Story

Hello, kind-hearted souls,

I never imagined I’d be writing this, but sometimes life pushes you into corners where you have no voice left — only hope that someone, somewhere, will hear your silent cry.

I’m a 16-year-old girl from India, the daughter of a family burdened by deep financial struggles and endless debt. Since my childhood, I’ve watched my parents fight to give me and my siblings a better life, even as unpaid bills and rent kept piling up. Recently, things became unbearable.

My mother, worn down by stress, started begging me to help ease the burden. She asked me to find a job, even though I’m still just a student. I tried — I tried harder than anyone knows. But every place I applied rejected me because of my age.

And then one day, I finally got a job as an HR recruiter. It wasn’t much, but I believed I could help my family. I worked for a month — day and night — only to find out the company had tricked me. Fake leads, no salary, just wasted time and shattered hope.

I didn’t give up. Another company reached out, promising genuine work. I believed them and worked for 3 months. At the end of those months, they disappeared — no pay, no answers.

By then I was emotionally and financially exhausted. My family’s rent was overdue, and my father, who works abroad, had sent his hard-earned salary home — money meant to cover our basic needs. That’s when a new opportunity came. I was promised I could earn ₹2,200 per day by reviewing hotels on Google. At first, I was even paid small amounts, which built my trust.

Then the real trap began. They asked me to invest small amounts, promising high returns. Since I had none, I borrowed from neighbors. I was desperate — thinking if I could just earn enough, I could clear my father’s debt, pay the rent, and ease my mother’s pain.

But the more I invested, the deeper I sank. They kept demanding more:

*”Your slot is full, add more.”*

*”Just one more payment for taxes.”*

*”After this, you’ll get your full amount.”*

And I believed every word, because I wanted so badly for it to be true. I ended up losing ₹45,000 (about $540) — money that wasn’t just mine, it was my father’s, meant for rent, for my siblings’ school fees, for our survival.

I couldn’t tell my parents — I was terrified. My mother is battling depression. My father works tirelessly abroad to pay off debts. And here I was, the eldest daughter, trying to help and ending up making everything worse.

The fear of losing my education, the fear of being forced into an early marriage because of this — it’s killing me from inside. I wanted to solve my family’s problems, not add to them.

I went to the police, filed complaints with the cyber cell, submitted all evidence, but deep down I know the money is gone. And now the house owner is calling every day, threatening to throw us out. My mother doesn’t know the truth — I couldn’t bear to break her heart.

I’m not asking for luxury, or for a second chance at the money I lost. I just want to return what I owe my family, clear the rent, and hold onto my dreams of completing my studies. I never wanted this life to make me grow up so fast, but it did.

If you’re reading this, please — even a small contribution could help save me, and my family, from drowning.

**Your kindness can help me turn this nightmare around.**

Thank you for reading my story.

— A helpless

daughter, still holding onto hope.

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