COIN TOSS

COIN TOSS

Page 1

Jonas sat behind his cluttered desk, staring blankly at the pile of documents before him. The small cubicle he occupied in the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sta. Elena felt suffocating today. The fluorescent lights flickered above, adding to his growing frustration.

"Hey, Jonas, you good?" It was Kristian, his officemate. The only person who seemed to notice how drained he looked.

"Yeah, just... the usual." Jonas forced a smile. But the truth was, his mind wasn't on work. His thoughts were consumed by his financial struggles. His salary barely covered rent, groceries, and the tuition fees for his younger brother.

"You look beat, man," Kristian said, sliding a chair over. "Maybe you need a break?"

Jonas sighed. "I wish a break could pay my bills."

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Page 2

At lunch, Jonas sat with his friends: Jan-Jan, Jules, and Badong. The cafeteria was buzzing with conversations, but Jonas remained silent, nibbling on his food.

"Jonas, you’ve been quiet for days now," Jules pointed out. "What’s up?"

Jonas hesitated. He didn’t like talking about his financial issues, but these guys were his friends.

"Just trying to figure out how to make ends meet," Jonas finally admitted. "My salary isn’t enough anymore."

"That’s rough, man," Badong said, shaking his head. "But don’t worry, there’s always a way."

Jan-Jan leaned in, lowering his voice. "Have you ever considered doing something online? I heard you can make good money there."

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Page 3

That night, Jonas lay in bed, scrolling through his phone. His friends' words echoed in his mind. He typed in "how to make money online" into the search bar. Hundreds of options flooded his screen: online selling, content creation, freelance work, affiliate marketing.

He spent hours reading articles and watching videos, but everything felt overwhelming. Could this really work?

"Maybe I should just stick to what I know," he muttered to himself.

But the bills piling up on his kitchen table told him he had no choice but to try.

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Page 4

The next morning, Jonas was at his desk again, but this time, his focus was elsewhere. As soon as he completed a report, he opened his laptop and started signing up for online platforms. He created accounts on freelancing sites, looked into dropshipping, and even explored cryptocurrency trading.

"You’re really doing it, huh?" Kristian said, peering over his shoulder.

"Yeah, man. I have to," Jonas replied, determination in his voice. "If I don’t try, I’ll never know."

Kristian patted him on the back. "Good luck, brother. Just don’t lose yourself in it."

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Page 5

Days turned into weeks. Jonas juggled his work at the LGU and his online ventures. He started writing freelance articles in his spare time and tried his hand at selling products on an e-commerce site. But despite his efforts, the money trickled in slowly.

"Any luck so far?" Jan-Jan asked over coffee during their break.

"Some, but it’s not enough," Jonas admitted. "I’m barely making extra cash."

"You need patience, man. These things take time," Jan-Jan said, but Jonas was growing impatient. Time wasn’t on his side, and his debts were catching up.

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Page 6

Jonas was sitting at his desk late one afternoon when his phone buzzed. It was JunJun, an old friend from college.

"Jonas! Long time, no talk. I heard you’ve been looking for ways to make money online."

"Yeah, I’ve been trying a few things," Jonas replied, curious about the call.

"Listen, man, I’ve got this opportunity for you," JunJun said excitedly. "There’s this new investment platform. High returns, quick profits. You could double your money in no time."

Jonas frowned. "Sounds too good to be true."

"I thought the same thing, but trust me. I’ve already made a small fortune," JunJun insisted.

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Page 7

That night, Jonas couldn’t stop thinking about JunJun’s offer. The idea of quick money was tempting, especially with his financial situation worsening. He researched the platform but found mixed reviews. Some people claimed to have made huge profits, while others warned of scams.

"Don’t be stupid," he told himself. "It’s risky."

But then he glanced at the overdue bills on the table, and the temptation grew stronger.

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Page 8

The next day, Jonas found himself discussing the idea with Dave, another coworker who was into stocks and investments.

"You’re thinking of investing in that?" Dave asked, eyebrows raised. "Dude, be careful. Those platforms are hit or miss. You could lose everything."

"I know," Jonas said, running a hand through his hair. "But what if I don’t? What if this is my chance to get ahead?"

Dave shook his head. "I get it, man. Just don’t bet more than you can afford to lose."

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Page 9

Unable to shake off the thought, Jonas decided to take the plunge. He invested a small amount in the platform JunJun mentioned. For the first few days, he saw his investment grow, and excitement started to build.

"This could be it," Jonas thought, feeling a flicker of hope. Maybe this was the break he’d been waiting for.

He kept his eyes glued to his phone, tracking his earnings and planning how he would use the money. Finally, things were looking up.

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Page 10

"Hey, Jonas, how’s the investment going?" Jules asked over lunch.

"It’s been good so far. I’ve already made some returns," Jonas said, his voice filled with cautious optimism.

"Careful, bro," Badong chimed in. "These things can crash as fast as they rise."

Jonas nodded, but inside, he felt more confident. He was finally making progress, and the idea of doubling his money seemed within reach.

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Page 11

For the next few weeks, Jonas continued to balance his day job with his online pursuits. The investment platform kept growing, and he began to consider pulling out some of his profits to pay off debts.

But just as he was about to withdraw, the site went down.

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Page 12

Jonas stared at the error message on his screen, his heart pounding in his chest. He refreshed the page again and again, but nothing changed.

"No, no, no," he muttered, panic rising. "This can’t be happening."

He quickly messaged JunJun, but there was no response.

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Page 13

The following days were filled with anxiety. Jonas tried reaching out to the platform’s support, but he only received vague automated replies. His investment—everything he had hoped for—was slipping through his fingers.

"Why didn’t I listen?" he whispered to himself, frustration and fear building inside him.

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Page 14

At work, Kristian noticed Jonas’ growing distress.

"You alright, man? You look like you haven’t slept in days."

Jonas rubbed his temples. "I think I made a huge mistake."

Kristian frowned. "What happened?"

Jonas hesitated, but eventually told him everything.

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Page 15

Kristian sighed. "Man, you took a big risk. I don’t know what to say, but maybe you can still salvage something."

Jonas wasn’t so sure. He spent his nights searching for answers, but the reality was sinking in: he might have lost it all.

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Page 16

One evening, JunJun finally called back.

"Jonas! I’ve been trying to contact you!" JunJun’s voice was frantic.

"Where have you been? The site’s down!" Jonas exclaimed, panic bubbling over.

"I know, I know," JunJun said. "There’s a way to get your money out, but it’s going to take time. Trust me, I’m working on it."

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Page 17

Weeks passed, and Jonas was still waiting. His hopes of making quick money had faded into a dull ache of regret. He continued working his LGU job, but his focus was fractured.

"How’s the investment?" Dave asked one day, sensing something was wrong.

Jonas just shook his head. "It’s not good, man."

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Page 18

Despite everything, Jonas hadn’t given up completely. He threw himself into his freelance writing again, taking on more gigs to make up for the loss. But the doubt remained, gnawing at him every time he thought about the money he’d risked.

"Maybe this was all a mistake," he told Kristian one afternoon.

"Maybe," Kristian replied, "but at least you tried. That’s more than most people can say."

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Page 19

One day, while checking his phone, Jonas saw a notification. It was from the platform.

His heart raced as he opened the message. It was vague, but it mentioned the possibility of withdrawals being restored soon.

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Page 20

Jonas sat back in his chair, staring at the message. Could this be it? Could he finally get his money back?

But as the hope rose inside him, so did the doubt. Was this just another false promise, or was this his last chance at redemption?

The uncertainty weighed heavily on him, and Jonas was left wondering: was this the end of his financial struggles—or the beginning of something even worse?