They Smiled, Hugged Me, and Acted Like They Loved Me, She Says, But Every Word Was a Lie, Every Action a Trap, And They Had Been Slowly Stealing My Money, My Friends, and My Peace of Mind Until I Had Nothing Left But the Realization That I Had Been Played

My name is Sarah Muthoni, and for a long time, I believed that closeness meant safety. I lived in Murang’a town, where I ran a small catering business that depended heavily on trust and relationships. The people closest to me were friends and relatives who constantly showed me affection. They hugged me, laughed with me, and spoke kindly about my future. I believed their love was real. I never imagined that behind those warm smiles was a quiet plan to drain my life piece by piece.

As my business grew, I let them closer. I shared my earnings openly, discussed my expansion plans, and trusted them with handling clients and payments. I believed that involving them was a way of showing love and gratitude. They praised me publicly and defended me when challenges came. What I didn’t see was that every kind word was a cover, and every helpful action was carefully designed to trap me deeper in dependence.…CONTINUE READING