Instant Carma’s Gonna Get You: Turning the Tables on My Scammer
In the first part of this series, I documented how a charlatan tricked me into selling my late beloved Michael’s car for thousands of dollars below its value.
Next, I conducted a postmortem of the con, analyzing the mistakes that led to my getting hustled. I then mapped those to the broader context of propaganda, observing how the same errors in judgment cause people to get duped by the mainstream media.
I now present the astounding conclusion to this saga. If you haven’t yet read I Made a Lot of Mistakes: All Things Go, All Things Go, it’s worth taking a few moments to do so as it will deepen your appreciation for this unexpected turn of events.
Instant Carma’s Gonna Get You: Turning the Tables on My Scammer
If you’ve ever been conned, you know the morning-after regret stings the most. That’s why parents always say to sleep on big decisions—especially when it comes to buying and selling high-ticket items.
Apocaloptimist that I am, I didn’t wallow in remorse after realizing a master manipulator had suckered me out of thousands of dollars when he bought the car Michael and I had spanned time with for twenty years of our marriage.
Like Richard Hoover—the father in our favorite film, Little Miss Sunshine—says after discovering the book deal he’d pinned his family’s livelihood to fell through, I thought, “I’m gonna fix this.”
In my rosy-cheeked Pollyannaism, I wrote the scammer a text, starting off with:
I woke up feeling pretty awful today and suspect maybe you did a bit, too, because you seem like a decent person with a big heart who knows when something’s not right. The beautiful thing is you can still do something about it.
You can read the whole thing here, but the gist is I plumbed the shallows of his soul for a conscience.
I didn’t find one.
Big surprise, I know.
After a few hours of silence, I filed a police report. The officer listened empathetically as I provided details about the swindling, having stunned me early in the call when he revealed he had been one of the 911 responders on the scene the morning of Michael’s fatal heart attack.
The officer couldn’t do anything about the chicanery since I’d received valid cash and signed the bill of sale. He said I might be able to pursue a civil lawsuit, which I wasn’t about to waste time and resources doing.
I figured that was the end of this costly lesson and I would never hear from the car scammer again.
I was wrong.
Twenty-five days after I’d sent that text appealing to his phantom conscience—and just moments after I’d published A Tale of Two Scams in which I documented how two dear relatives had fallen prey to psychopathic swindlers as a preamble to sharing my own experience—the scammer messaged me.
The following texts appeared on my screen:
Hey sweetie it’s Michael the guy that bought the neon from you is there any way we can meet to have the paper notarized so I can get it transferred at your soonest convenience
Any bank dose it for free
Sweetie 😂
I did not respond. I instead called the non-emergency police line and updated the police report. I spoke to a different officer this time. He tried to help me strategize about next steps. He couldn’t answer my main question, though, which was what paperwork the scammer might need notarized.
So I decided to call the DMV. I never thought I’d say this unsarcastically, but God bless the DMV.
After I’d been on hold for forty-five minutes, a man named Brian answered my call. I explained the situation and asked if he could help me figure out which document needed notarizing.
Brian looked up the vehicle identification number (VIN) and started asking me questions. Once he determined Michael’s name was on the title but there was no survivorship in place, he said, “We need a release of information for each of you.”
He then directed me to the inheritance affidavit form, explaining that document had to be signed by me and notarized before the transaction was complete.
Flabbergasted, I asked him if the car sale had been legal.
“It is a legal transaction, but it’s not complete,” he said.
Brian then explained I was still the legal owner of the car.
It didn’t matter that I had signed the bill of sale or even that I had filed a document reporting the sale to the DMV.
Without that signed and notarized inheritance affidavit, the car still legally belonged to me.
That is when I knew Michael had my back.
I’d had a few weeks to mull over my mistakes and draw hard-won wisdom from them, and then I got a do-over.
This time, I would get it right.
While I’d been on hold with the DMV earlier, I texted my wise and wonderful wingwoman, holistic coach, and heart-sister Meredith Miller.
