I kept going back to the same trader, thinking maybe the first time was just bad luck. But nope, second trade went the same way. Third attempt? Same result. At some point you'd think the pattern would be obvious—especially when the guy literally branded himself with that reputation. But here's the thing: I wasn't paying attention to the red flags. Kept believing this time would be different. That's on me. Lost good money learning that lesson, but honestly? Best tuition I ever paid. Now I actually do my homework before throwing capital at anything, no matter how confident I feel. Sometimes the market's way of teaching you is brutal, but it sticks.