I used to be a successful businessman. I made a lot of money and had a lot of friends. But everything changed when my business went bust.

I was in a lot of debt and had to face the harsh reality that I was completely broke.

Chose to live in denial and ignore my creditors

My first and immediate reaction was to live in complete denial. I refused to accept that my business had failed and I refused to take responsibility for my actions.

I thought that if I just stayed away from my creditors, they would eventually leave me alone and I could go back to my old life.

So, I decided to hide from my creditors, ignoring their calls and messages and started living a fake life. I got to know a group of friends and started hanging out them.

They were just like me – they had money, but not enough. We would go out to clubs, make merry and go on trips together. I felt like I was living my own version of the life I used to have.

But, I was wrong. I was only fooling myself and I was too blind to realize it. As time went on, my fake friends began to drift away and I was alone and without any real friends as they had all left me because I ignored them as well when things were good.

I had no one to turn to for help and I was in more debt than ever before.

I had tried to shirk all my responsibilities, but it had only made things worse. I was stuck in a never-ending cycle of debt and regret.

I was extremely disappointed when I heard my boss had decided to hold back my incentives for making the most sales for the month.

Earlier tried to make us do more so he came out with an ‘incentive’ scheme

He had previously came out with a scheme to reward the top sales with certain monetary incentives, as a reward for our hard work.

Little did I know that it will end up to be a false incentive just to squeeze us as dry as he could.

I had worked hard for the entire month, putting in extra hours and even staying late to ensure that I was able to make the most sales. I thought that my boss would recognize my hard work and give me the incentives that I deserved.

But instead, my boss told me that he was not going to give me any incentives for making the most sales. He explained that the company was struggling and that he was not able to reward me with the incentives that I was expecting.

He then went on to say that he wanted me to do more sales for the company and that he would reward me with more incentives if I was able to make more sales.

Realised his motives but had to bite my tongue and go through with it because I’m afraid that once I go I will really lose out on the incentives

It was quite obvious that my boss was taking advantage of me and was trying to get me to do more work for the company without giving me any rewards.

I wanted to tell him off and tell him that I was not going to do any more work for the company unless I was given the incentives that I deserved. But in the end, I decided to just keep my mouth shut and do what he asked.

This was because I fear that if he actually had the intention to give me the incentives, then it will be gone if I just resigned like that.

I worked harder than ever in the following months and was able to make more sales than ever before. But my boss still refused to give me any incentives and came out with all the excuses he could.

He just kept telling me that he was not able to give me the incentives at the moment and that I deserved and that I should just keep working hard and making more sales for the company.

I guessed that he did it because he was trying to milk me dry because I was the only one that was genuinely making sales for the company and he was trying to false motivate me to do more.

I was too soft and easy going especially with my girlfriend, and it ended up costing me dearly.

I had been in a relationship with my girlfriend for a few years now and she had always been very sweet and affectionate towards me.

Did everything to please her because I was more easy going

I was so in love with her that I thought I could do no wrong and would always do whatever she asked of me. I was too trusting and too willing to please her that I overlooked all the times she took advantage of me.

I would also give in to her whenever I can, as long as it was not too much.

I would always buy her gifts and do favors for her, even when I didn’t have a lot of money or time. I was so devoted to her and put her needs before mine. I kept telling myself that all of this was for the sake of our relationship and that she was worth it.

But eventually, I started to realize that she was taking advantage of my willingness to please her. She would ask for more favors and gifts and I would always comply, because I was afraid of losing her.

I was too scared to stand up for myself, because I thought that if I said no then she would leave me.

As the years went on, she began to become more and more demanding and I started to feel like I was just a puppet in her hands.

I was so exhausted and drained from all the favors and gifts that I was giving her that I started to wonder if this was really the kind of relationship I wanted to be in.

I was so tired of feeling like I was getting taken advantage of that I finally had the courage to stand up for myself and confront her about it.

But instead of understanding why I was upset and apologizing for her behavior, she just laughed in my face and told me that I was being too sensitive and that I was just lucky to have her in my life.

Because I was so used to it, I just stayed on with her

The worst part was that I had become so used to her taking advantage of me that I just let it pass and stayed in the relationship.

I felt so useless for not standing up for myself and for allowing her to take advantage of me.

Now, I know I should have left her long ago, but the truth is that I was too scared to do it.

I was so afraid of being alone and of being rejected that I stayed in the relationship despite all the pain and suffering it was causing me.

I bought an iPhone on Carousell in which the seller was very non-transparent about. He did not specify that the phone has changed display through a 3rd party, and I only got to know it when I got home after the transaction

I only realised the other issues when I went home but did not ask for a refund because I felt it was my fault for not checking properly

He was super shady throughout (He only accepted payment in cash, and also immediately deleted the listing after the deal. Also, when I asked for a ss of the ‘About’ page, he sent me a cropped ss as he did not want me to see the ‘unknown part’ message).

