so sharp it physically hurt. But then, my eyes drifted to the counter. There was a letter from the bank. I walked over and picked it up. He tried to snatch it, but I was faster. It was a bank statement. While I was paying his bills, he had spent $4,000 of his inheritance money on a tropical vacation package for next month.
I dropped the paper. ‘You have thousands of dollars, and you’re letting me drown in debt to support you?’ ‘I need a break!’ he yelled. ‘I need to heal!’
‘Well, heal on your own dime,’ I said. I pulled out my phone, cancelled the auto-transfer for his electric bill right in front of him, and walked out. He’s been blowing up my phone calling me a ‘fake friend,’ but I blocked him. I heard the house is going up for sale next month. Not my problem.”
