{"id":6758,"date":"2026-10-20T20:24:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T20:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/?p=6758"},"modified":"2026-10-20T20:24:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T20:24:20","slug":"a-rich-man-pretended-he-was-critically-ill-to-test-his-broke-girlfriends-love-she-disappeared-for-five-days-but-what-she-did-when-she-returned-made-him-cry-like-a-baby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/?p=6758","title":{"rendered":"A Rich Man Pretended He Was Critically Ill to Test His Broke Girlfriend\u2019s Love \u2013 She Disappeared for Five Days, but What She Did When She Returned Made Him Cry like a Baby"},"content":{"rendered":"

Skyla once left a note on my refrigerator reminding me that coffee wasn\u2019t breakfast. It was all I had left of my broke girlfriend after she disappeared for five days, unaware that the serious illness I\u2019d confessed to was a lie designed to test her loyalty. When she finally returned and placed something before me, I covered my face and cried like a child.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"No<\/p>\n

The first time Skyla watched me throw away a coffee machine, she thought I\u2019d lost my mind. \u201cIt stopped working,\u201d I explained. \u201cDid you try cleaning it?\u201d \u201cI bought another one.\u201d She glanced at the replacement sitting on my counter. \u201cArchie, the old one probably just needed descaling.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t even know what that means.\u201d \u201cClearly.\u201d She brought the discarded machine home.<\/p>\n

Two days later, she sent me a picture showing it working perfectly. FIXED. COST: $4. I burst out laughing. That was Skyla. At twenty-four, she was finishing college while working evening shifts at a restaurant. Her car made an awful sound whenever she turned left. Her laptop needed several minutes to start, and she bought secondhand textbooks while budgeting carefully for groceries after paying rent.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I ran a successful business and came from a wealthy family where checking prices was practically unheard of. We\u2019d been together for nearly two years. Whenever I offered to cover her tuition, Skyla declined. \u201cI need to know I can do this myself,\u201d she\u2019d say. My parents interpreted things differently. One Sunday, Mom questioned whether Skyla understood our family\u2019s wealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s met you, Mom,\u201d I said. \u201cShe knows you\u2019re comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I asked, Archie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dad expressed his concerns more openly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful. Some people know how to wait until you\u2019ve let your guard down.\u201d<\/p>\n

My friends shared similar suspicions.<\/p>\n

One had recently endured a bitter breakup and insisted his former girlfriend had stayed because of his lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour girlfriend\u2019s broke, Archie. You\u2019re telling me she doesn\u2019t see an opportunity?\u201d<\/p>\n

Initially, I defended Skyla.<\/p>\n

Eventually, though, their warnings began influencing my thoughts.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

She\u2019d never requested money.<\/p>\n

Was that because she genuinely didn\u2019t want it?<\/p>\n

Or had she figured out that asking would make me suspicious?<\/p>\n

Once those doubts appeared, I started questioning ordinary gestures.<\/p>\n

When she prepared dinner at my apartment, I wondered whether she was trying to impress me.<\/p>\n

When she remembered an important meeting, I questioned whether she was deliberately keeping me happy.<\/p>\n

One evening, she arrived carrying her unreliable laptop. Its screen flickered whenever she moved it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me buy you a new one,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, thanks. I\u2019ve got a repair appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSkyla, I can afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why won\u2019t you let me?\u201d<\/p>\n

She raised her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I can handle this.\u201d<\/p>\n

I should\u2019ve respected her answer.<\/p>\n

Instead, my father\u2019s warning echoed through my mind.<\/p>\n

A week later, I devised the worst plan of my life.<\/p>\n

I decided to test her.<\/p>\n

I convinced myself that discovering whether she\u2019d stay if I had nothing left to offer was necessary.<\/p>\n

Before she arrived, I practiced my lie inside my car.<\/p>\n

The moment Skyla entered my kitchen, she noticed my expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cArchie? Baby, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

I lowered myself into a chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got some medical results.\u201d<\/p>\n

She dropped her bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of results?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a serious illness.\u201d<\/p>\n

She froze.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctors say I need treatment. Soon. Or else\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She pulled a chair beside me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich doctor? What exactly did they find?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have all the answers yet. I need another appointment before they\u2019ll explain the treatment plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. Okay, that\u2019s fine.\u201d She reached for my hand. \u201cWhatever it is, we\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then I delivered the next part of my story.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe treatment is expensive. More than I can afford.\u201d<\/p>\n

She frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you have insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t cover enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about your parents?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t help this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I mentioned an enormous amount, knowing she couldn\u2019t possibly raise it.<\/p>\n

She repeated the figure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat much?\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded.<\/p>\n

After several seconds of silence, she asked, \u201cHow much time do we have to find it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d expected questions about whether I still had money.<\/p>\n

Instead, she wanted to know our deadline.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

She took out her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we need to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the next two days, Skyla worked almost constantly.<\/p>\n

