Never In Her Wildest Dreams

On this day, it seemed like everything was supposed to be easy — the sun was out, the playlist was crazy! and Christy had just made her biggest financial move. She was going to be so rich. The world was her oyster, and she was going to collect the pearls. All thanks to the magic of cryptocurrency.

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Her friends, though were starting to warn her.

"Are you really sure about this, Christy?" Freeda squinted at the screen as if the numbers and graphs looking like candle sticks could somehow tell her lies. "I mean this whole thing sounds and looks a lot suspicious ."

Christy who was beaming with happiness, barely heard her. "Oh please, Freeda. This is a very rare opportunity. You guys are just not seeing the bigger picture! It's really going to the moon! Just watch and see."

The "opportunity" in question was a new crypto token, “ClutchCoin”. It was the hottest update on the market, and Christy had deposited almost all the money she had into it. She had been doing her research, watching TikTok influencers, and taking advice from forums that definitely had no shady motives. She was ready to cash out big time, retire early, and flex with her friends on a yacht.

But as the days went by, Christy noticed her optimism had started to dwindle. The hype and enthusiasm she had actually felt initially began to feel more like a distant memory, and the notifications from the ClutchCoin app had begun to sound less like good news and more like a horrific countdown.

"Christy, have you seen the latest post?" Freeda was leaning over her shoulder now, sitting on the bed with her phone in hand, showing an article that was headlined “ClutchCoin Investor Scam: The Biggest Ponzi Scheme of the Year?”

Christy waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just some haters. People often get jealous when they don’t understand innovation and progress. Trust me, I have done my research.”

It was a Sunny Saturday; the group were hanging out at their usual spot in the love garden later that day, sprawled across the grass with iced bottles of coke in hand. Christy was in her own little world, swiping through the ClutchCoin app as if she could magically scale up the numbers.

“I’m really skeptical, Christy,” said Ferdinand her childhood friend, who had been unusually quiet. “I thought you said this was, like, guaranteed”

“Like I told Freeda earlier, I did my research,” Christy replied, eyes gleaming. “I’m telling you, this is going to be so huge. You’ll definitely see it.”

Freeda, who had been watching steadily Christy’s increasingly stressed face, put down her iced coke. “You know what Christy... we might need to have a serious conversation about this whole thing.”

But Christy didn’t want to listen. She really couldn’t. The idea of being right was already overwhelming her. She had already imagined herself sharing the good news on social media. Flexing the vacation pictures with captions like “#CryptoQueen and #LivingTheDream ”.

The next morning, Christy awoke to a text from Freeda that simply read, “It's over. Check the news.”

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With fear enveloping her, Christy opened her phone, still hoping it was another update about how the coin was skyrocketing. Instead, there it was - her greatest fear. The headlines screamed: “ClutchCoin's CEO Arrested in Global Fraud Scheme, leaving investors with nothing.”

For a second, Christy thought she might be dreaming.

She frantically checked her account. At a glance, she saw the value of her investment - less than one dollar. The app had crashed. Her wallet had vanished into thin air, and all that was left was a nauseating feeling in her throat.

That afternoon, her friends were gathered at her place. No one had to say much or even anything; the news had spread fast.

“So, uh... you were right, I guess,” Christy finally said with her voice so flat as she looked up from her phone. Her eyes locked with Freeda’s, and Christy could practically see the “I told you so” glaring at her.

Zoey looked at her. “Yeah, no jokes. You were so sure about this. Not even one person told you it was a scam, right?”

“I…..I guess I didn’t just listen,” Christy said quietly. “I just thought... I don’t know... that this was it, you know? I thought I was going to prove everyone wrong.”

Ferdinand subtly let out a laugh while trying so hard to console his friend. With a little sigh, he said “Well, looks like the only thing you’re proving now is that humble pie doesn’t really taste that great.”

Christy rolled her eyes, but the words stung so badly. You know, I get it okay. You guys don’t have to rub it in.”

Freeda who was trying to use a softer tone, turned around and faced Christy. “We’re not trying to rub it in, Christy. We just don’t want to see you fall for stuff like this again. I mean, we actually do care about you.”

"I know, okay?" Christy’s voice wavered. "I just wanted to be right so badly, to really have something to show for myself. But now, I'm so broke, and it’s embarrassing.”
A heavy silence followed, but Christy knew she needed to face it. She had made a mistake, like a huge one.

"I guess I really need to eat some humble pie," Christy said, forcing a laugh. "And maybe go back to my savings accounts. I think that's more reliable than all these online investments.”

Freeda smiled. "Not a bad idea. But, you know…., there's still the stock market."

Christy shook her head, smiling bitterly. "No way, Free. I’ll pass on the rollercoaster for now."

The group of friends spent the rest of the afternoon playing games and eating pizza. Their laughter made sure to lift the heavy weight of Christy’s fall from financial grace. She knew she indeed had a very long road ahead of her to rebuild what she had lost which was not just her money, but also her pride. But she still was not alone. And who could tell! Maybe that was the true treasure she needed - friends Indeed.