I married Ben at 19, and though life seemed perfect—especially with the beautiful home his wealthy family gifted us—I quickly found myself isolated and lonely. Ben worked long hours and studied in the evenings, and my old friends were either in high school or college. That’s when Amber, a girl from my past, started visiting. Her presence was comforting at first, until she brought her friend Melanie to dinner.

Melanie was quiet and disappeared mid-dinner, claiming to have gotten lost on the way to the bathroom. A week later, my wedding earrings—custom-made pearl and diamond drops—were missing. Shortly after, we discovered that Ben’s debit card had been stolen and used at the mall, draining our side account. The card was kept in a drawer, and now it, too, was gone.

Suspecting Melanie, I texted Amber, pretending we had surveillance footage and were filing felony theft charges. Amber tried to play it cool but cracked when I mentioned the footage. Later, she returned with a bag containing my earrings, the debit card, and even a ring I hadn’t noticed was missing. She blamed Melanie but accidentally admitted, “we didn’t even get that much.”

I demanded the names of everyone involved and contacted their parents. Each family agreed to repay the full \$1,200—including overdraft fees—or face criminal charges. Over the following weeks, I received payments in full, while Amber and her friends worked at a local diner to repay their debt.

I never saw Amber again—and finally stopped craving fake friendships.