She researched treatment centers, financial assistance programs, payment arrangements, and second opinions.<\/p>\n

Between classes, she\u2019d call me.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you send me the doctor\u2019s name?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m overwhelmed, Skyla.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let me help with the calls.\u201d<\/p>\n

I claimed I\u2019d already exhausted every possibility.<\/p>\n

She refused to accept that nothing could be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always someone else we can ask,\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n

Yet I continued rejecting every suggestion.<\/p>\n

On the second evening, she arrived with a notebook filled with questions.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u201cArchie, I need you to be straight with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heartbeat quickened.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you actually spoken to anyone about financial assistance?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember every name.\u201d<\/p>\n

She studied my face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re scaring me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned away.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine. I\u2019ll find another way.\u201d<\/p>\n

She shut her notebook and stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if you\u2019re not going to let me help you make calls, I need a little time to see what I can find on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following morning, a message arrived that marked the beginning of her five-day disappearance.<\/p>\n

SKYLA: I\u2019m leaving for five days. Don\u2019t call me.<\/p>\n

I immediately called.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

I texted her.<\/p>\n

Where are you going?<\/p>\n

No response.<\/p>\n

For two days, she\u2019d acted determined to help me.<\/p>\n

Now she\u2019d vanished.<\/p>\n

My father\u2019s warnings returned.<\/p>\n

I imagined her deciding that a seriously ill boyfriend without money wasn\u2019t worth the burden.<\/p>\n

On the second day, I tried calling again.<\/p>\n

Straight to voicemail.<\/p>\n

I nearly contacted my friends to admit they\u2019d been right.<\/p>\n

But something held me back.<\/p>\n

Perhaps embarrassment.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps I couldn\u2019t bear hearing them congratulate themselves.<\/p>\n

On the third day, I noticed a note Skyla had attached to my refrigerator weeks earlier.<\/p>\n

EAT BREAKFAST BEFORE YOUR MEETING. COFFEE IS NOT BREAKFAST.<\/p>\n

Underneath, she\u2019d drawn a ridiculously bad little egg.<\/p>\n

I stood staring at it.<\/p>\n

That small gesture didn\u2019t match the selfish woman I\u2019d imagined.<\/p>\n

Neither did the evenings she\u2019d spent helping me practice presentations.<\/p>\n

Or the afternoon she\u2019d driven across town simply because I\u2019d mentioned feeling lonely.<\/p>\n

None of those gestures had required much money.<\/p>\n

Yet I had barely appreciated them.<\/p>\n

By the fourth day, I felt no satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Instead, I checked my phone hourly.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know where Skyla was.<\/p>\n

But I also recognized that demanding an explanation from her was hypocritical when I\u2019d invented something so serious.<\/p>\n

The realization was uncomfortable, and I kept trying to ignore it.<\/p>\n

Five evenings after her message, I was sitting in my living room when a key turned in the front door.<\/p>\n

Skyla entered, looking utterly exhausted.<\/p>\n

Her hair was tied back carelessly, her jacket wrinkled, and a small wooden box rested beneath her arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

She placed the box on the coffee table.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou disappeared for five days!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI called you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked you not to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any idea what I thought?\u201d<\/p>\n

She met my eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might be frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nearly laughed.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d spent five days silently accusing her of abandoning me.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Skyla opened the wooden box.<\/p>\n

I recognized it immediately.<\/p>\n

It had belonged to her grandmother.<\/p>\n

Its lid was scratched, and someone had glued a damaged corner back together.<\/p>\n

Inside, Skyla preserved her grandmother\u2019s handwritten recipes.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d once described it as the one possession she\u2019d never willingly surrender.<\/p>\n

Now the recipe cards had been shifted aside.<\/p>\n

Beneath them lay a thick stack of papers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is all this?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOptions.\u201d<\/p>\n

She settled onto the couch.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember my grandmother\u2019s friend Meryl? The woman who used to volunteer with patients?\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeryl went through a serious illness years ago. Grandma helped her get to appointments. I remembered she\u2019d worked with a patient-support group afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skyla pulled out a handwritten list.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called her. She said she could help me understand what questions we needed to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou went to see her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe lives a few hours away. I had a break from classes, and my manager approved the time off.\u201d<\/p>\n

She rubbed her tired eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stayed with her. She helped me speak to a patient navigator and find organizations that might know about treatment assistance. I kept my phone off because I knew if you called, I\u2019d spend the whole time worrying instead of getting anything done.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at the documents.<\/p>\n

They contained phone numbers, eligibility requirements, and information about insurance appeals.<\/p>\n

Nothing guaranteed a solution.<\/p>\n

But every page demonstrated how seriously she\u2019d believed my story.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeryl said we need the actual diagnosis and treatment estimate before anyone can tell us what\u2019s available,\u201d Skyla continued.<\/p>\n