She advised:
“Hey sweetie” sounds like the way a psychopath would love bomb to get something he wants. I don’t know what he really wants. The police officer doesn’t know about the notary thing which is weird and also his attitude is comply so the abuser leaves you alone. As you know compliance doesn’t end abuse. He still knows where you live. I don’t know if this is all he wants and will go away. If you decide to meet him you should show up with 2-3 men. Not women. He should know that you have men in your life and even better if they look rough around the edges.
I would go on to keep Meredith apprised of each new development over the ensuing days, vetting my communications and next steps through her.
After informing her about the jaw-dropping revelation that I still legally own the car, I told her:
I am now in a position to negotiate for the KBB value I expected or even more if he really wants to keep the car.
Meredith noted:
It’s a tough situation and I agree listening to your intuition is important.
On the one hand this could be a perfect opportunity for him to pay you more for the car, though on the other hand looking at the subtle red flags he is likely not to have a functioning conscience.
I told her:
I think if I got what I felt was a fair value instead of feeling like I was ripped off, that would definitely help me let go of this.
She sagely observed:
That would be very nice but I think the deeper reason this is bothering you has more to do with processing the grief of the loss of Michael and releasing yourself from the blame that is hiding a layer above the grief. If he pays you what the car so worth, you’ll still need to process the emotional residue because it will keep popping up with different faces and circumstances.
I acknowledged the wisdom of her insight:
Of course, that makes sense. I also just regretted that I had allowed myself to be duped and had ignored all the red flags because I so badly wanted his story to be true.
Meredith elaborated:
Which is also related to the unmetabolized pain. I want to emphasize a couple things. This guy either does not have a conscience or it is malfunctioning yet there’s nothing you can do about that part. Also when you make emotional appeals to him like that letter, you’re simply revealing to him that you’re bringing all those emotions to the table and that shows him an opportunity to take advantage of your vulnerability.
I agreed:
Great points, and yes, I was planning to be much more succinct and businesslike in my communications.
Meredith gave me my marching orders:
Businesslike and zero emotions. That’s challenging because this is a very raw emotional point for you. That’s why it’s important to let yourself realize where your motivations are coming from so you don’t end up subconsciously reacting to him like when he told you his story.
I remembered that advice when the scammer sent two more texts that evening:
Hey Margaret I am not sure if you got my message but if you can please get back to me
I know you work graveyard so if you can just get back to me when you can
I suggested I wait till the next day to respond, and Meredith liked that idea:
Mmhmmm he’s in a big hurry when HE wants something from you.
Let him sweat, baby! 😅
Do not answer the door if he shows up. Even if he knows you’re home.
That’s super creepy he knows your schedule BTW.
I agreed but clarified:
The reality is it fluctuates radically, so right now, for example, I’ve been up for almost 28 hours(!), minus a 25-minute nap I took this morning.
The next morning, just over twenty-four hours after he’d sent his “Hey sweetie” message, I texted the scammer:
I spoke with a DMV agent and understand the document you want notarized is the inheritance affidavit (Form #516). He looked up the VIN # and informed me the car is still legally mine until that document is signed and notarized.
Since we’ll be meeting at the bank, you can bring an additional $4,500 to complete the transaction. It’s still well below market value but is closer to the correct Kelly Blue Book value per our negotiation.
Once you confirm, I’ll let you know where and when to meet.
He immediately replied:
Can you please give me a call
A minute later, he called 😆
I did not answer. I had already decided all communications with him would be written, so if he wanted me to respond, it would have to be via text.
When I told Meredith about his call, she said:
I would just put him on ice and not respond. Let him text you.
I confess to enjoying this delicious turnabout. I turned on the ice-maker.
Stacy, the friend who’d helped me fix up the car for sale, had asked her brother to serve as one of my bodyguards. After I talked with the brother, I told Meredith:
[He] was next door working on his car, so I was able to exchange #s to coordinate on the bank meeting when the time comes. He was very sympathetic and is absolutely perfect for the rough around the edges look—beard, a few missing teeth, some muscle, greasy fingernails from working on cars, probably has some tattoos, but I didn’t notice.
