Tears streamed down my face, hot and bitter, as I stood on the crowded sidewalk of Broad Street, the sounds of Athens traffic fading around me. I'd been tricked by Emily Harper, the girl I thought I loved. My chest tightened with anger and embarrassment. This time, Ethan, you're going to make her regret this, I vowed, my mind racing with plans to turn the situation around.
My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was Jake, my friend, who ran a tech blog and was always hatching some scheme. I called him "Jake the Wizard" for his ability to handle problems, whether tech-related or not.
"Yo, Ethan, what's up?" Jake's voice crackled in my ear. "Your phone's been off since yesterday."
"Hey, man," I mumbled, my voice thick with defeat.
"Whoa, you sound like you got hit by a truck. What's wrong?"
I swallowed hard. "I got scammed by this girl I'm into. Bad."
Jake didn't hesitate. "What? Get your ass to my place right now."
I ordered an Uber, and the eight-minute ride to Jake's apartment felt like forever. When I knocked on his door, he pulled it open, his tall frame filling the entrance. "Get in here, man."
I collapsed onto his couch and spilled the story in three minutes flat: Emily's arrival, her "cousin" excuse, the ChatNow messages from Hunter_X, and the $200 I'd already lost. Jake's eyes widened, then narrowed with a mischievous spark.
"Bro, you got played hard," he said, shaking his head. "You're officially the king of suckers."
"Thanks," I muttered, sinking deeper into the couch. "She's stunning, Jake—curves for days. I thought I was in love."
"Love? Nah, you're just whipped. But don't worry, we're gonna get some of that $200 back and maybe even have some fun with her for a few days before sending her packing without another cent."
I blinked, skeptical. "How's that even possible?"
Just then, my phone pinged with a text from Emily: Babe, I'm on my way back. I showed it to Jake, who burst out laughing. "Man, if you fall for her again, you're breaking every record for gullibility."
He grabbed his phone, opened a sketchy-looking app, and created a fake Chase Bank debit alert for $250. He sent it to my phone with a smirk. "Show her this when you get home. Tell her the ATM glitched, debited $250, but gave nothing. Say you're going to the bank tomorrow to sort it out. If she can't wait, tell her you've got a friend who can loan you the cash—me. We'll write the rest on WhatsApp as you go. But delete those chats after, got it?"
I nodded, adrenaline pumping, and rushed out of Jake's place. Back at my apartment, I found Emily sitting on my bed, looking restless but flashing that charming smile. She stood as I walked in, hugging me and kissing me softly. "Babe, you look upset. What's wrong?"
I pulled out my phone and showed her the fake alert, following Jake's script. "The ATM screwed me over. It debited $250, but no cash came out. I gotta go to the bank tomorrow to fix it." Her face fell, and her eyes darted nervously. "What? It's already 11:08, and I have to get to Miami today for my exam tomorrow.""Chill," I said, keeping my voice calm. "Let me call a friend to borrow $200. I'll pay him back after you're gone." Her expression softened, and she kissed me again, deeper this time. "You're the best," she murmured. I mentioned her promised "surprise," and she winked. "Wait till your friend leaves. We'll have some privacy."
Jake showed up ten minutes later, right on time. I jumped into the act. "Yo, Jake, I need a favor. My girl's gotta get back to school, but the ATM messed up. Can you spot me $300 till tomorrow?" Jake crossed his arms, playing his part perfectly. "No way, man. You still owe me $80 from last month, and now you want more? Pay that back first." I turned to Emily, feigning embarrassment. "Babe, do you have $80 on you? I'll give you the $300 once he hands it over." She hesitated, then dug into her purse. "I've only got $55, and it's for a hair appointment my friend asked me to book in Miami." She looked at me, eyes pleading. "Can't you just use that? You're giving me $300, so it'll cover that"."Fine," I said, taking the $50 she handed over and giving it to Jake. He pocketed it with a grunt. "Alright, but only because your girl is cute. I'll grab the cash from my place and be back in ten."
As soon as he left, Emily pulled me close, delivering her "surprise." The kiss turned passionate, leading to a quick, intense moment that should've felt amazing, but left me feeling empty. She noticed my detachment and pulled back to study my face. "What's wrong, babe?". "Nothing," I lied, avoiding her gaze. "Ethan, do you love me?" Her voice was soft, vulnerable. "After my ex, you're the only guy in my life. I can't handle getting hurt again." I forced a smile, muttering, "Yeah, I love you," but the words tasted bitter. She stood, slipping into the bathroom for a shower, her silhouette moving with a confidence that twisted the knife in my chest. I checked my phone and saw a text from Jake: Yo, king of suckers, flash me when you're with her. I'll call and pull another move. Could you put it on speaker?
Three minutes later, Jake called. I answered, hitting the speaker. "Yo, Jake, where's the money?"
"Man, I'm in trouble," he said, his voice filled with fake panic. "I forgot to lock my apartment when I left. Someone broke into my apartment and stole my laptop and the $300 I had stashed. I'm wiped out."
"Damn, that's rough," I said, playing along. "Can you at least give me back the $50? I'll figure something out for my girl."
"Are you crazy?" Jake snapped. "That $50's all I have now." He hung up.
Emily's face fell. "Ethan, what the hell? Your friend was supposed to get the money, and now his place has been robbed? It's almost noon! I have to get to Miami."
"I'm just as shocked," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "I don't know anyone else who can lend me cash."
She started pacing, her voice rising. "I can't stay here! You need to figure this out. Call Jake back and ask him to return the $50 to you. I'll handle the rest."
"I don't think he'll help," I said, "but I've got an idea. Why not ask your cousin for cash? I'll Venmo you later to pay him back."
Emily's eyes flashed with annoyance. "I told you, my cousin's a cheapskate. We had a huge fight when I went to grab my ID. You know what he had the nerve to say? He wanted me to run errands for him after refusing to help with cash."
"Errands?" I raised an eyebrow, leaning in. "What kind?"
"He asked me to pick up groceries from some store a few blocks away," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Can you believe that?"
"That's cold," I said, noticing how her story didn't quite add up. "I'd love to meet this guy sometime."
"Forget him," she snapped. "Just get me to Miami. Call Jake again."
I dialed Jake and put him on speaker. "Yo, man, please, I need that $50 back. My girl's freaking out, she's gotta leave today."
"No way," Jake said, his tone firm. "My place got cleaned out. That $50's all I've got left."
"Come on, help me out," I pleaded.
"Alright, hold up," Jake said. "I talked to my friend Marcus. He might spot you $100, but I have to be there to vouch for you. Meet me at my place, and we'll go see him together. You have cash for an Uber? I ain't covering that."
"Yeah, I'll manage," I said, hanging up. I turned to Emily, who was watching me closely. "Babe, there's a problem. I've only got $2 left. An Uber to Jake's and then to Marcus's place will cost at least $6."
She sighed, digging into her purse. "Fine, here's my last $5. Add it to your $2 and hurry." It was 12:09 now, and her impatience was clear.
I grabbed the money, bolted out the door, and jumped into an Uber to Jake's. As the car pulled away, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of our game.