I'm so sick of this. Every single day, every single week, it’s the same damn thing. My phone lights up, and for a second, a fleeting second, I think maybe someone actually wants to talk to *me*. Not my brain, not my connections, but *me*. Then I open the message, and it’s always – ALWAYS – "Hey, can you look over this presentation for the Johnson account? Need fresh eyes," or "Did you hear anything about the Q3 layoffs? My manager looked SO stressed today." Like I'm some kind of walking rumor mill or a free consultant. It makes my blood boil, honestly. These are the same people I get coffee with, the ones I vent to about annoying clients and the sheer existential dread of being a freelancer in this economy. We’ve shared so many late nights, so many cheap drinks after work, complaining about deadlines and demanding bosses. I thought we were friends. Real friends. Not just… useful acquaintances. But when was the last time any of them texted just to say, "Hey, how are *you* doing? How’s that crazy gig you picked up last week?" Never. It just never happens. And the worst part is, I let it. I let them use me, every single time. I jump to help, every single time. Because a part of me, a STUPID, hopeful part of me, still thinks that if I help them enough, they’ll actually see me. It’s exhausting, constantly feeling like a resource, not a person. My income is all over the place, I’m constantly chasing payments, and the idea of health insurance feels like a pipe dream right now. I don’t have the luxury of a steady paycheck or benefits, and they just… don't get it. Or they don't care. They just want my expertise, my gossip, whatever I can provide in the moment. And I’m so angry. Angry at them for being so self-absorbed, and even angrier at myself for falling for it, every single time.