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Earlier, a friend of mine accused me of being ungrateful. This was because when I lost a significant amount of money in gambling, he helped me out. I also supported him several times when he faced losses. However, he continued his reckless behavior, and eventually, I stopped assisting him.
He started spreading the rumor of ingratitude among other friends, and since they were unaware of my previous help, they believed his words. Today, while shopping with my wife, I unexpectedly encountered one of those friends. Initially, I considered pretending not to notice him, as I didn't want to hear any sarcastic comments.
Surprisingly, he approached me and apologized, admitting that he had misunderstood the situation. He informed me that the friend who accused me of ingratitude had disappeared, and nobody knew where he went.
I asked for details about why he left, and it turned out that he had deceived our friends. When talking about me, he portrayed the situation as if I hadn't been supportive enough, framing it as a failure in friendship. They were under the impression that he was in financial trouble due to a failed business, not realizing it was because of gambling.
When they visited his home, they discovered that not only had he left, but his wife had also divorced him. After inquiring further, it was revealed that he owed money due to gambling. His wife mentioned that I had helped him significantly before, but I stopped because I couldn't bear to see him continue his destructive gambling habits.
His wife even warned him to stop gambling, but he ignored her advice, leading to their divorce. Fortunately, the house was in her name; otherwise, she would have lost it as well.
Now, no one knows where he is. Attempts to contact him or his family have been unsuccessful. It's heartbreaking to hear this, especially considering how sternly he had advised me to quit gambling when things were different. |
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