"So, what have you been up to?" Joojo asked.

"I'm setting up a new place focused on manicures and pedicures. It's a lovely spot—you should come by sometime," I replied enthusiastically. I was excited to share this with him. Joojo was one of my favorite cousins, always a listening ear when things weren’t going well for me.

"That's great! Congratulations," he said with a smile in his voice.

"Thank you! What's up with you?"

"Nothing really, just the usual stuff," Joojo replied. He always answered that way, as though there was never anything going on in his life.

A few days later, something terrible happened. My shop was shut down, and I was told I had to relocate because of road construction. They said my shop was on government property. It was a complete shock to me. Where was I supposed to move my container shop to? I had no choice but to sell everything, and losing that shop left me depressed for months.

During that difficult time, I decided to go back to school. Not long after, Joojo reached out again. We talked at length, and I told him I was studying another language to become a bilingual boss. He encouraged me, as he always did.

But soon after we spoke, I started having issues with my results at school. It got so bad that I almost quit. I eventually decided to switch from Spanish to French and Chinese instead. Despite the setbacks, I kept pushing forward. While still in school, I landed an interview at a prestigious company. I was overjoyed—it felt like my hard work was finally paying off.

When Joojo called again, I told him about the interview. He was happy for me, as usual, and congratulated me. But a few days later, the company canceled on me without any meaningful explanation. I was devastated.

That’s when I started connecting the dots. Every time I told Joojo about something exciting in my life, things seemed to go wrong shortly after. It wasn’t just these three occasions either. And then there was the fact that Joojo never shared anything about himself. He always wanted to know everything about me, but his answers about his own life were vague and non-committal.

It pained me that it took me so long to figure it out. The next time we spoke, I was preparing for my final exams. He called and, as usual, asked about my life.

"How’s school going? What courses are you taking now?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual courses," I replied casually, deliberately not mentioning the switch to French and Chinese. When he asked about anything else, I gave him vague, unremarkable answers.

"So, what’s going on with you, Joojo?" I asked in return, flipping the script.

"Nothing really, just the same old stuff," he replied, just as I expected. His answers were as vague as mine.

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From that point on, I kept my life private whenever Joojo called. And since then, my life has been smooth. I’ve learned to be careful about who I share personal information with. Some people carry energy that interferes with your goals. They tell you nothing about themselves, yet they’re eager to know everything about you. And sometimes, they mess it all up.

Be careful who you confide in. Not everyone who listens is there to support you. Some are just there to disrupt your path.