The phone’s condition and camera everything were functioning fine though (at least that was what I thought atp in time) But ya, stupid me didn’t thought much about all those red flags until I got home.

However, I also knew it was my mistake for not checking the phone thoroughly, so I did not hound the seller for a refund and instead decided to just take responsibility for my own lapses by selling it off. I also knew it was quite impossible he would agree to a refund given his shady attitude.

The unauthentic display part bothered me quite a bit, so I decided to sell it off back on Carousell at the same price. But this time, I made sure I was transparent about the fact that the phone has changed display as I did not want someone else to have the same negative experience as I had.

I provided screenshots of the settings page, the unknown display message, serial number, IMED, etc. A keen buyer came along, asked me many questions about the phone in which I tried my best to answer to my best knowledge of the phone, and I also made it known to him that the display was changed in which he acknowledged.

Came the day of the deal, I had him checked the phone thoroughly. He told me he has an iPhone that also has a changed display but did not affect functionality so he was okay with buying another one that has a changed display too for his wife.

He tested the camera, typing the phone, scrolling, checked the settings page, crosschecked the box’s serial number to that in the ‘About’ page of the phone, etc. Once that’s done, he told me he will buy it and I was happy that I get to earn back my money in an honest manner.

I also don’t feel like giving a refund back to my buyer because I did not ask my seller for a refund and I feel that my buyer should bear the same responsibility as I did

However, a few days later, he texted me saying that the phone’s Face ID is not working (which istg I really did not know of) and from the looks of it, he wants a refund.

But I personally deep down do not want to give a refund as it was not on purpose that I sold the phone to him knowing the Face ID does not work.

I was as transparent as I could be to my best knowledge of the phone’s condition.

Also, I feel that I shouldn’t bear the consequence of him not checking the phone thoroughly as well (since I bore my own from the initial seller).

What happens when you need to attend court?

Context

Got letter from LTA and I need to pay 1.2k in fines in less than a month. I’m not doing well financially now and I highly doubt I can pay it on time. The letter did mention I would have to attend court if I miss the deadline.

I’ve never experience that and don’t personally know anyone who has. What exactly happens when you need to attend court because of not paying fines ? More fines ? I’ve already tried to contact LTA to try to ask for extension but no response yet though I highly doubt they’d do that easily.

Here are what netizens think

• Your financial situation does not absolve you from being held responsible for the offences you’ve committed. If you have been given a court date, for goodness sake attend it no matter what.
  
  If you don’t get to speak with LTA prior to the court date, at least you could directly plead with the judge for leniency or more time to pay. Bring some evidence of your inability to pay.
  
  Try your best in the meantime to make a deal with LTA. They will most likely not waive your fine, but they may reduce it or offer an instalment plan.
  
  I believe you will still need to attend court even if an out-of-court settlement has been reached, but LTA’s lawyers will just inform the judge that they are withdrawing the case against you.
  
  Yours will just be one of many cases being heard at such traffic courts. It’s almost like a “factory production floor”, one after another. But if it’s your first time in court and having to stand in the dock, it can be pretty intimidating.
  
• Try to beg and borrow so you can pay the 1.2k. This is when you redeem all the favors that people have owed you.
  
• I was just in court!! I witnessed many ppl like this. You can explain to the judge + staff there that you are pleading guilty and would like to pay the fine.
  
  However, you would like to request for installment and/or delay of payment and tell the judge your reasons.
  
  The judge will have the power to deduce and override LTA’s timeline. Good luck!

I’ve f-ed up big time, this happened yday, I feel lonely af and i cant seem to get my mind off this.

Here is what happened

Ok so my friend John(M18) told our friend group of like 15 guys, that he had a crush on this girl he’s been talking to for months, Leah(F17) and jokingly stated that he wanted someone to wingman for him. I’ve thought this girl was cute for a while but I (M17) didn’t like her or anything cos i’ve never spoken to her.

idk y i did this, i was thinking with my ‘kkj’, but i thought if she liked him back it would be an opportunity to start a new friendship since John was one of the few dudes in our circle i barely talk to. And if she said no maybe I could hit on her and in like a few months ask her out depending on her personality, so in my mind it was a win win (ik im a terrible friend)

so the day comes i tell Leah that John likes her, she says she likes him as a friend and cant see it going further than that. Idk y but at that moment she suddenly seemed 10x as cute, she just seemed way hotter up close while talking to her.

I tried so hard to make convo asking about her convos w John, how tough school is, how were going to finish school in a yr, etc. she gave me her number and we texted tons for like a week, and she was getting a bit flirty (this whole time i hvnt told anyone about this)

I kid u not, out of the blue, like a f-ing horn dog, also with the fear getting played like John; texting her for months just to be called “nothing more than a friend”. I ask her out in just a WEEK of talking. I was 100% expecting her to say “no” or “its too soon”, but completely unexpectedly she said yes and that she was attracted to me for like months but didnt know how to randomly talk to me.

all this was like 2 weeks back, 2 days back we went for our first actual date for food after school (friday) and then watch a movie and she tagged me on her insta and snap story. John saw the story and he literally ruined my f-ing existence.

