chapter I - the early years

When I met my boyfriend I was 24 and working as a reporter, since I have a degree in Journalism and hadn't yet turned to marketing. I was still living with my parents and the money I made wasn't much, but more than enough for the lifestyle I was leading. 

My boyfriend Josh was working part-time in one of those jobs-for-the-youth programmes and earned like 1/4 of my salary. He has a complicated history. His parents died when he was only a child so he had to live with his grandparents. When he turned 18 they told him he had to get a job (and could continue studying if he wanted to), which he did, but decided to move out and started living alone. He eventually dropped out of school and kept working at call centers and stuff for a few years.

However, he could never keep a job for long, he always started trouble with his bosses or was always late or just got bored and quit. So, when I met him he was working at that State gig that his grandmother got him and it was ok since he didn't have to pay rent (the house belonged to his family) and always got some help with the bills.

Our relationship was very difficult in the beginning, he showed no respect for me whatsoever, he was selfish, violent and always angry at the world. We broke up 3 times in 6 years (I did, anyway). But somehow I always took him back and blamed his past, his complicated childhood with addicted parents, or his overprotective grandmother... and I always hoped he would change He did change, in many ways, thank god, but... moving on with the story.

Later on he got a job at a Bank's call center, but I knew that wouldn't last for several reasons... he hated it and was always late and spent his salary on taxis instead of catching a bus to get there on time.

So... he was a pretty unreliable guy and it became pretty obvious that wasn't going to work. By then he was already playing poker, as a hobby, for a couple of years. And that's when he decided to change his life.