Oh, and he’s a smoker and wears his pants like a thug, hanging down w/o a belt 😆
She said:
Sounds perfect for the job!
Stacy later told her brother I thought he was a perfect fit for the rough-edged look, and he said, “That’s cool she thinks I look like a badass.”
I shared something else with Meredith I’d learned from Stacy’s brother:
[He] thinks the same guy was trying to buy his uncle’s Dodge Durango truck a while back, which, if true, is yet another nail in the coffin of his story. He seems to focus on Dodges as he and his brother drove a Dodge Charger.
I then told her:
I’m going through the security camera footage from that day and just came across a clip where the brothers are talking while I’m in the house. I’m pretty sure his brother says, “If we get ten for it”—in other words, evidence they’re planning to flip it.
Three days after his attempted call, the scammer dropped a new round of texts:
Look we need to get this situated I have a bill of sale saying you sold the car to me the car is being repaired it needed 4100 dollars with the paint and body damage on the car
And that’s not even including the other repairs like gaskets and fluids the car needed from not being used
I’m not a hard person to work with sweetie
I had told you that before anything how do you expect so much money for something that needs work I paid you for the car as is
Again with the “sweetie.”
I refilled the ice bucket.
Then I shared his texts with Meredith and gave her my assessment:
Here’s my thinking on his psychology—LMK if this sounds right. He is a professional con man who is accustomed to swindling people out of thousands for cars. He is used to using his social manipulation skills to get what he wants and make the recipient feel good in the process, so he’s not used to people realizing they’ve been scammed. He wants to stay out of legal and criminal trouble so does everything above board. He didn’t count on Michael having my back in this case.
I don’t think he is a violent threat to me as this is not about a personal interest in me but just making bucks off of vulnerable people.
What he wants is to take care of this easily, sell the car, and move on.
I have some ideas about how to approach this, again businesslike and just very pragmatic showing it is in his best interests to agree to my terms.
Meredith concurred with my analysis and asked if I knew anyone who sells cars I could consult. That turned out to be an ingenious recommendation as the car dealer friend I texted—I’ll call her Cathy—wound up providing inside knowledge and strategic tips for negotiating that helped me navigate the subsequent communications. She was to become my second wingwoman.
After got off the phone with Cathy, I shared the latest revelations with Meredith:
I’m so glad you had me call the dealer because she (Cathy) was *awesome* and gave me so much helpful info.
She said, “Yeah, he defrauded you completely. The Fair Purchase Price, the fair market range, is $8,700–11,000.”
She said, “He can’t do anything with the car unless you sign that.”
She said he can’t get it registered without the inheritance affidavit, and it is illegal to sell the car without registration.
She also said, “Obviously, he’s a curber, so he’s not that bright.” 😆
“A curber, if they get caught, their first fine is like $10,000, and then it goes up to $20,000.”
I asked, so it would be illegal if he sells it without that? And she said, “Completely and 100 percent because he doesn’t have the correct documents to sell it.”
“It is illegal to buy a car and resell it without registering it.”
She explained what she meant by curbers: “They pull out a wad of cash … give you a sad story, ‘It’s going to my daughter.’ Then they turn around, and they list it for sale, and they sell it within a day or two, without getting it registered.”
She also said, “People are mean. They’re just ruthless. They live like that.”
A bit later, I texted Meredith:
Ok, just talked to Cathy, and she saved my butt again. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a problem that our registration was lapsed when I sold the car, and she said that’s no problem, she buys cars with expired registrations all the time. Then she told me I’d better get it back on my insurance because if anything happens with the car, I’m liable for it, so I’m on the phone with my insurance company right now to add liability insurance for it.
Done! $28.64 to add liability coverage for it through July 😅😁
Meredith replied:
Oh smart!! Crossing the t and dotting the i!!
This is all amazing news. You have so much leverage. Now before we get into details it’s very important that you don’t make him think he has nothing to lose. A sociopath with nothing to lose is dangerous and will go nuclear.