He sent the story on the friend grp gc and called me a snake on the class gc. I get it its a bit f-ked i did him like that but i was never really friends w him and what can i do about her seeing him as a friend. now the gc was clowning me for not “respecting the bro code”. I could sense the saltiness from Johns messages and i didnt want him to do anything drastic so i dmed him (biggest f- up of my life)

He kept saying “do you know how this feels, ive liked her for so long and she just goes with another guy w/o second thought”. i somehow managed to create the worst response saying “i didnt mean to hit on her, i never even liked her i was just trying to help u out, I cant help the fact that she sees u as a friend, also she hit on me 1st (this was a lie), and idk if i even like her that much, the relationship probably wont last”, (that was a lie too i think shes the most pretty and sweet girl ive ever talked to and i was so lucky to have her)

idk if he was trying to provoke this response but he sent that response to her. I only said this to calm him down.

Leah dumped me, John blocked me, they kicked me out of the gc. It feels like everything ended at once idk wtf to do. I thought after a day it wud blow over but yday apparently they all went out for football and didnt call me.

4 of my friends from the grp still dm me and are consoling me, telling me it will blow over but if they’re going out w/o me and im not in the grp idt its that small, ive dmed Leah explaining everything but shes ghosting me.

today no ones messaged me, i cant study, i cant work out, my mind feels cluttered, ive lost my friends of 2 years, lost someone i thought i actually loved.

I’ve literally just sat on my bed and stared at the ceiling, im almost tearing up, i feel cornered, idw go to school tom, my life took a complete 180.

When I was diagnosed with an acute case of ulcerative colitis, I was admitted to the hospital for a few days. After the initial shock of being admitted to the hospital, I soon became aware of the poor quality of its food.

As I had been recently released from prison, where I had served a 3-year sentence, I knew exactly how bad prison food could be. What I didn’t expect was the hospital food to be worse than prison food.

At first glance, the hospital food I was served didn’t look too bad. But after the first few bites, I quickly realized that it was not only unappetizing, but it also lacked any nutritional value. The food was bland, overcooked, and often cold. It was no wonder that I was still feeling very weak despite being admitted to the hospital.

To make matters worse, I had to pay a hefty sum for this subpar fare. I was paying thousands of dollars for these meals and yet I was still receiving food that was worse than what I had been served in prison. It was unbelievable.

I just couldn’t understand it. How could the hospital be charging so much for such appalling food?

I was also puzzled by the fact that there seemed to be no accountability for quality. It was as if the hospital was allowed to get away with serving such terrible food because it was a hospital and people were too sick to care.

After my stay, I decided to speak to a few other patients to get their opinion on the hospital food. Much to my surprise, I discovered that I was not alone in my dissatisfaction. Everyone I spoke to had the same opinion: the hospital food was terrible.

One patient told me a story about how his food was so bad that he had to order takeout from outside to keep his strength up. Another patient complained that he had to starve himself because he couldn’t bring himself to eat the hospital food.

It was clear that the hospital food was not meeting the basic needs of the patients. Not only did it lack any nutritional value, but it was also unappetizing and overpriced. It was no wonder that people were so unhappy.

I decided to take my complaint to the hospital management. After listening to my story, they apologized for the poor quality of the food and promised to look into the matter. I was relieved to finally see some action being taken.

However, I still couldn’t help but feel outraged that I had to pay thousands of dollars for such terrible food. It was unjust to expect patients who are already struggling with their health to also have to put up with such subpar food.

 I was so disappointed when I found out my girlfriend had been tracking my whereabouts, using Apple AirTag to monitor my movements. We had been together for three years and I thought we had a great relationship. Little did I know that she was suspicious of me and wanted to know where I was all the time.

It all started when I had to go out of town for a work trip. She was acting a bit strange and seemed a bit distant when I left. I just assumed it was because she was going to miss me, so I didn’t pay much attention to it.

When I got back, I heard a sound from my bag like something was knocking my laptop while I was walking. I thought it was strange, but I didn’t think much of it. That was until I opened it and saw the Apple AirTag inside.

At first, I was confused and didn’t know what it was. Then, I realized that my girlfriend must have planted it in my bag so she could track my movements. I was so angry and hurt that she didn’t trust me enough to just let me go out and have fun without her having to check up on me.

I confronted her and asked her why she felt the need to do this. She said she had been feeling insecure lately and thought that maybe I was going out and seeing other people. I was so mad that she would think I would do something like that, especially after three years of being together.

I tried to explain to her that I hadn’t done anything wrong and that I just wanted to enjoy my vacation. She said she wanted to believe me, but she just couldn’t get over the fact that she had to track me. In the end, I think it was just too much for her and we ended up breaking up.

It’s been a few months since then, and I still can’t get over the fact that my girlfriend felt the need to plant an Apple AirTag in my bag just to track me. It’s such a violation of trust and it really makes me sad that she felt she had to do that.