You know that feeling when you feel like you're the luckiest girl in the world? The kind where you think, “Wow, I'm the jackpot for a boyfriend!” That's what I thought when I first met Paolo.
He's handsome, sweet, and always has good morning and good night texts. He's great at flattering—well, making people laugh. You wouldn't think he had a hidden agenda.
We met on a dating app. He said he was 25—I was 30. I wasn't too conscious of the age gap because he was a mature guy, and he seemed to have a dream in life. He said he was in sales. I even said to myself, “Wow, there's a drive in life.”
At first, he was always the one who invited me out. But I noticed, on the third date, he suddenly lost his wallet. “Babe, it’s embarrassing, but maybe we can borrow some money to pay for coffee,” he said while grinning.
I, of course, was giving. I didn't pay attention right away. It was just once, right?
But as the days went by, it became more frequent. For loading. For Grab. For groceries. It got to the point that I even had to pay off his debt to his friend. And the cruelest thing? He said he needed to buy a new phone for the “online racket.” Guess what? I bought it.
Once, I even joked, “It’s like I’m your sugar mommy.” Do you know her answer? “No, babe, it’s an investment in our future.”
Future?! I don't even know if he actually has a job.
That's when I realized. He's not as sweet as he used to be. Always busy, always having an excuse. But when it comes to money, he suddenly becomes active. He even got angry once when I didn't send him his GCash right away.
I played dumb for a few months. I loved it. But it got to the point where I asked myself: “How long will I pay for attention and love?”
So, one night, I confronted him. I texted: “We're done. I'm not an ATM, and I'm definitely not an investment.”
He hasn't replied since then. I just found out that he's been courting someone else. Maybe it's a new "investor" again.
Now? I'm happy. I've learned. I'm no longer just giving in to sweet words. And most of all—I'm never going to be a sugar mommy again.