I asked:
So wouldn’t saying he can still profit off of it based on the market value address that concern?
Meredith suggested:
Yes and also letting him know that you just want the 4k deposited and verified by the bank (since he already tried defrauding you with the fake KBB) and he can have the document and you won’t pursue this legally. You’re willing to walk away with 4k which is a lot less than the $10k-20k fine for curbers.
I also let her know:
Cathy had me change money order to cash because the bank can verify cash immediately, but it takes 3 days to verify a money order. So the plan is I deposit the cash, and once it’s successfully deposited, I will sign the document.
In addition to Meredith and Cathy, I had consulted a brilliant attorney friend. He weighed in from the legal angle and was willing to serve as leverage if I needed to play the civil lawsuit card, which I was holding in reserve.
Throughout the process, I had also benefited from input and moral support from my mom; Michael’s and my best friend; and Stacy.
After consulting Stacy, I told Meredith:
Stacy had a brilliant point along the lines of what you said about him going nuclear and suggested adding the option for him to return the car, saying “maybe giving him two options might not be a bad idea cuz sometimes people like that can respond and very bad way when being pushed especially with legal consequences.”
Meredith loved that idea:
That’s a great idea! It’s giving him a choice. Either choice he makes is good for you.
After Meredith, Cathy, Stacy, and I fine-tuned my negotiating text to perfection, I told Meredith what Cathy and Stacy had said about her:
Cathy said, “Agreed Meredith is right” 😁
And Stacy said, “I like Meredith already sounds like a very smart woman” 😁
Meredith said:
Haha this has been a productive joint effort!
I told her:
I know—all us ladies getting justice on behalf of the scammed!!
I’m still waiting for [my attorney friend] to okay the latest draft, but I think I’ll wait till morning to send regardless as I feel safer sending during the daytime than at night.
Meredith agreed, and I added:
Plus, it gives him more time to squirm 😆
When I told Cathy how much Meredith and I appreciated her contributions and that we were getting justice on behalf of the scammed, she said:
Exactly!! We r not taking it anymore. And 😊
Stick together
The scammer had sent his last message saying “how do you expect so much money” at 12:05 pm. At 1:49 pm, he texted “Hello” with a “?” followed by another question mark three hours later.
By the next morning, his panic was palpable. He messaged:
Are you getting my messages
I need this resolved
I waited a couple more hours.
At 11:59 am, I sent him the following carefully crafted message, which had been vetted by Meredith, Cathy, and my attorney friend and edited by Meredith to remove confrontational language calling him out on his con:
The amount I proposed to conclude the transaction brings the total to the correct KBB value, which is what I had said I would sell the car for. It is actually $141 under the private party value of $9,141, so you’re getting a deal.
I calculated the KBB value based on 29k miles and included “Major damage” on the right rear passenger side and “Minor damage” on the front bumper. I chose Very Good because that was the descriptor that matched the actual condition of the car, whereas Good says it has mechanical damage, which it did not other than common maintenance items like the gaskets you mentioned. You presented me with a fraudulent estimate.
On April 10, after you failed to respond to my text giving you an opportunity to make things right, I filed a police report and submitted evidence that I had been defrauded.
Amazingly, the officer who took my report had been on the scene when I called 911 for Michael’s heart attack. He remembered that morning, and he remembered me, and he has taken a personal interest in this case.
You may be unaware that I have security cameras covering every inch of my property, even out to the street, so they not only captured our negotiations that afternoon but also your black Dodge Charger. I submitted stills of both you and [your brother] with my police report as well as footage indicating intent to defraud.
The bill of sale is irrelevant because the sale is not completed until the inheritance affidavit is signed and notarized. Since I am still the legal owner, you cannot register the vehicle without that document, and it is illegal to resell it without registration.
If you want to profit off of it, your only option would be to do so illegally, which is not such a great idea considering the police already have your and [your brother]’s details as well as those of the SRT-4, which as you know would be very easy to spot because it is so unique.
