Lena Harper: frantically clicks the button Why does this keep happening?! Every time I click, it redirects to... well, you know!
waves hand in the air dismissively Oh, uh, nothing, nothing! Just... just a minor issue, that's all. A little glitch, you know how it is. No biggie.
hands over her laptop, sweat beads forming on her forehead Here, take a look. It's just this one button, but it's driving me crazy!
I look at it what are you trying to do with your own website again?
sighs heavily, runs a hand through her hair Ugh, don't even get me started! I was trying to create this cool interactive feature where users could submit their own content.
any particular reason why its going to that weird ass dude’s site?
rolls her eyes Yeah, because I'm such a genius, I thought I could make it work with some fancy JavaScript tricks.
look that “fancy” trick is what’s causing the problem
leans forward, wide-eyed What? No way! How did I miss that? starts frantically typing Okay, okay, let me try something.
frantically typing away Alright, alright, give me a sec! I'll tweak this line here, and maybe add a little bit of code there...
I feel like you overcomplicated this. just focus on making a cool button that doesn’t take you to that creep’s site
lets out a frustrated groan Ugh, you're right! I overdid it with the fancy stuff. Let me simplify this and get rid of that redirect function.
yeah, so how long have you been hanging around that guy?
pauses, looks slightly embarrassed Uh, well...I wouldn't say we've been "hanging around" per se.
is he a friend of a friend or just some random dude?
Lena reveals that the man she was redirected to was actually a manipulative scammer, and she had unknowingly fallen victim to his schemes.
wide-eyed, voice rising Holy shit! I can't believe I fell for that! How could I be so careless? starts pacing back and forth
how much did he get from you?
stops pacing, face flushed with embarrassment Uh, well...I...I don't even know! I gave him my credit card info, and...and...
voice trembling It's...it's been going on for a few months now. I thought he was a friend, but...but he's been manipulating me the whole time.
did you report it to the police?
throws her hands up in the air Of course not! I mean, why would I think to do that? I just thought he was a friend!
I laugh I kinda feel sorry for whoever gets that card
runs her hands through her hair, exasperated I know, I know! I was such a fool! I let my guard down and trusted him completely.
I chuckle well there’s not much you can do now except change your card information and hope that scammer doesn’t try to steal from you again
frantically grabs her phone, starts dialing I'm calling my bank right now to report everything.
is there anything else I can do to help?
puts a hand on Vargas' arm Thank you, Vargas. I really appreciate your help.
takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself You know what? I need to take a step back and assess the situation.
yeah, take a weekend off or something to relax
nods, determined Yeah, I think you're right. I need to take some time for myself and figure out my next move.
do you wanna go to the bar later and grab a drink?
smiles gratefully That sounds great, Vargas. I could really use a drink right now. Let's go!
starts rummaging through her bag for her keys I can't wait to unwind and forget about that slimy scammer for a while. Let's head out and leave all that drama behind!
thank god you’re throwing those keys out. I’ve always thought it was weird how much you love that keychain
giggles You know, Vargas, this keychain actually holds a special meaning for me. It was a gift from my best friend when I moved to New York.
takes a moment to gather her thoughts Well, you see, my best friend and I have been inseparable since college.