all because I answered the phone...

A year ago life as we knew it changed.
6 months ago I stopped answering the phone
If I didn't recognize the number, it went to voice mail
If there was no message...well then it must not've been important.

I hated this
I hated it because I knew the calls were coming from companies I owed money
I pay my debts
But when income does not meet out-going, well...choices need to be made.

A month ago, I started answering the phone and one by one I checked creditors off my list
Paid off 3 and brought 2 others up to date
and the phone stopped ringing

It's a big deal for me to answer the phone
for some reason or another, I just don't DO well on the phone
I'm a face to face or in type kind of conversationalist and truth be told...I'd probably always default to text or email if I could.

The phone started ringing again a couple of weeks ago and the ignore button began an intimate relationship with my right thumb.
There was still ONE out there
The one I didn't agree with
The one that dumped me WHILE I was a model customer
Because THEIR bank was having problems
The one that ignored all of my communication, jacked my rates and my fees and wouldn't take my calls
...so I wasn't taking theirs!
Quid pro quo, Clarisse!

But
I did use the card and I still had a balance

Today, I answered the phone
I plead my case...rather eloquently according to my co-workers...
They offered me a hardship settlement
I explained again, "Um, no...just because I happened to be going through a hardship during the SAME chronological time period as we experienced our issue does not mean I need a hardship settlement...what happened to our financial relationship was NOT  MY  FAULT. As you will see by looking at my records, I stayed current and then some. You dumped me, then you raised my rates. I called to discuss it and you refused my calls...so I stopped paying you,"and they agreed.

THEY AGREED!
They admitted they did not respect me as a customer and my impeccable history with them and that I got the short end of the stick!
I offered to pay what I TRULY owed...before the rate change, before the late fees...before the break-up.
My account is duly noted...I made him read it back to me, TWICE...at different times so I could be sure he wasn't just fluffing...
"Customer's line of credit was rescinded due to no fault of her own. Upon review of her account history we find no reason for this action and have cleared all late fees and reinstated the original rate of interest."

I answered the phone
I plead my case
I spoke my truth, even though my voice may have been a bit shaky
I stuck to my guns
I won

and best of all...
I'm taking care of what I owe and...

my phone is not ringing anymore.

Sorry thumb...you'll have to find a new hook-up