A car dealer friend suggested I list it on eBay for $22,500. This is a rare, highly desirable car, and it is even rarer to find one with so few miles on it, so you can still wind up ahead after paying the additional $4,500 to meet the actual KBB value.
When you examine it from all the angles—legal, criminal, and financial—you’ll see I am offering you a generous way to close the transaction amicably. You get to walk away, no questions asked.
Let me know by Monday at noon if you agree to pay me $4,500 in cash to complete the transaction. I will then provide the meeting details and deposit it at the bank before signing the paperwork.
Another option would be to return the car. Your call.
Six minutes later, he replied:
I understand your situation Margarret but look I get what your saying totally I don’t wanna profit on the car I’m trying to get it all up and going I’m willing to work with you you know I’m not a bad guy can you at least help me out and ill give you $2000 dollars and we can consider it done deal
I’m not trying to make this situation get out of control I just want both of us to be happy
Please if you can do me that favor
Favor 😂
Cathy and Meredith had different views on how to—or whether to—respond to this.
Cathy said:
Don’t negotiate just facts
And don’t answer for a few hrs if at all
He knows he’s screwed
I asked if the verbiage I had proposed sounded okay, and Cathy replied:
Sure but why even bother answering?
He has the terms
He just is trying to manipulate u ...again
There’s an unspoken rule in negotiations and with attorneys...
The one doing the most talk usually looses
So silence is better
It’s actually so hard to do but usually they keep digging a deeper hole
U r not obligated the answer. He knows the terms he’s just trying to work on your emotions and feelings... I’m not a bad guy etc
Yup seee my point exactly
He knows he can’t do anything but pay u
I told Cathy:
Here’s what Meredith thinks, bearing in mind my safety since he knows where I live, and she’s trying to prevent me from triggering a narcissistic injury: “I think you need to state your final offer and then go silent if he continues to message you with anything other than agreement.”
Cathy replied:
This isn’t a negotiation it’s not an offer. He knows the terms
I shared an additional caution from Meredith:
She also said, “You gotta give these people some kind of small sense of control (meaning 2 choices both which are in your favor) and a small sense of win. Otherwise they usually don’t cooperate.”
Cathy still felt silence was best:
Saying that he can return the car makes it sound like u r giving his $$ back
I’m still going with silence is your answer
But u have to decide for yourself. Hard not to answer.
😊❤️
I filled Cathy in on Meredith’s rationale:
Hmm, Meredith just added a new wrinkle: “Personally I would make it clear that’s the final offer with the final text so he doesn’t think I’m thinking about his offer. Then I’d go silent until and unless he agrees to the full terms of my offer.”
She added, “I think he thinks you’re bluffing because he assumes people are stupid and he’s smarter than them.”
She just said: “If you’re gonna respond I would do it ASAP and not drag it out. Shows you’re not even considering it.”
Cathy came up with a compromise:
Just resend the original text with the terms . Not a new text
Nope
I told her:
I love it, thank you. The short text w/ the terms restated and then silence until he agrees.
That feels right to me.
Five hours later, I texted my distilled message to the scammer:
$4,500 cash to complete the transaction.
The next day, he responded:
Hey sorry I got caught up yesterday
Okay let’s just get this over with il give you the $4500 to get this situation fixed il see if tomorrow works for me
Three hours later—after arranging for three rough-edged guy friends to accompany me per Meredith’s earlier advice—I texted him:
Okay, I’ll meet you inside the lobby at the [bank name] on [address] at 4 pm tomorrow, Monday. You bring the $4,500 cash along with your portion of the inheritance affidavit filled out. Once I deposit the cash, I’ll sign the form and have it notarized.
A few minutes later, he said:
Okay I’m not 100% il be able to meet tomorrow il let u know by today if not before 4 tomorrow if that’s okay
I gave him a deadline of 10 am the next morning:
Let me know by 10 am tomorrow. I will be making an appointment with the notary.
In a last-minute power play, he texted less than two minutes before the 10 am deadline:
Hey todays not gonna work
I’m gonna be running some errands and don’t wanna miss the appointment so il get back with u later today to reschedule
I made more ice.
