It was expensive. But as he entered the new, legitimate key and watched the software hum to life without threat or malice, he realized the truth: the free key was never free. It was just a loan from a loan shark, and the interest rate was devastation.
John was tempted to copy and paste one of the keys into his Parallels Desktop installation. It seemed like an easy way out, and he wouldn't have to spend any money. He rationalized that he was just trying to get his work done, and that he would upgrade to a legitimate license later.
After some digging, John found a promotion offering a 20% discount on Parallels Desktop 17. He purchased the license, feeling relieved and satisfied that he had made the right decision.
