I didn’t meet her in a bar. I met her through a screen—and I fell hard anyway. I’m an Australian tradesman. She’s a single mum overseas, working on an online platform where attention has a price tag. At first it’s electric: late-night calls, big promises, the kind of connection that makes you stupid on purpose. Then the rules change. Calls become complicated. Affection starts to feel timed. When I ask for closeness, I get dodges. When I pull back, I get pressure. This isn’t a takedown. It’s a fi...