That day was my birthday.
No one called, no one remembered. And then I suddenly decided to do something unusual, almost reckless. After lunch, I took the bus and went into town—just like that, without a plan.
I went into a small bar.
There was warm yellow lighting and soft music. I sat in the corner and ordered a glass of red wine.
I was looking around, and at some point I noticed a man approach my table. He was younger than me, in his early thirties, well-groomed, confident, with an attentive gaze. He smiled and offered to order me another glass.
We started talking so easily, as if we’d known each other for years. He said he worked as a photographer and had recently returned from a trip.
I told him about myself, about my life, about how I’d put off so many things and never made up my mind. I don’t know if it was the wine or just the warmth, but I suddenly felt alive.
That night, I went with him to the hotel. I felt scared and at the same time calm. I hadn’t felt another person’s warmth, their presence, by my side in a long time. We barely spoke, just letting our emotions guide us.
But when I woke up the next morning, I discovered something terrifying
I woke up alone. The room was quiet, the bed next to me empty. The guy had disappeared without even saying goodbye.
There was an envelope on my pillow.
At first, I thought it was a goodbye note, but when I opened it, my stomach turned cold.
Inside were photos taken the day before and a short note.
It said that if I didn’t want these photos to end up online and be seen by my children and relatives, I should transfer money. Below was the card number.
At that moment, I realized I’d fallen victim to a scam.
Everything had been planned in advance—the conversations, the attention, the night, the trust.
Now I’m telling this story to warn other women. Please think twice before trusting strangers, no matter how attentive and sincere they seem. Sometimes the price per minute of heat can be too high.
