My boyfriend arranged a romantic weekend at a luxury hotel, and everything seemed perfect—until checkout. His card was declined, and he became visibly embarrassed. I smiled and paid for our stay.
As we were leaving, the receptionist quietly approached me and warned, “Be careful, I’ve seen him do this with other women. His card gets declined, and they end up paying for everything. You’re being scammed!” I didn’t believe her at the time. We were still early in our relationship, and I trusted him—I had no reason not to. But over time, I started noticing similar behavior. He’d make me pay for shopping trips and other expenses. The tipping point came when he tried to pressure me into investing in a dubious scheme to steal my money.
I ended the relationship, but that hotel stay still lingers in my mind—it was the start of everything, and I regret not listening to that receptionist.