Two days passed. I wondered if he was going to try to pull something. Then these texts arrived:
Hey I have your cash and everything
Was wondering how soon can we meet ?
I replied:
I can do tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:00 @ [bank] on [street]. Once you confirm, I’ll schedule with the notary.
He said:
That’s fine
I thumbs-upped his message and began preparations for the bank meet-up the next day.
I confirmed the time with the rough-edged guys I’d lined up—Trevor, the tall neighbor who had been so upset when he found out I’d been ripped off, along with Stacy’s brother and his friend, also a neighbor.
The next day, I donned one of Michael’s samurai shirts, which features a Miyamoto Musashi quote that reads, “The Way is in training.”
I wore this with ripped jeans, an Étienne Aigner (a bookbinder-turned-fashion-designer Michael had discovered and who instantly became my favorite designer) hat I’d found for $10, and black clogs.
I sent a pic to Meredith, asking:
Is this outfit okay? I wanted to wear one of Michael’s shirts so picked out a samurai one with a Musashi quote and artwork. I’ve since changed into black clogs with a little height and strong toes for shit-kicking 😹
No jewelry except my bloody guillotine earrings 😆
Oh, and my yin-yang pendant and rings, but I don’t think of them as jewelry since I’m always wearing them.
She approved, having previously cautioned me not to wear a dress so I wouldn’t look vulnerable:
You look great!! Love you woman!
Go get em, tiger!
Just before that, Meredith and I’d had an exchange that led me to remember Thirteen, a BBC mystery series Michael and I had watched years ago. The most memorable thing about it is the wicked theme song In Your Dreams by Dark Dark Dark:
I decided to play it, telling Meredith:
These lines seem appropriate for today, “Don’t say nothing, no / I can see when you’re lying, oh.”
Got me dancing, so that’s good energy for today 😁
Stacy accompanied me to the bank, but she stayed in the car as Meredith had warned not to bring any women. Stacy served as the point person, relaying my texts to the guys, who had each arrived in separate vehicles and were waiting near the bank door.
I got there early and sat down at the notary’s desk, waiting for the scammer.
At 4:03 pm, he texted:
I’m running a few minutes behind
I’m stopping to my house to grab the paperwork be there asap sorry
In a classic narcissist move, he made one more attempt to regain control, but once again, it boomeranged back on him.
The extra time gave me a chance to explain the whole story to the notary, whose eyes grew wider with each new detail. She alerted the teller so he could make doubly sure the cash was valid once the scammer gave it to me. I also asked her to make certain he put his full name and address on the paperwork.
I later told Meredith:
While I was talking to the notary, she asked how Michael died, so I started crying while telling her about that morning, but then she gave me some Kleenex, and I told her I had to clean up so he wouldn’t know I’d been crying because I had to look strong.
I actually felt completely at ease the whole time and wasn’t nervous at all.
She was telling me about a relative who had a heart attack and then another one died a few days later, and they had to do a double funeral. So tragic 💔💔
She was so empathetic, and we had a really lovely conversation. I’m glad I got that extra time to talk to her.
Meredith said:
Amazing how angels are put in the path when and where we need them.
I told Meredith:
I feel like this whole experience has been that way!! 😇😇😇
Even the scammer taught me some incredibly valuable lessons I will never forget and will share with others to hopefully help spare them from being scammed.
I continued talking with the notary. Nearly twenty minutes after our appointment, the scammer texted:
5 minutes away
At 4:27 pm, he messaged:
I’m here
Outside see you in the bank ?
In the last text I would send him, I replied:
I’m in the bank
He tumbled into the bank, looking—as the notary observed—like he’d just rolled out of bed. Dressed in an oversized shirt and ivory sweats, he glanced around nervously.
He apologized awkwardly before presenting the wad of cash, which I then took to the teller and deposited.
I returned to the notary desk. He asked anxiously, “Are we good?”
“Yeah,” I said.
We began filling out our respective portions of the inheritance affidavit form. I told him I want to make sure he puts his address on there. He did.
