“A school principal, a woman in her 50s, a mother, an educator, a leader…who lost her entire R2.8 million pension to a man she believed she loved. “
“By the time I reached the end of the article, my judgment had turned into stillness. I no longer saw a foolish woman. I saw a version of myself. A version of so many of us. Women who are strong, accomplished, intelligent, yet still human. Still soft in places we don’t always admit. Still hopeful that maybe this time, someone really sees us and chooses us and our children.”
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Here the answers (limited to 500 characters) to the questions around money, power, and glory.
- What was the most expensive sentence in this story? “He convinced her to resign, cash in her retirement, and invest in a business venture.” This is where emotional trust turned into financial loss. R2.8 million disappeared in a single choice shaped by love—or the illusion of it.
- Who paid the bill in this story—and was it with cash, time, or dignity? The school principal paid the bill—with her pension (cash), her trust (dignity), and likely years of healing (time). The emotional cost far outweighed the financial one.
- If money didn’t matter, would this story even exist? No. The betrayal cuts deeper because money was involved. Without the pension loss, it might have just been heartbreak. Money made it devastation.