My coworker asked for $300 one afternoon, her voice trembling just enough to sound urgent.

My coworker Sabrina once asked me for $300, her voice trembling as she said it was for her sick mother. I was struggling myself, but I helped and trusted her promise to repay me in two weeks. Those weeks passed with silence—no money, no explanation. Frustration built, and I rehearsed exactly how I would confront her for lying and disappearing.