The Confessions

"My grandmother left me money in her will and I have never told my siblings how much. It was unequal and I did not want the conversation. They assume it was the same for everyone. I have used the money to build a life I could not have built otherwise."

"I found a wallet in a supermarket car park with three hundred and forty pounds in it. I kept the money and handed in the empty wallet. I told myself the person was probably insured. I have thought about that justification almost every day since and I know it was nonsense."

"I told my parents my business was going well for two years while it was slowly failing. I did not want them to worry. By the time I admitted the truth I had lost everything. They were not angry. They were sad they had not been able to help sooner. That was worse than anger."

"I was given too much change in a shop once. A significant amount, nearly thirty pounds. I noticed immediately and walked out. I have never gone back to that shop since, partly from shame and partly because I do not want to return the money."

"I told my landlord repairs were urgent when they were not, to jump the queue. Someone else in the building had a genuinely urgent issue and waited longer because of me. I only found this out afterwards. I have felt guilty about it ever since."