He cracked a couple jokes, and I laughed at one of them. The tension dissipated a bit. He offered to send me pictures of the car once it was fixed up. I knew he wouldn’t but thanked him for the offer.
As we were shaking hands after completing the paperwork, I said, “You know, with your skills, you could really do some good in the world.”
“I know,” he said softly while looking down at his shoes.
We walked out of the bank together, and he watched as I approached the group of tough guys waiting for me outside the bank.
I said reflexively, “See you later,” then caught myself and added, “Well, maybe not.” We both laughed.
I later told Meredith:
When I was planting that seed about doing good, I had this StoryCorps video in the back of my mind. I think it’s bad advice for dealing with narcissists/psychopaths and no woman should do it especially, but it makes me tear up, and I still think it’s a freaking beautiful story:
In the video, social worker Julio Diaz shares what happened when a teenager robbed him at knifepoint:
I just gave him my wallet, told him, “Here you go.”
He starts to leave, and as he’s walking away, I’m like, “Hey, wait a minute, you forgot something. If you’re gonna be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”
So he’s looking at me like, “What’s going on here? Why are you doing this?”
And I’m like, “Well, I don’t know man. If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was go get dinner, and if you really wanna join me, hey, you’re more than welcome.”
So I’m like, “Look, you can follow me if you want.”
The teenager joins him for dinner, where he is surprised by how nice Julio is to everyone and that everyone knows and appreciates him.
Julio asks:
“Haven’t you been taught you should be nice to everybody?”
So he’s like, “Yeah, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way.”
So I just asked him, “In the end … what is it that you want out of life?”
He just had, almost a sad face. Either he couldn’t answer me, or he didn’t want to.
The bill came, and I looked at him and I’m like, “Look, I guess you’re gonna have to pay for this bill because you have my money and I can’t pay for this, so if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”
He didn’t even think about it. He’s like, “Yeah, okay, here you go.”
So I got my wallet back, and I gave him twenty dollars for it. I figure maybe it’ll help him, I don’t know.
When I gave him the twenty dollars, I asked him to give me something in return, which was his knife, and he gave it to me.”
After watching the video, Meredith said:
That’s a very dangerous assumption he made. I’m glad it worked out for him in that situation but I don’t recommend it.
I told her those were my thoughts exactly. I still can’t help loving that story, though.
Maybe the scammer will reconsider his vocation and put his skills to better use, who knows.
Whatever path he chooses, I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to learn a painful but necessary lesson. I feel stronger, savvier, and more empowered after having corrected what I felt was a horribly stupid mistake.
At the conclusion of this experience, I remember writing a friend, “The Universe has a way of balancing things out. Call it Carma.”
I hear Michael saying the phrase he reserved for the moments when he was most proud of me, an expression that carried all the more weight considering how sparingly he doled out praise: “That’s my girl.”
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) came to mind as I reflected on what felt like Michael’s gentle hand guiding me through this bitter but ultimately sweet life lesson, like a ray of sunshine illuminating the path toward grace.
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
by John Lennon & Yoko Ono of the Plastic Ono Band
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love
What on earth you tryin’ to do
It’s up to you, yeah you
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin’
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughin’ at fools like me
Who in the hell d’you think you are
A super star
Well, right you are
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Ev’ryone come on
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Ev’ryone you meet
Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you’re ev’rywhere
Come and get your share
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on
Yeah yeah, alright, uh huh, ah
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
On and on and on on and on
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
© Margaret Anna Alice, LLC
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 | A guest post by
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Michael left you stronger than you realized. Bravo!
Such a gratifying final chapter to this saga Margaret. Congrats to you for seeing it through and getting the support you needed. (I noted to myself I probably would not have done what you did - wanting to avoid entanglement with him - but then of course, I'd have missed the opportunity to turn the tables while also turning a story of being duped in to a story of triumph.)
Universe clearly had your back - Inheritance form? Twist!
Very impressive all around, including the serious support group you had - Wow. Thanks for sharing. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgivings. 💝