ConfessionsRoseHawk

10 Jul 2 min read

I Lost My Friends' Contribution Money...

Good day, been going through this anonymous website for a week so far I am enjoying every story and engagement so far. I have one of my own share, let me just lay it out here cos it's been eating me up inside. I'm a 27-year-old woman, and if anyone looked at me today, they would think I'm doing fine. I still smile, I still reply to messages, and I still go to work. But inside, I'm falling apart. Last year, a group of my close friends started a monthly contribution. We all trusted one another, so they asked me to keep the money because I was considered the most responsible among us. Every month, everyone sent their contributions to me. Before long, the money had grown into a substantial amount. Around that time, someone introduced me to what seemed like a genuine investment platform. People I knew claimed they had invested there and were receiving steady returns. It looked legitimate, and I honestly believed I had found a way to grow our money instead of leaving it idle. I convinced myself I was doing something smart. Without telling anyone, I invested almost all of the contribution money. For the first few weeks, everything looked normal. My account showed profits every day. I was already imagining how surprised everyone would be when I returned their money with extra. Then one morning, I woke up and couldn't log in. The website was gone. The customer care numbers stopped working. The Telegram group disappeared. That was the moment I realized it had all been a scam. I froze. I kept refreshing my phone for hours, hoping it was just a network issue. It wasn't. Every naira was gone. Since that day, my life has changed. I barely eat. I can't sleep. My chest feels tight whenever my phone rings because I'm scared it's one of my friends asking for their money. Some of them are planning weddings. Some saved that money for rent. One was contributing for her mother's surgery. They all trusted me, and I destroyed that trust in one terrible decision. I haven't told them the truth yet. Instead, I keep making excuses whenever they ask when we'll share the money. The guilt is killing me. I've started selling my personal belongings to raise money, but it's nowhere near enough. Sometimes I cry until my eyes hurt because I don't know how I'll ever repay them. I know I made the mistake. I was trying to make the money grow, not steal it. But intentions don't replace lost savings. If you're reading this, please don't ever invest money that doesn't belong to you, no matter how convincing an opportunity looks. I thought I was making a wise decision. Instead, I became the reason several people may lose the dreams they worked so hard to build. I don't know how to face them. I only know that every day I stay silent, the shame becomes heavier.