She looked directly at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you don\u2019t want to talk about the medical details. But we can\u2019t keep guessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

I lifted the first sheet.<\/p>\n

Her handwriting covered the margins.<\/p>\n

ASK ABOUT SECOND OPINION.<\/p>\n

CHECK WHETHER COST INCLUDES FOLLOW-UP CARE.<\/p>\n

FIND OUT WHAT INSURANCE HAS DENIED IN WRITING.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did all this?\u201d I breathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t find the money, Archie.\u201d Her voice wavered. \u201cI tried to think of something I could sell. But even if I sold everything I owned, it wouldn\u2019t come close.\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached into the box again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Meryl showed me this.\u201d<\/p>\n

She handed me an old recipe card.<\/p>\n

The front explained how to prepare chicken soup.<\/p>\n

On the back, faded handwriting read:<\/p>\n

For the days when neither of us feels brave.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma wrote that for Meryl,\u201d Skyla said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe used to go with her to appointments and write down whatever the doctors said. Meryl told me she couldn\u2019t make the illness disappear, but she could make sure her friend didn\u2019t have to remember everything alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought maybe I could do that for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

She touched the papers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the money you\u2019re asking for. But I found people who might help us understand what comes next.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at the worn recipe card, then at her ink-stained hands.<\/p>\n

Five days of work, all because she\u2019d believed me.<\/p>\n

I tried thanking her, but my voice broke.<\/p>\n

I covered my face and began sobbing.<\/p>\n

Skyla moved closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cArchie?\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head, unable to stop crying.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d she said softly. \u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSkyla, what have you done?!\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached for my hand.<\/p>\n

And suddenly, I understood that allowing her to comfort me without confessing would only deepen my betrayal.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u201cSkyla, I\u2019m not sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no diagnosis. No treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

For an instant, relief crossed her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctors made a mistake?\u201d<\/p>\n

I shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

She withdrew her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cMade what up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of it. I wanted to know whether you\u2019d stay if I couldn\u2019t afford treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her gaze dropped to the documents.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou let me ask strangers how to keep you alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent five days learning how not to leave you alone. And you spent those same five days deciding I\u2019d abandoned you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I reached toward the recipe box.<\/p>\n

Skyla pulled it away.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gathered the papers, returned the old card, and closed the lid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would you do this to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents and friends kept saying you wanted my money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you believed them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI started wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n

She picked up her bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo years, Archie.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could\u2019ve asked me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know\\\u2026 babe\u2026 I\u2019m\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. You don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

She walked out carrying the box.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t follow.<\/p>\n

The next morning, I sent one message apologizing and offering to repay her travel expenses and lost wages.<\/p>\n

She replied that she\u2019d cover her own costs and needed space.<\/p>\n

I respected her decision.<\/p>\n

Then I admitted everything to my parents.<\/p>\n

Mom began, \u201cWell, at least you know she wasn\u2019t after your money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe spent five days trying to save my life. I spent five days deciding she wanted my money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dad insisted I\u2019d merely been protecting myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could\u2019ve been cautious without lying to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither parent argued.<\/p>\n

I began seeing a counselor.<\/p>\n

Weeks passed before Skyla finally contacted me.<\/p>\n

Coffee? Our old diner. Saturday.<\/p>\n

She looked well when she arrived.<\/p>\n

We discussed her classes and Meryl before she eventually set down her cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you still think I\u2019d have left if you really were sick?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

She watched me carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s not why I was wrong,\u201d I continued. \u201cI frightened you because I wanted proof. You never agreed to be tested.\u201d<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if I can trust you again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

She finished her coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we could meet again sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

We began rebuilding our relationship slowly.<\/p>\n

Several months later, Skyla invited me over for dinner.<\/p>\n

She was preparing her grandmother\u2019s chicken soup.<\/p>\n

While I chopped vegetables, she searched through the wooden recipe box.<\/p>\n

Then she handed me a newer card.<\/p>\n

FOR THE PERSON I LOVE.<\/p>\n

On the back was a list she\u2019d written before traveling to Meryl\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

The final instruction read:<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let him forget he\u2019s still Archie, even when he\u2019s frightened.<\/p>\n

I read it twice.<\/p>\n

My eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

Skyla gently took the card and returned it to its place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost threw that one away,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m glad I waited.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for letting me come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen keep giving me reasons to trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, a strange smell drifted through the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Skyla turned toward the stove.<\/p>\n

\u201cArchie. You\u2019re burning it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I grabbed the wooden spoon.<\/p>\n

She stepped aside, allowing me to reach the pan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Skyla once left a note on my refrigerator reminding me that coffee wasn\u2019t breakfast. It was all I had left of my broke girlfriend after she disappeared for five days, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,21,22,1,5,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aita","category-daily-article","category-reddit-stories","category-story","category-story-daily","category-viral-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6758"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6759,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6758\/revisions\/6759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextstoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}